We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kim Ellis a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kim , thanks for joining us today. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

Yes, I’m absolutely happier as an artist. The fact that I have the freedom and opportunity to pursue my passion is an absolute dream come true and I am in constant awe of all the diverse experiences and lessons and growth I’ve witnessed and experienced. But that said, I have definitely reconsidered a regular 9-5 several times throughout my acting journey. Prior to becoming an actor, I worked in education for over a decade as a teacher and a school counselor, so I know the pros and cons of having a 9-5. But when life beats you down, day after day, for years and years, you do start to question everything and all your old fears, doubts, and insecurities start pouring in.

One of the most difficult times was 2020- 2023. My mother had a stroke in early 2020, my mother-in-law passed away a month later, then it was the lockdown, the fear and the isolation, and I was also in and out of the hospital for various health issues, which resulted in two surgeries. My husband was delivering pizzas for Papa Johns in the evenings so he could keep his days free to take care of me and also leave room for his own work as a writer/director. Then some drunk crashed into our parked car which ended up being a total loss, one of our former roommates pulled a knife on my husband and our cat almost died from heart failure. It was just one thing after another and we just held each other and cried at that point. It was a very tough period for us. We considered all kinds of possibilities. We talked about creating content for a kids Youtube channel. Packing our stuff and moving to Thailand, or opening an English academy in Korea. Or picking up where I left off as a teacher or a school counselor and my husband could use his aviation skills and go work as an airline pilot. But we both realized, that yes, while we would have the house, the car and the money, we wouldn’t have the freedom to pursue our creative desires. We knew that we would always choose freedom and creativity over stability. It’s definitely risky and it’s not for everyone. We’ve had some of our own friends and family members question our choices and our career paths but we also have a lot of friends and family who support us 100% and that’s all that matters. And when you push through that outer noise and inner resistance, and continue to take that step forward, magical shit CAN happen. It’s happened to me and my husband on so many occasions and it’s one of the reasons why we continue down this path. Somehow, things just magically work out and a lot of the time, you don’t see it coming. It’s been a long and difficult journey in overcoming even my own prejudice and limiting beliefs about an artist’s life, but now, I’ve fully embraced all the ups and downs of being an artist and know that I will get through anything as long as I continue to work hard, stay true to myself and remember my love for the craft.

Kim , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Sometimes, I still can’t believe I’m an actor. It’s not something I ever considered. I know some people have wanted to be an actor their entire lives and studied acting intensively, but I don’t even have a background in acting. I did some theater in high school but that was about it. I was in education my whole life. I come from a family of educators and it just felt natural to become a teacher as well. I was good with kids and I enjoyed teaching for the most part, not to mention teaching English in Korea was a lucrative gig. But I knew it wasn’t something I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I just didn’t know what that was so I just decided on school counseling. I was starting to get burned out from being in the classroom all the time, and with my empathic and sensitive nature, I thought school counseling would be a great career path for me. Fast forward a few years later, I’m working as a middle school counselor and I finds out that my work visa application was not selected. I was honestly devastated. I had worked so hard up to that point and I honestly didn’t want to go back to Korea. I was done with that life. So after unsuccessfully exploring other options, I decided to go back to school to maintain my student visa and buy myself some more time to figure things out. I selected acting because I remembered my high school days and how much fun I had.
When I still look back on those times, how I even started acting, it still feels surreal to me. I remember that first acting class very clearly, and how it just felt right. I somehow knew deep down that it was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, that through some weird circumstances, life brought me here. If my visa application had actually been selected, I would never have taken the acting class. And I would never have discovered my passion for it.
But the beginning of my acting journey was tough because I had to face all my inner demons and insecurities. The stories I constantly told myself; ‘oh I could never do that. I’m not pretty or talented enough. I’m starting this acting thing too late. I’m too old. I don’t have any experience. I need to do something more stable. Oh god, what is my family going to think?’ It took me a few years to tell my family due to that fear of being judged, when in fact, I was judging myself the entire time. I’m still in the process of undoing all that conditioning but I have much more patience and awareness than ever before. So what have I learned through all this? That something I considered devastating actually ended up being a blessing. So keep an open mind. Don’t lose hope when all goes to hell. If something doesn’t work out, then it’s just space being created for something better to come along. And most importantly, self-love and self care. Health, both mental and physical, is number one. It’s amazing how much you can start to accomplish when you start to change your inner story about life and about yourself. The lessons I’ve learned since starting my acting journey have been invaluable and I’m constantly reminded that in the face of adversity, rather than resisting and fighting, you’ll find more inner peace by just embracing it all, the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

To be able to share and create more authentic stories from around the world. I love stories based on people’s personal experiences because one, they’re eye-opening opportunities to learn more about different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences and two, it can be a tool for immense healing for both the storyteller and the audience.
It also takes a lot of courage to be open about ourselves and our experiences without fear of judgment and I strongly believe that sharing our stories can be incredibly powerful in bringing people together, not to mention incredibly inspiring as well. When I first found out about my early menopause, I was extremely overwhelmed and stressed. I didn’t know anyone else my age who was going through the same thing so I immediately turned to the online community, including social media. I was inspired just by reading and listening to other people’s stories. Their stories gave me hope and comfort. It was reassuring to know that I wasn’t alone. So that’s definitely a goal of mine; to continue to share and be open to different stories, ideas, opinions, and experiences. Even if one person feels seen, heard, appreciated, or acknowledged through my stories, then mission accomplished.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

One of the most rewarding aspects of being an artist is the fact that I get to connect, collaborate, and create with other artists. I love rehearsals and table reads. I love the chaos on set, I love the camaraderie that happens, when people, some of whom you’ve met for the first time, just get together and work their butts off for however long the project is, and after the project is complete, you walk away with gratitude, a sense of pride, and sometimes, lifelong friendships. At least, those have been my experiences. I know some people don’t always have the best experience on set but I’ve been fortunate to have had some of the best times and meet some of the most creative, genuine, and hardworking people I know. And that’s the most rewarding part for me. To truly connect, collaborate, and create with like-minded artists. I’m also fortunate that my husband and I have a great working relationship. We’ve worked on several projects together, including an animated series, three short films, and a feature film. I’m always his go-to when he needs notes for his scripts or his post-production edits, and he’s always there to help with my auditions so not only do we work together, but we are each others’ biggest advocates and boy, what a challenging yet fun, crazy adventure it has been. So to me, it’s not about actually booking the job or making that money, although that’s nice too of course. It’s really about enjoying the journey and not even worrying about the destination. That takes the pressure of me and allows me to truly enjoy art for what it is. I mean, I get to dress up and play pretend. All these characters are just ideas on a page and my job is to bring them to life. That’s probably the most rewarding aspect of it all.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @kimellis1128