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

Nick , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

The first time I knew I wanted to pursue a creative path was in high school. I had been writing for the school paper, and realized that writing was a passion that I wanted to grow and nurture. After high school I attended The Savannah College of Art and Design, where I started taking classes in Advertising, specifically Copywriting. I was excelling and very much enjoying the creative outlet these classes gave me, but I was also very curious to try other outlets.
Acting was something that seemed interesting to me, but I was way to shy to explore when I was younger. I happened to see a casting call towards the end of my Freshman year, that a friend of a friend has posted for a short film role and figured I might as well audition. I got the part and went on to star in that short film and from that moment on knew that acting was something I wanted to pursue. It gave me an outlet to be wild and creative like I had never had before.
The next quarter I started taking Performing Arts classes at the same time as advertising. Within a couple more quarters I knew I had to make a choice. Advertising was something I excelled at, but acting was something I excelled at AND filled me with immense creative joy. The choice was simple, and the rest is history.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am an actor based in Los Angeles, CA and am originally from Rochester, Ny. I’m represented by People Store Talent Agency for Film & Television, as well as Voiceover (Commercial, Animation, Interactive).
I began my acting career at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), where I honed my performance skills, studying under the likes of D.W. Moffett, Craig Anton, Andra Reeve-Rabb, Mark Tymchyshyn, & Laurence Ballard. While at SCAD I was able to work with some amazingly talented film-makers, crew, and actors.
As an actor in Los Angeles, I am pursuing on-camera roles (Film & Television), as well as Voiceover Projects (Animation, Video Games, Commercial) that challenge me creatively. I love getting to work on multiple mediums and to collaborate with visionaries across multiple disciplines, and am always looking for opportunities to collaborate.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Oh soooo many! ‘The War of Art’ by Steven Pressfield is a quick and short read that I think should be required reading for every creative. Pressfield breaks down step by step how to get out of creative blocks, how to avoid them, and how to call upon your muse, as well as a whole variety of other essential topics. A current read I have is “The Creative Way” by Rick Rubin. Rick is such a visionary and every chapter of this book will be useful to you as a creative. All of Ryan Holliday’s books have also had a huge impact as well on me, specifically ‘The Obstacle is the Way”. These novels break down the stoic philosophy in very easy and relatable reads, and have helped me immensely in my personal and creative life.

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

It sounds a little trite to say, but to help bring to life stories that help inspire people, or at the very least give them an escape/joy. As a kid I struggled a lot with self image and bullying, and Movies, TV, and Video games were an oasis in the scary desert that life can sometimes be.
If a performance I have in a show, film, or Game can provide that to even one person out there, I think I’ll have accomplished that mission.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nickschaeffer.com/
• Instagram: @Chaffski
• Other: If you want to collaborate on a project, please feel free to DM on IG or fill out the contact form on my Website.

Image Credits

Michael Garcia (Professional Headshot Photos)