We were lucky to catch up with Latrice Pace recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Latrice thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

I have been extremely fortunate to be able to earn a full-time living from my creative work. I began this professional journey straight out of high school. I began traveling the country with our family group, The Anointed Pace Sisters. When you’re in the grind you don’t think about how much you’re grinding, you just know that you have to keep working to keep the money flowing.

How do you make it happen? It’s simple, Say yes to everything. In the beginning stages, you’re building so my mentality was to go to every audition and say yes to every job. You don’t cherry-pick your jobs until what you’ve been working hard to build, manifests. I would tour for months nine months at a time with a theatrical production, but for the three months I was home I’d do temporary work for Randstad. I’m not your typical artist. I can’t sleep til noon every day, lol. I’m happiest when I’m working and feeling productive.

I’m at a place where I can cherry-pick my jobs, but not shopping so much when I was younger definitely would have gotten me here quicker. The money I spent on clothes and gadgets should’ve gone into my retirement fund, but at age 17 retirement sounds like a joke. It’s no joke! The main thing I tell young people now is, to stop shopping so much. Saving is the flex. Retiring at an early age in comfort is the flex. Having multiple streams of income with no toil is the flex.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

For those who may not know me, I’m Latrice Pace. I’m the eighth daughter and ninth child born into a family of ten who are/were Gospel industry artists. I was born into the industry, so that’s how I got started. My sister LaShun Pace was known for the traditional acapella songs “I Know I’ve Been Changed” and “There’s a Leak in This Old Building’. My brother, Murphy Pace III, had a Gospel choir and one of the most influential churches in Atlanta. My other siblings formed a group, The Anointed Pace Sisters, known for “U-Know” and “When God is in the Building.”

While traveling with the family group, I sometimes traveled with my sister LaShun as her assistant. In addition to her concert appearances, she would perform in many urban stage plays, and that’s how I discovered my love for the theatre. I started with Tyler Perry and David E. Talbert; then, I started doing more musical theatre with local productions to gain my Actor’s Equity card.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

At the beginning of my journey, I would take day trips to New York for auditions. I only had enough money for the flight, cab, lunch, and home. I always got a callback but never booked anything. One year, I went to audition for The Color Purple and felt super positive about it. I didn’t get the part and was utterly devastated. I walked to a nearby cafe, cried like a baby, got myself together, got in the cab to the airport, and headed back home. I remember talking to one of my mentors, and he suggested I take a break from auditioning for a while, and I did. That was the best advice I’d ever received. The audition process can be brutal. The art of “selling yourself” has always been challenging for me. You need thick skin, and I didn’t have it then. I took that break to fortify and build myself up again, and I haven’t stopped since. I’m in a season where I’m booking everything I’ve auditioned for, and I’m grateful I didn’t give up.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

The goal of “dying empty” is what drives me right now. I grew up in an environment where I heard a lot of “One day I’m going to…” and all of the people who were saying it died without ever doing what they said they’d one day do. I want to execute every dream, vision, and thought that comes to me. I want to leave a legacy of love, no excuses, and completed works (music, film, shows, books, merch, etc.) that people can look back on and say, “Wow, I want to do that.”

Contact Info:

• Website: https://latricepace.com
• Instagram: TheatricalPace
• Facebook: TheatricalPace
• Linkedin: LatricePace
• Twitter: TheatricalPace
• Youtube: Latrice Pace
• Soundcloud: Latrice Pace

Image Credits

Fashion Riot Photography