We were lucky to catch up with Katheryn Mcgaffigan recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Katheryn, thanks for joining us today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

No, I don’t see it either way. I’ve been dabbling in the creative world for as long as I can remember, and probably always will be. My creative successes have more to do with not fitting into a mold. The less I try to fit into a mold and I’m just being real, the more successful my creative endeavors are. No matter what age I am.

I tried modeling when I was 16 – everyone said it was the ideal age and it’s my only shot – but it went nowhere. Then flash forward to my late-20s: I was signed with a great modeling agency, had a photo in Vogue print, and I did shoots for names like Stuart Weitzman and Martha Stewart Weddings. That was out of the mold – no one ever says wait to model till you’re older.

It was the same way for me with music, writing and acting. I’d audition and submit well-practiced material over and over again, to no avail. Then I’d just jump onstage and royally freak out during a great band’s show, and they’d invite me to perform the next night, and I’d eventually tour with them. That happened more than once. Or my subletter turns out to be a film director and he’s currently casting his next project and looking for a co-writer. That’s always how I came across my best projects – just keeping it real.

Nowadays, I create the art first and figure out where it belongs later. Who can I call that will know what to do with this? That’s how I did my recent Off-Broadway solo show: I had a story I knew was good and I was antsy to tell, so I asked my friend if I could perform it at his storytelling event. When that was a success, I knew I had something I could submit to say…a solo show festival. And then that was a success. Now I have even more exciting ideas about where I can take it next – Edinburgh Fringe Fest, maybe turning it into a series… It’s not about fitting into a mold – it’s more about meeting a mold.

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.

I’m a storyteller. I tell stories through writing, performing and music. I tend to explore the dark, gritty and subversive, but I like to think it’s with a childlike sense of wonder, humor and lightness. In music, I’ve performed in the gypsy punk band Gogol Bordello as a dancer, percussionist and backup vocalist. I’m currently recording an EP of my solo songs with members of the rock/goth band Swans. In theater, I wrote and performed an Off-Broadway solo show called Follower, a thought-provoking play that delves into the mind of a female stalker who has very unexpected motives. In film, I co-wrote and co-starred in As the Dust Settles, a participatory documentary about Burning Man – one of the few docs ever released about the event. I’m also a newly published poet.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

My journey as a creative hasn’t been voluntary; it’s a necessity. It’s my way of making sense of the world. Most of my current writing feels more analytical than it is creative – I’m constantly investigating, analyzing and rationalizing moments of my life on the page. I’m trying to reason: what happened then? Why? Take, for example, some lyrics to my forthcoming EP’s song, Fight:

“Was there a joke in the room that I must’ve missed, ’cause I was too caught up in the first kiss?” “Where do we go from here? Into the sun or into the night or into the fight? I run.”

It’s all questions and logistics! I don’t think I allow myself to ask questions or be lost enough in my day-to-day life – I save that for the writing, where I’m vulnerable. If I didn’t have this outlet, then I’m just stuck in my head, not even knowing what the questions are – no matter searching for answers.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

For years, I was able to make a living freelancing in the arts, working a variety of jobs from background acting to art modeling to bartending, catering, film production, doing merch for bands, digitizing magazine archives, even transcribing TED Talks and working at the Strand Book Store. People would tell me this is a job Madonna had back in the day, that Patti Smith had back in the day – these were storied jobs. I catered Chelsea Clinton’s wedding. I waited on Malcolm Gladwell. It was fun and usually didn’t feel dead-end.

Then, out of nowhere, I injured my back at a catering gig and suddenly couldn’t do any physical work. I decided I’d get a temp job in an office for a few months, hoping for health insurance. I took the first job offered: a job booking container ships for the military. A major pivot – but it wasn’t that bad! My brain had a knack for it – it was mostly spreadsheets and solitary work. A few months later, I was offered a permanent position with health insurance. I took it.

I’ve had a day job ever since. It was an extremely difficult adjustment at first – I missed the adventure of the NYC freelancing life – but in time I learned I just needed to find adventure elsewhere. The hardest part of having a day job for me is waking up early, but the long-term reward of structure far outweighs this minor inconvenience.

The day job has also given me the independence to create my own art. It changed me from always being involved in other people’s projects to finally creating my own – even paying for other artists’ services if needed. I didn’t realize how much I needed this shift until it happened. Having a day job isn’t a popular preference for artists, but for me it’s 100% integral to my creativity. Work hard, then play hard. And repeat.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katherynmcgaffigan/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katherynmcgaffigan
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherynmcgaffigan/
• Twitter: https://x.com/ckath
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/katherynmcgaffigan
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/katherynmcgaffigan
• Other: IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2539076/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

Image Credits

Allyson Anne Lamb