We were lucky to catch up with Vincenzo Hinckle recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Vincenzo, 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?

This is such an important question and it comes up all the time. I think as creatives we can get caught up in the starving artist mind-set. We focus on all of the times when we are not working as opposed to the times when we are, even if they may be few and far between sometimes. In fact, having downtime between projects is actually more nourishing to the artistic soul.

One of my former teachers, Kathy Laughlin used to say: “If you’re young, you have no time; when you’re old, you have all the time in the world.” I don’t think I understood that fully until a few years ago. As a young artist you can have tunnel vision and only focus on recognition and getting your work in front of people, what I would call a “surface-level” pursuit. However, as you grow in maturity and in your craft, maybe you even take on a more serious role at your day job, you get married and have a kid, you realize that what really feeds that artistic hunger is the meaning behind your work. It also brings more depth to your characters. What makes you tick and why should people see your art? That downtime is a blessing. It gives you the space and silence to flesh out those ideas and really carve out an artistic practice/process.

For me, taking some time away from acting was one of the best decisions I could have made. I started a business, got married and then came back even stronger and clearer about my goals than before. Starting a business taught me to value myself fairly and strengthened my conceptions of artistry and the business side of it. Getting married fortified my love for family and what is really most important in life. So now when I approach the work, I’m not just thinking that it could end and then I’ll have to look for another gig. I am enjoying every moment because it’s a blessing to be able to do what I love. I am also more discerning in how I choose projects, not because I necessarily have the luxury of doing so, though certainly not worrying where money will come from helps stave off fear, but because I value what I put out way more than if I was in some transient job.

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 am a first generation Italian immigrant with a big family that has settled across the globe. My wife and I currently live and work in NYC where I run a handyman/remodeling company. We help homeowners, as well as some of the top stagers and designers in the city and business owners (restauranteurs, retailers, etc.). We offer wallpaper, paint, drywall repairs, bespoke carpentry and more. Clients often call us back and refer us because we have a great reputation for attention to detail, quality and care. We regularly hear what a great experience it is working with Hinckley’s Handyman Services. Creatively I am focusing on theatre, particularly experimental. I am an actor first but love to take on production, writing and directing and am currently developing and submitted a new work for Arthouse2B, an incredible arts community in NYC. I am particularly interested in blurring the line between the observer and the observed through unique new works. I also offer consulting and mentorship for younger actors.

Growing up in Florida where I first pursued music and decided it was time to give acting a shot. It had always been in the back of my head. I was (and am) shy and introverted so it took me a bit to acclimate. I started in a High School Drama class and from there journeyed my way through to film. I learned how to get an agent, the importance of training and a great class which also would coincide with me becoming SAG eligible. I was blessed to have started with a process- Eric Morris- that encompassed a wide spectrum of acting methods and practices as well as a community that very much felt like family and helped that growth both as an actor and a person. Many of those students are still great friends of mine and some of them were even a part of my wedding party. PSW (The Performer’s Studio Workshop) was a unique place and I credit it for the early success I found in the business.

I am deeply thankful to have enjoyed – what I would humbly call- a successful career in the arts with a variety of projects and a multitude of incredibly talented individuals. I am also grateful that through this process I feel that the purpose of my art and the development of my practice has become clearer to me. I find that my work gravitates toward interesting psychological concepts and is, at times, whimsical in its exploration and execution. Thematically, I am very drawn to the Beauty of the Divine at the moment and how that can be presented to both non-secular and secular audiences alike as well as human emotion and interconnectedness. I want people who see my work to be affected and moved and think deeply about those they love. Of particular interest is our relationship to God and how that affects and informs our lives.

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

I briefly touched on this in a previous question but in essence, I’d like to avoid making art for arts sake. That isn’t to say I won’t make ‘entertainment’ but that my current focus is on – for lack of a better term- meaningful, or at the very least layered work. Certainly there is sometimes a place for a film, or theatre work that is just meant to elicit joy, or sadness. However, my goal at the moment is to write/perform with a purpose. I feel a strong why and a great message can enhance the work and drives me to develop the work in a well-rounded way. Writing about divine concepts and complex human emotions is an interesting exploration of what drives us as both individuals and as a culture. I very much want people who watch my work to find it thought-provoking and if at all possible even palliative or cathartic and believe concentrating on Divinity and Mystery can certainly do that.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

In his treatise to artists, ‘God is Beauty,’ Pope Saint John Paul II said that God is the Creator and we are co-creators.

This, to me, is already an incredible thing to ponder over. He has given us the responsibility and permission as artists to ‘co-create’ with him and through him. It’s quite a big perk I would say. In the book, JPII also says that since God is the big B (Beauty) we channel the small b (beauty) through our work so it’s very rewarding to me to have this drive and this responsibility and privilege to be able to co-create. It does also remove some – though not all- the anxiety to do a “good job” because I am just the conduit. Beyond that, it’s enriching to be able to affect and move people. To remind them of love, happiness, and yes, even sadness.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.VincenzoMHinckley.com and www.HandymanHinckley.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vinstagramenator/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vincenzo-micciche-hinckley-19003625/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@99CentPro
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/hinckleys-handyman-services-new-york

Image Credits

Alex & Jully Photography (wedding photo), Jason Kasman Photography (film premier, blue suit), Elena Castello (theatre piece with black costumes) USA Networks (last picture, still from Graceland)