We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lulu Grey a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Lulu, thanks for joining us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?
I am far happier now as a creative than I would have been in any other field. I’ve known since I was little that I wanted to be an actor and a singer, and I struggle to picture myself in a regular job. That does not mean I haven’t had my doubts, though – there have been plenty of times when I second-guessed the career path that I picked. Usually, these times don’t last very long. I can think back on all the happiness I’ve felt whenever I’m immersed in my art and make myself feel better by the end of the day at the very latest. There was one time I clearly remember from my college days when I truly questioned everything that had led me to that point in my life and made me ask myself, “Do I really want to do this anymore?” During the pandemic, I was holed up in my apartment while everything in my college life had been transferred online, including the theatrical productions I did. Couple this with some bad experiences I had had in prior productions, and some other personal issues I was dealing with in my life that I was dealing with in my life that I would rather not go into at this moment, and I was starting to wonder if I really was made to be an actor/singer. On one particularly bad day, I became extremely overwhelmed with everything that had been happening and began debating if I should change my major. If I would be happier in a less overwhelming career when I was this doubtful of my own love of theater. I tried talking to friends about it, but nobody seemed to really understand. At the end of the day, I called my parents (we called every night when I was in college because I attended an out-of-state university), and told them everything I was feeling. My mother listened, understood, and asked all the right questions. My father gave his full support. Slowly, the clouds of doubt that had formed in my mind began to dissipate. All the questions I had in my mind about whether to keep going on the creative path had one clear answer: “Yes – this is what I want.” “No – I cannot give this up.” And I never did. And I never will. I felt more certain on my career path than ever, more determined than ever to see it through to the end of my life. And that’s exactly what I intend to do.
Lulu, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
If you don’t know me, my name is Lulu Grey. I am an Actor and a Singer, and have been since a very young age. When I was around 5 years old, my family and I went to see a school production of “Rent” (basically a watered-down, censored version of the musical), and I was so wowed by watching all the actors that I stood up and said, “I want to do that!” At the next opportunity, I registered for the same program’s next production of “Beauty and the Beast,” and I never stopped working and growing as an actor and singer from that point onward. As an actor, I work primarily in film at this moment, but I have plenty of experience in theater from throughout my school days and have even considered returning to theater at some point in the future. In both fields, but especially as a singer, I take whatever small gigs I can get, and in the meantime, I share my music via a YouTube channel called Lulu Grey Sings, where I post both covers and original songs (but mostly covers). I believe what sets me apart from others is just how many different skill sets I have, and how I continue to develop them over time. For instance, at this point, publicly speaking, I consider myself primarily to be an Actor/Singer. Privately, though, I am also a writer, a director, an editor, and even a composer. While I can’t give many details right now, there are MANY projects I am working on behind the scenes that I absolutely cannot wait to share with the world. I want to reach a point one day where I can feel comfortable sharing all of these skills with everyone, and in doing so, show people who I truly, authentically am through my art. I want others to know that I will never settle for being known for just one thing – either JUST an actor, or JUST a singer – I want to be known for being many things, as is the story of life in a way. Nobody is ever just one thing, and that is something I want everyone to remember. You don’t have to fit yourself into a mold of expectations and just go along with what everyone wants you to be – be your own person, and work to be the person you want to be through your chosen field. That’s what I intend to do with my art, no matter what form it takes. And in the end, while I am certainly proud of what I have accomplished so far as an actor in film work, what I will be most proud of is if I can share myself with others through what I create, and be happy with it, and to know if others have been inspired to do the same.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
In my opinion, to support creative types in this ever-growing creative ecosystem, I think society could extend generosity to artists and creatives in regards to work hours or types of jobs. Here’s what I mean: While I cannot speak for everybody in a creative field, I personally struggle with balancing regular day jobs with my creative endeavors because I have learned as an actor to always keep myself “on-call” for any potential jobs that come up. My fear is that if I pass up an acting job for any reason, then I will lose out on the incredible opportunity I would have had, and the incredible connections I would have made as well. This applies a bit to music as well, but for me, it is far more prevalent when it comes to acting. This doesn’t mean I don’t work at all to support myself outside of my art – I do. But it does mean I am far more careful than most when it comes to work hours. I try not to take on too many regular work hours because I would like to keep my schedule relatively open in case any future creative work comes up. The problem is, you never really know when that’s going to happen due to the nature of the entertainment industry. So it’s always a balancing act between supporting myself and immersing myself in my art. And again, I cannot speak for anyone else, but I think many other creative types feel the same way. Personally, I would suggest that as a society, we offer more flexibility to those working in a creative field, so that people have time to both pursue their passions AND keep making money to support themselves. Offer more flexible hours, and maybe even offer some better pay, as well. I mean, if it were all up to me, I would make it so that every artist is rich and never has to work a day job again, but I think that’s just a tad bit unrealistic. I just think, in general, we need to be more accommodating and understanding towards people in a creative field, because ultimately, creativity is what makes the world go ’round.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
Without a doubt, the most rewarding aspect of being creative is having an outlet for my emotions and experiences. Getting to create whatever I want whenever I want is the best feeling in the world, especially when I’m going through a tough time. As someone who struggles with anxiety and depression, it can be hard for me to open up to other people about what I’m feeling sometimes. So it feels like a hug from the universe when I get to channel all that anxiety and emotional disregulation into a project I’m working on. When it feels like nobody else can truly understand what I’m feeling, creativity is always there for me, no matter what. But it doesn’t just help me in the present – it has helped me in the past. I was a very shy kid growing up, and performing really helped me to come out of my shell and be happy with myself. I am not sure about the future, but as for the present, I wouldn’t trade this rewarding feeling of channeling all my energy into my creative endeavors for anything in the world.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.luluggrey.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lulugreysings/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LuluGreySings/?notif_id=1613104004856276¬if_t=page_fan&ref=notif
- Twitter: https://x.com/LuluGreySings
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLnf70eW3vnV9VEB_V-ANsQ
Image Credits
Daniel Reichert
Nehemias Ramirez
Shamisa Ford