We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Betty Schram. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Betty below.
Betty , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you wish you had started sooner?
It’s probably the “correct” answer to say one can never begin honing their craft too soon, and I don’t disagree with the principle- however I’ll add to it: during the process of elevating your skill set and developing your instincts, the work will find you when you are ready for it, and it will continue as you continue. I think people often misunderstand the refining process to be “before the race” and don’t recognize they’re in it already. We are always creating, and we should always be refining! Whether we are walking or running, there’s wisdom in remembering the daily refinement is more than opportunity for growth- it’s also a piece of your story and the path you are on real time.
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.
As my bio reads in a publication for which I guest author: I am an allied health professional, model, and actress.
Fitness of mind, body, and spirit are each incredibly important to me. I am thankful to get to interface with both the arts and the sciences in this life, but for the purpose of this interview will continue down the arts path.
I am incredibly proud of the art on which I’ve been privileged to collaborate with so many talented individuals I am equally proud to call my friends. Part the joy is in creating the work, having the opportunity to immerse oneself in the craft and work with others doing the same, and part of it is in reflecting on the stories behind the work that brought together the out-of-the-box thinking creatives need in order to find solutions to abstract challenges.
Some production days run smoothly and as expected. Others have hiccups and obstacles that requires the village to come together to problem solve and find solutions together. Some involve the project and (especially for independent projects) the team rallies and finds a way to accommodate or somehow resolve the complication.
Other scenarios are representative of “life happens” and it happened on location. I was at a beautiful, remote location with a small team shooting a fashion editorial, and all of the crew had left by the time the photographer realized their car had a leak of some kind, and wasn’t sure they could get home. I popped the hood and helped them diagnose the transmission fluid leak that would require an evacuation by way of tow truck. Creative projects, especially the film and photography work I do, is a team sport!
I strive to be prepared, be that in memorization, physical preparation, character work, etc. and then am ready to be as flexible as possible to address and roll with the micro or macro adjustments that present themselves to the project. Presence and focus are fundamentally valuable as well.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
Early in my healthcare career, I had the opportunity to join a group of physicians taking a series of classes on the subject of success. Throughout the classes, a concept was circled back to continually: you are the maker of your own game. Life, circumstances, challenges, heartbreaks, and all the “unaccounted for” derailments will happen, Murphy’s Law is known by all, however you get to choose how you will respond. You decide. There is so much to be said for having agency, even a glimmer of it.
Another valuable takeaway from these classes was to remember that you define success for yourself. The world will have many ideas of what success looks like, but only you can determine that for yourself.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
I think of all of the wonderful things that come from living and interacting in the creative realm, and while I can’t choose just one, I’ll speak to one highly rewarding aspect, which is in the joy of creating. Current reality especially has a barrage of demanding distractions and “easy content” generated by AI that depresses and discourages the ability to think abstractly and creatively. For example, when I write, I want to build with my own words, my original thoughts, and honest reflections of my perspective and experiences. I want the blood on the page to match my DNA, not be some red version of fluid churned out by anything other than my own essence. Sometimes the struggle to the end of the piece is part of the story necessary to create it in the first place. There is pride and ownership in creating genuinely, and the product is the capstone of it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.imdb.me/bettyschram
- Instagram: @bettyschramofficial
Image Credits
Dice Moreno
John Malvaez
Jon Medel
Jerel Fuerte