We caught up with the brilliant and insightful David Sheinkopf a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

David, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I have been an artist my entire life, whether it be writing, acting, or designing. My writing started taking form in my early thirties. I was going through some obstacles in life and I realized then that the best catharsis is writing. You don’t even have to share it, but getting the feeling you have on paper, rereading the work, and gaining perspective is an invaluable tool.

I was an actor from a young age, I got into in professionally when I was in my early teens. There is a certain feeling you get when you are on a stage, in the moment, connecting with the audience. It is truly an amazing feeling. I don’t think I have been in that place of living in the moment on stage more than a few times, but writing something and gaining perspective is a similar emotion.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started in the entertainment business when I was a kid as a model. I was seen by a neighbor who happened to know the head of the children’s division at Ford Models, it was extremely serendipitous. I met with the owner and was signed on the spot. I did well for a few years modeling, it was a trip running all over the city to modeling go-sees. Riding the train at the ripe age of eleven. My mother said if I wanted to pursue this career I had to do it myself, which I did. It made great fodder for a book I would write many years later.

When my agent left the modeling agency and moved to a theatrical agency I went along for the ride. I felt it was just one more thing I could put in my box of dreams that I would accomplish in my life. Not that I yearned to be an actor, but I did love to be in front of people doing my thing so it worked out perfectly. My acting started to take off and I was seen for big shows and movies of which I landed quite a few. I remember being sixteen and landing a big commercial for The Nation Dairy Board, a Milk commercial. I was Michael Martin a cool guy who had a lovely girl grow up to be a beautiful woman, all the while I was standing there running my hands through my hair. It was on for five years and won all sorts of awards.

I think it made me more money for one day’s work than I ever made. I was about fifteen when I first put pen to paper.
It was in the form of a journal. It taught me to put my most intimate thoughts down and express myself. That turned into stories. When I began acting I felt it was my writing that really connected me to characters. I would write back stories for the characters that flushed out who they were. It was only for me, but there is something visceral about reading out loud that cements the character in your brain.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

One of the greatest feats of being a writer for me is having a reader tell you that they enjoyed the book so much they were sad when it ended, Or ask when your next book is coming out. I was a finalist for the Montaigne Medal of Achievement for the most thought-provoking book of 2023. Awards are a great feat, just being acknowledged is amazing whether you win or lose, but having people like your work, especially a memoir like mine is an amazing feeling. It is very personal putting yourself out there so I feel, that if it helps one person from not feeling alone, or knowing there is another soul that has gone through a similar experience it makes it all worth it.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

Writing is something that I feel isn’t a choice. It’s a need to get something off your chest and I think non-creatives might not always understand why we share our deepest emotions. But if you look at it from this perspective: We all go down roads, and sometimes more than not, it comes to a fork. For a creative, the decision to go left or right isn’t always a choice. It is so compelling from their gut to make that choice that it becomes a need. That’s how I feel about writing, it isn’t a choice it is something one has to do. I think non-creatives can understand that analogy, we all have needs and desires that are so compelling that we just do it and throw caution to the wind.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.villageidiotthebook.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidsheinkopf/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/villageidiotmemoir/

Image Credits
RA Clayton