We were lucky to catch up with Alexandra Forgues recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Alexandra, thanks for joining us today. The first dollar you earn is always exciting – it’s like the start of a new chapter and so we’d love to hear about the first time you sold or generated revenue from your creative work?

This was a very exciting time for me. The first paycheck I got from my craft was as a nurse on a mini-serie. It was an independant project, I was barely there for a day and I think I made less than a 100$, but when you walk out, you get that immense satisfaction of having earned money doing what you love. Honestly, it didn’t even feel like I had come into work from how much I genuinely enjoyed my time there. but I left with my head held high and so deeply proud of myself for simply making it this far and being paid for my art, even if it wasn’t a lot.

Alexandra, 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?

I am an actress; have been acting for as long as I can remember. I have shot in LA, Montreal and will be redirecting towards Toronto soon as well. I used to do mainly stage, however I have recently shifted more towards film and TV. I pride myself in being a hard worker and for getting to where I am entirely on my own volition. I have acted in a few mini-series, plays, short films, student films, etc. most of them in Los Angeles, all of them independant productions. I am also working on a few upcoming projects and am looking forward to share those with everyone !

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

In short, go out there and watch some art ! With streaming services everywhere nowadays, artists don’t make as much money as is necessary for the growth and exposure that their career needs to evolve. Basically, I always encourage everyone to try, as much as possible, to go out there watch your movie at the theatre, go see some live theatre, go watch a performance of some sort and try to support the artistic community just by being there. Social media will get you places, but it won’t do everything. Involve yourself in the community; no artist will ever be disappointed at the sight of an invested audience.

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?

The question I get most often from non-creatives and people who aren’t involved in the artistic world is why would you invest so much time, money and effort into something which has no guarantee of working out. I agree that this industry can be quite hard to understand if you do not have the passion that every artist has running through their veins, but mainly, there is no logical explanation. Any artist will tell you that you need to do this, it is something bigger than you, that any other type of work seems like the worse punishment you can get. There is a freedom in doing what you love, regardless of how nonsensical it may look from the outside. There isn’t a day where I wouldn’t rather be completely down on my luck, and yet still working on my craft, than living a regular everyday life with a 9 to 5 job, but feeling empty inside for conforming to society’s norms.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://alexandraforgues.wixsite.com/website
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexxforgues/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alexandra.forgues

Image Credits

Chris Jon Photography