We recently connected with April Grace Lowe and have shared our conversation below.

April Grace, appreciate you joining us today. Do you feel you or your work has ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized? If so, tell us the story and how/why it happened and if there are any interesting learnings or insights you took from the experience?

Oh, absolutely. I mean, I think every artist feels misunderstood at some point, but for me, it started with Confessions of a Romance Narrator — when I first made it, I didn’t even think of it as a “film.” I was too scared. I told myself, “Just make a little web series. Ten episodes. No pressure.” That was the only way I could trick my brain into starting.

I was working from home — literally in my closet — in a bathrobe, writing scenes about a woman who also works in her closet, in a bathrobe. It was meta. And hilarious. But underneath the comedy was a lot of fear: fear of being alone, fear of failing publicly, fear of making something that people would laugh at for the wrong reasons.

And because I had that fear — because I wasn’t trying to make some award-winning, polished thing — I actually allowed myself to be more honest than I’d ever been. I wrote from real, flawed places. I mined my own mistakes, my need to be the “golden girl,” the perfectionist, the overachiever. I wrote about what it’s like to try to be inspiring when your laundry is piled up behind you, your fridge is filthy, and all you want for dinner is cupcakes. And it turns out… those were the moments people connected to most.

So yeah, I misunderstood myself. I underestimated what this project could be. And honestly, I needed other people to reflect it back to me — to say, “Hey, this isn’t just a cute little web series. This is a film. This is real.” Once I started seeing it through their eyes, I could finally give myself permission to see it, too.

Even now, with the film on Amazon Prime, I still catch myself refreshing the reviews, wondering, “Did they like it?” But I’m learning — slowly — to let go of that constant need for external validation. Not everyone is gonna get it, and that’s okay. I didn’t even get it at first. The beautiful twist is: sometimes what we think of as our biggest mess ends up being the thing that resonates the most.

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.

Sure! So, my creative journey has taken a few twists and turns — but at its core, it’s always been about storytelling and connection. I started out as a performer and producer in live theater — that was my first love. There’s just nothing like that electric, in-the-room-with-you kind of storytelling.

Then, somewhat unexpectedly, I found myself in the world of romance audio narration. And let me tell you, there is so much power in the spoken word. It was during those years that I really learned how to build intimacy through storytelling — just a voice, a story, and someone listening on the other end, maybe while walking their dog or folding laundry or falling asleep. It’s such a tender, specific kind of connection.

Eventually, my creative world expanded again — this time into filmmaking, alongside my husband and creative partner of over 20 years. We created Doubtless Dreamers Productions. We’ve built this collaborative rhythm where we each bring different strengths to the table — and challenge each other constantly — in the best way. Our most recent project, Confessions of a Romance Narrator, is a rom-com we made independently and released on Amazon Prime. It’s a love letter to flawed, funny women and the chaotic beauty of the creative process — especially when it takes place in your closet, in a bathrobe.

What sets me apart? I think it’s that I live at the intersection of creativity and emotional wellness. When I’m not making films, I teach wellness and mental health tools to young adults. And what I’ve learned — over and over — is that laughter really is medicine. Humor is how we metabolize life’s hard moments. For me, being creative is the cure. It’s how I process fear, failure, heartbreak, and even joy. And if I can bring people a moment of recognition, or laughter, or just help them feel a little less alone — that’s the work I’m proud of.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Oh man. The lesson I’ve had to unlearn — over and over again — is this idea that the goal is to be impressive. For a long time, I thought my job as an artist was to be polished, inspiring, “special.” I wanted to be the golden girl. The overachiever. I thought people would love me if I got it right all the time.

But here’s what I’ve come to believe: chasing perfection is one of the biggest creativity killers out there. The truth is, nobody wants to watch someone who’s perfect. It’s the falling down, the awkward silences, the really dumb mistakes — those are the moments that are gold. That’s where the connection happens.

One of the most beautiful insights came from my co-star in Confessions of a Romance Narrator, Cara Mitsuko. She said to me — and I’ll never forget this — “White women often make stories about how special they are… but that’s not enough of a story.” And she’s right. That mindset comes from a very privileged place, and it’s a trap. The story worth telling — the one people feel — is the one about the Regular Josephine, fumbling through her own chaos, embracing her failures, surviving her own mediocrity, and learning to laugh at herself.

That cracked something open in me. I started to see that the more I lean into my own humanity — the bathrobe, the procrastination, the cringe moments I used to want to hide — the more freedom I have as an artist. The stakes feel lower, because I’m not trying to prove anything. I’m just showing up, flaws and all.

So now I try to celebrate failure. Not just tolerate it — celebrate it. Because every moment I’ve ever felt humiliated or small or “not enough” has ended up feeding the funniest, most real parts of my work. And honestly, I think that’s what lets the audience fall in love with you. Or at least, I hope they fall in love with me. But either way, I’m finally starting to love myself a little more when I fall flat on my face — and that’s progress.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding part of being a creative is when someone reaches out and says, “Oh my God, that’s me.” When someone watches the film and laughs because they’ve also cried on their floor or answered Zoom calls in their pajamas — and suddenly they don’t feel so alone — that’s everything. That’s the magic.

There’s this beautiful moment that happens when you tell the truth, especially the kind that feels a little embarrassing or too personal or “not polished enough” — and someone else recognizes themselves in it. It’s like your own little shame spiral becomes a flashlight for someone else. That’s when I think, Okay, this is why I do it.

Creating Confessions of a Romance Narrator was cathartic in that way. It came from this super vulnerable place — the anxiety of working alone, the fear of being unimportant, the struggle to finish something when you’re your own worst critic. And to see people laugh and say, “I get it” — not in spite of the flaws, but because of them — that’s deeply healing. It’s rewarding not just as an artist, but as a human being.

Also — and this might sound small, but it means the world to me — when I hear someone say, “That made me laugh today,” I feel like I’ve done something good. Laughter is medicine. It cracks things open. It lifts a little weight off. It doesn’t solve everything, but sometimes it shifts just enough to keep going.

So yeah — connection, truth, laughter, and reminding each other we’re not alone in this weird, flawed, beautiful mess of being human. That’s the reward. That’s why I keep showing up.Thanks so much for spending this time with me — truly. If anything in this interview resonated, or made you laugh, or reminded you of your own creative messiness, then I hope you’ll check out Confessions of a Romance Narrator on Amazon Video. It’s a rom-com for anyone who’s ever tried to keep it together while quietly falling apart in their closet. Which, let’s be honest, is all of us at some point.

You can find me and follow along with future projects, bathrobe musings, and mental health thoughts on @Shesagingplayfully — I’m always up for conversations about creativity, imperfection, and the joy of embracing both.

And remember: your failures might just be the funniest, most beautiful parts of your story. Lean into them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.amazon.com/Confessions-Romance-Narrator-April-Grace/dp/B0DF383SZV
• Instagram: @shesagingplayfull @doubtlessdreamers
• Other: https://www.doubtlessdreamers.com

Image Credits

Craig Jessen