We were lucky to catch up with Arma Benoit recently and have shared our conversation below.

Arma, appreciate you joining us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

I do and I don’t earn a living from my creative work. I have figured out how to make really good money helping other people tell their stories. And while I do get paid for performing, it’s not enough to pay my mortgage and bills. With standup, I have found that producing shows is not a bad way to make money, if you have the stomach for risk. With film, it is my absolute goal to make a living telling MY stories, and I look forward to making that happen this year (finally!)

Arma, 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 learned that filmmaking was a job when I was eight years old and I never wanted to do anything else since then. In rural South Carolina in the 70’s, nobody had any idea how to achieve that goal. I was encouraged to pursue writing and acting, and found that I have a talent for both. I went to a high school for the performing arts and was accepted to NYU Tisch School of the Arts for acting, but was prevented from going by my dad who didn’t think it was a “real” pursuit.
So, I worked my way through film school at Georgia State, started working as a PA before I graduated. Upon graduation, I worked as a camera operator at The Olympics and then for The Atlanta Braves before moving into production.

I worked short format (commercials and music videos) before moving into features and episodic. I was part of some really special music videos like Outkast, Goodie Mob, Jeezy, Three 6 Mafia, TI and many more. My first feature was Halloween 2 and right after that I worked on all 8 seasons of The Vampire Diaries. And I haven’t looked back since.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I lived a very nomadic life in my 20’s. When I got married at 30 and had my first child at 33 and things changed drastically. I could no longer live the life of “Can you get on a plane in four hours?”
For a minute I wondered if my career was over, but fortunately, the universe handed me a tv phenomenon (The Vampire Diaries.) That was the closest thing to a stable full time job I ever had, and it allowed me to raise my sons somewhat “normally” in their early ages.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Finances, plain and simple. I love the idea of patrons of the arts, because that is literally how all the great painters and playwrights and performers lived in the days of old. There needs to be a more direct line for funding for creatives. Trying to create your art at the end of a long day of work at your “day job” is nearly impossible and unfair to ask of creatives. There should be easier ways for them to live while they create.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.group129.com
• Instagram: @ArmaBenoit
• Facebook: @ArmaBenoit
• Youtube: @group1298
• Other: tik tok @ArmaBenoit

Image Credits

first image of me on the mic: Lanny Farmer

all studio images/headshots Lola Scott

Laughing Skull images are Andrew George

Alley Stage images are Leah Crass