We recently connected with Caitlin Crow and have shared our conversation below.
Caitlin, appreciate you joining us today. Has your work ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized?
I believe that just comes with the territory of being an artist…and not in the mainstream “nobody gets me” kind of way. I think artists, actors especially, are some of the most resilient, passionate, and hard-working people out there with just a SPRINKLE of delusion. We HAVE to be, it’s survival. We are always navigating new obstacles, challenging our sense of self, and do not get me started on the rejection we face on a daily basis. I can understand how those not in the industry might misjudge or can’t quite understand why we do the things that we do or choose to go through what we go through. The audition process, relocating, headshots, classes, financial challenges, SO many side hustles…it’s endless. Have I thought about a “normal job”, sure, but the closest I came up with is still in the creative realm of content creation and still isn’t your typical 9-5. I just knew early on in life I would whither away if I was thrown in a cubical, no offense whatsoever to those who chose that path, but it’s just not what I was made for. My mentor and acting teacher, William Arnold says it best, “I don’t want to die at 25, and be buried at 85.”
I have felt misunderstood and mischaracterized almost my entire life. Whether it be for the way that I look and carry myself, my career choices, my priorities – always something. But what I have uncovered is the more you are focused on your goals and rooted into yourself, the less any of that noise matters. For me personally, I don’t like it when people put me in a box and define me as just one thing. We all are capable of being multifaceted and pursuing many things simultaneously. Being an artist takes courage, and I hope that my ability to be unapologetically myself allows those around me to feel that they can be their authentic selves without fear of judgement, but rather acceptance. The people meant for you will just get you, you will not have to explain yourself to them. I have been beyond blessed to be surrounded by my supportive parents and friends turned basically family, who are always there to remind me of this. Without a doubt, I believe being genuine and showing up as your true self is the most powerful magic you possess. No one can do you like you.
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.
Thank you for having me back, it is sincerely an honor! I am an actor, model, and social media coordinator originally from Pensacola, Fl, but Nashville has always been my second home. Growing up, I would spend every other weekend with my father here in Nashville, surrounded by local creatives that he would be collaborating with at the time. My father was a professional musician, songwriter, and music producer who was well-known and respected amongst local and renown artists alike. I believe being exposed so young to the creative world was the benchmark that carved out my journey towards a life of the arts and entertainment industry. As a teen, I always had this itch that I couldn’t quite scratch, a craving for more – I just wasn’t sure how to satisfy it at the time with limited resources in my town. I was also so young and unsure of myself. I started small – I did acting summer camp, started modeling, then theatre classes in college. I soon graduated and started my first job, and before long I could feel Nashville calling me back.
Taking the leap of faith and moving to Nashville is where my journey really began. Discovering my studio, The 4th Wall, is what solely paved my way into acting professionally. First starting out was rough…I had massive stage fright, I was stuttering, sweating, it was awful. But something in me told me to keep going, so I did. The more work I put in, the more confident in myself I became. Finally, the defining moment had come when I was performing a scene with a partner and by the end of it, I caught what you would call an “actor’s high.” I felt present, alive, and free. I never experienced anything like it before -it was almost euphoric. After that scene, I realized that I would be doing this for the rest of my life.
My second love I discovered while studying public relations in college, was social media and graphic design. I allow my creative mind to drive me as I strive to think out the box when it comes to photography and content creation. My natural attention to detail, artistic eye, editing skills, even down to my witty captions all merge seamlessly to curate something unique, and personable to each client’s brand. My passion for social media, as well as modeling, are both avenues that have conjured up ways for me to still evolve as a creative, while also allowing me to pursue my career as an actor.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
I feel as though we should always embrace learning the hard lessons in life and unlearning the bad habits that do not serve us anymore, it is crucial to our growth and evolution, especially as creatives. Ultimately, I had to unlearn or learn rather, how to stop getting in my own way. It’s easy to do – we’re all guilty of it at one point or another. In my case, I was hindering myself from moving forward in my life based upon fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of failure, fear of success – and it is a constant battle that I continue to fight. That voice in your head that tells you you’re not good enough, or you can only start when you’re at a certain level of expertise, or whatever…that voice is spewing bull****. I have learned that you MUST do it scared. Do it alone if you have to, do it with no experience if you have to, do it with no backup plan if you have to, but you must do it. As creatives, and as humans in general, if you’re called upon a certain purpose or mission, it is your divine duty to share your gifts. The Universe favors the bold – and we should be bolting towards whatever lights us up inside every single day. Obstacles will come, pain will come, but beyond that, so will happiness, freedom, and magic. Believe you are meant for something different, because you are. Envision the highest version of yourself, what would their day look like? Then do your best to act accordingly. Step into your innate power. Work twice as hard for yourself than you do for anyone else. Be your own best friend and advocate. Walk with love and integrity – then let God handle the rest.
Another valuable thing I had to (un)learn is that you cannot take everyone with you on your journey. Not everyone is going to root for you, so sometimes you must celebrate your wins privately. They are still wins even if the internet doesn’t know about them. Surround yourself with people who inspire, challenge, love and support you – pay no mind to the haters or naysayers. Also, learn BOUNDARIES. Teaching others how to respect your boundaries is important, but teaching yourself how to respect them is profound.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
Being a creative is what you would call a double-edged sword, it has its ups, and it most certainly has its downs. When you’re down, you will at times feel like quitting. You will experience burn-out, sadness, rejection, and pain. You will constantly feel the trappings of impostor syndrome or the need to compare yourself to others. You will struggle to navigate financial stability and how to sustain between gigs. The Universe will challenge you with obstacles meant to steer you off course and test you just to see what you’re made of. When you are down, it is ok to take some time to lick your wounds, but do not fold. Dig deep and find the will power to overcome because once you do, the reward is going to take you right back up again. Honestly, the hardest part is having patience and keeping the faith that the Universe has a plan laid out for you, even if it doesn’t look anything like YOUR plan.
I think what’s so special about creatives is that we see the world a bit differently than others. We’re able to tap into emotion, empathy, and vulnerability easily which then allows us to walk through life with our hearts on our sleeves. We are always curious and want to seek out more truth and depth in everything we’re apart of and have compassion for the experiences of others. One of the most rewarding things is getting to connect with my peers, community, and clients on a level that most don’t get the chance to. I love making movies and breathing life into a script, character or story. I enjoy helping clients find their voice and discover their brand by a graphic, video, or photo I’ve created. I am also blown away at the fact that I have had the opportunity to model and create art with some of the most talented photographers around, it is such a dream and incredible honor.
It is true that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and as creatives I feel we strive to find the beauty in all things. We find beauty in the pain, the mundane, the good, the ugly – everything. It is all priceless and valuable art if you allow it to be. At heart, if I am able to continue shinning more beauty into this world, in all its forms, by a way of example then I can call myself truly blessed.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://caitlincrow.weebly.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_ladycrow/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlin-crow
- Other: https://mccrayagency.com
Image Credits
Kalin Gordon Photography, One-Twenty Nine Photography