We were lucky to catch up with Caitlyn Mims recently and have shared our conversation below.
Caitlyn, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?
I can officially say my hobbies led me to my career. Many people I believe would agree that before you give your art a chance, any creative career feels out of reach. I will never forget the day my mind shifted on this topic. I was laying on the floor of my college dorm discussing what I wanted in life with my roommate. She asked me, “At the end of the day if it did not feel impossible, what would you pursue?” I meditated on that question for a period of time. Up until she asked that, I always thought about my stability, and safety in life. I never imagined a life outside of my small town because it never seemed in the cards for me. I always felt very average, and pursuing an acting career was not very average of me. It felt like a blind fold was removed from my eyes, the more I thought about what I actually wanted verse what I thought I deserved. I ripped up my safety net, and took a leap of faith. I started taking acting classes, which led to me leading my agent, which led to me booking projects, this opened doors to opportunities in the field of casting, directing, producing, and social media management. The journey from once doing free work just to build a resume as an actor to now scouting for new actors brings me to tears. I thank my younger self for giving myself a chance to do what she was passionate about because now I am watching it pay off. This was not in a one day gained success. I spent all my college weekends putting time into pursuing this dream of my mine. Although achieving a full time career in entertainment took some time, I fell in love with the process of getting there. Sometimes a safety net can keep you alive but won’t let you live.
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
Just like many artistic people in the entertainment industry, I wear a fair amount of differnt hats in the field. I currently work full time running social media platforms for radio, film, and acting studios. I also help with casting actors, and work as an on-air talent. Acting will always be something I partake in as well. I feel like a lot of people start off as an actor and end up falling in love with the entire process of creating content. Some people’s first love is a person however mine was the process. I fell in love with every aspect of filmmaking. I went from acting to producing, then having the opportunity to direct, writing some of my own projects, and then I began casting and learning social. I love learning all the different aspects to the the entertainment industry. I love watching talent I helped scout grow into the actor/actress I knew they could be. My biggest flex is being able to see peoples potential even when they might not see it yet. I also try my hardest to bring a family feel to set, so it is a safe place, a home, and place where art has the capacity to be formed. I am excited with my growth but eager to see what more I will learn.
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
I started my journey with absolutely no connections or guidance, so I wish I had someone who could have pointed me in the right direction. If you are new to the industry, and want to get your foot in the door, take acting classes, get head shots, and a video reel done. After that, set up a Backstage, and Actors Access account, and start submitting to projects ( this way you can build a resume and connections). These are first steps that took me forever to figure out, so I hope this saved someone some time in their process of starting out in acting.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
Being an artist or a creative is not for someone else to pursue, it is meant for you to. It does not call everyone, so if you have that itch to create, then I suggest following it. Even if it seems scary. A life without art needs to terrify you more than a life without comfortability. Your safety does not always define what your mental health looks like. There are a lot of sad wealthy people and a lot of happy struggling artists. Once I could wrap my head around these thoughts, was when I could break through the personal matrix I created for myself.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mimscaitlyn/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlyn-mims-221159153/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdjD7z4MRTxz-QCDWVIYHcQ
Image Credits
Haley Lester, Skely B