We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Clare Mottola a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Clare thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you 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?

I knew from a very early age that my life would be one that included a marriage of my creative life and my interest in education. While in college, I studied things that felt important to prepare me for that path. It was such a privilege, with graduate school being a time that I could really synthesize the hopes and craft the path. I worked hard to gets lots and lots of experiences, producing my own work, surrounding myself with people whose work I really looked up to, working for organizations whose missions inspired me, and taking on all kinds of jobs that supported the ultimate goal. I had some key folks in my corner and some amazing cheerleaders who really took time to lift me up while also challenging me so that I would not settle or make myself small. I had to (have to) believe that I am big enough for all the things I know I want to be and want to do. The road is awesome! And I feel so grateful that it’s played out just as it has. Now, I get to work with professional artists in shared creative spaces and endeavors, I get to work with theatre students and arts colleagues in a school environment. Most recently, I expanded my daily to include working as a Yoga and Mindfulness Instructor and Life Coach. This combo platter of endeavors is really quite a bounty and one I am grateful for every day. We are neither singular nor are we a fixed point on a map, our stories are allowed to be as expansive as we are.

Clare, 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 have been a director and theatre educator for over 25 years. I was lucky to study theatre in a conservatory program for college (after being a very active “theatre kid”) and to then go on to large university graduate program for my MFA in Directing. I was able to live on the west coast and really get my feet wet professionally which led me back east where I have been since 1998, making theatre, producing amazing events and teaching.

About 12 years ago, I realized that my passion for my own mind-body practice was the next part of my professional endeavor. And then a few years ago, I added Life Coach to my offerings. It took me a while to get my brain and body to really believe this was all logical. Alas, it is! There is no mystery that someone who directs live theatre and runs her own company with a focus on new works while also educating young artists would also have a capacity for Coaching with attention to the experience of our mind-body connection. I do get folks asking “how I do it all” and I often feel like I am doing exactly what I am MEANT to be doing, using all the parts of me. I guess I do sometimes feel a sense of pride about the projects I create, the client partnerships I feel are supportive of someone’s own endeavors, and the courage that I’ve moved with to believe in my work and my worth, but mainly I feel like I am doing exactly what I am supposed to be.

When I am working with artists, I feel a kind of expansive ability to hold and make space for them. Maybe it comes from my belief that artists are our MOST integral members of any community. There’s no other profession that functions without some level of creativity. So my regard for what an artist can do is huge, I want to always offer a level of support care and partnership that creates space for THEM. I also find that there can be tremendous terror for artists, especially in times of such darkness, and supporting their voice is critical for me. And if you can add some joy, well that’s just fantastic. As a director, educator, and coach, I work with many marginalized folks. And this is one of my most important commitments. I believe we must all commit to ensuring the safety and thriving of all. In all of my roles, there’s no bottom line or highest peak more important than doing whatever I possibly can to ensure this for all.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

There are SO many things that I wish I knew early on and yet I feel so glad that I had to LEARN all the things I did (even if it meant some bruising along the way).

One of my MOST important resources is my own Mind/Body practice and community. I have been so fortunate to have some of the most amazing teachers and thought-partners who have expanded my understanding of the brain, the nervous system, the body and more. I would urge anyone interested in a creative life to educate themselves about their own brain function, about the impact of stress on our lives, about the relationship between our own self-talk and mindset and the work we do. Knowing these things now have drastically changed my relationship to myself, my work, my colleagues and my outcomes. There’s so much noise and story both within and around us, and we all deserve to be liberated from that.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I have two MAJOR practices.

Do what scares you most (within safe reason of course).
There is little that compares to examining where your fear is and seeing if you can lean into it in safe ways. ANYONE that has worked with me will tell you that I am ALWAYS encouraging people to make the scarier choice because that is often where the fruit is. In my own work, practice, and life this is always true too. Now, comfort and ease are important for SURE. But we deserve to see beyond the confines of all the societal “stuff” or the origin story “stuff” or the mind “stuff” which often convinces us we can’t do. Additionally, the benefits of courage are pretty much unmatched as far as I am concerned.

Love the love.
Every day I write down three words that I want live within, live towards and live with. There is NEVER a day that love or loving don’t appear on that list. Sure, I have days where I feel really grouchy, unlovable, or spicy about others. BUT I am in a consistent state of living with and toward love. I fully believe that is my number one role. Engaging in, practicing, modeling, and embodying a radical love ethic (thank you Bell Hooks, see above) is about as true to my truest self that I come.

Contact Info:

• Website: cherrypicking.nyc; getonyourmat.space
• Instagram: @claremottola

Image Credits
Anne Mottola, Mottola Ink