We recently connected with Courtney Doyle and have shared our conversation below.
Courtney, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?
When I was about eight years old, my mom put me into acting and improv classes at a local acting school to try and get my excess creative energy out and put towards something more focused. Almost instantaneously I proclaimed that I wanted to be an actor, and I studied acting very seriously from that moment on through college. I am very lucky because I come from a stable, loving, and supportive family, and my parents specifically always supported me in following my dreams. They never once had to sit me down, like many other young aspiring actors’ parents do, and have “the talk” about an “actual career.” Many kids I acted with when I was younger eventually were told by their parents that when they got to college, it was time to buckle down and choose a major that would lead to a stable and lucrative career. Luckily, my parents always believed in me and from childhood and now into adulthood have never once made light of the fact that my career is one that is somewhat silly, volatile, and far from glamorous. By being so supportive throughout my childhood–whether it was attending every single show I was in multiple times or just making sure I had a ride to a from rehearsal–my parents allowed me to really delve deep and cultivate a true love and talent for acting, and without them I would never have been able to emotionally or logistically follow through on turning what is a hobby to many into a career.
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.
I consider myself and Actor/Writer/Comedian. I’ve been acting since I was a little girl and studied it all throughout my high school and college years. While I was in college, I became absolutely obsessed with Tina Fey and her work and her journey as a sketch comedian turned SNL cast member turned Showrunner, and I decided that I needed to hone my writing craft in order to make myself a more well-rounded performer. Luckily, I went to college in Chicago, and I was able to sign myself up for classes at the iconic Second City, where I ended up studying and performing for the back half of my time in college.
Growing up, I always assumed I would pursue a stage acting career in New York, but when I graduated from college, I instead decided to pursue a career in Film/TV out in Los Angeles, and since then I have been slowly but surely finding my footing out here, first leaning more heavily into my writing skills. When my husband lightly suggested that perhaps writing doesn’t make me QUITE as happy as acting, I was inspired to return my attention to auditioning and performing, and I am so glad I did. This year alone, I have booked a commercial as well as an incredible short film that I got to fly out to NYC to film. I am lucky to have such a strong support system through my husband, who is also a creative. He understands that my career path is in no way linear and in no way consistently lucrative, but he cheers me on and pushes me even when I want to give up. My primary goal for the coming months is to continue auditioning consistently for TV/Comericals/Film, but I really want to give theatre a go again. It’s been so long since I’ve been on stage aside from when I perform improv & sketch comedy, and I have realized in the past year or so that I really miss the challenge of what theatre presents. Hopefully the momentum I have gained this past year will continue propelling forward!
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
This question is so fun and relevant because I was just discussing this with my sister, who works as far away from a creative field as possible. Additionally, I find myself constantly trying to justify to my friends who work “normal” jobs that I am, indeed, “working” even if it looks different from what they do. Though no one of my close friends have ever openly questioned my career path, I still struggle with the deep insecurity that I appear to others to be lazy or just biding my time until I fold and pursue a more traditional career path. Luckily, I am getting better at redirecting my insecure way of thinking, but it is a daily challenge.
What I think non-creatives should try and understand is that in most creative professions, there is no linear journey. It takes a while to figure out how to even get your foot in the door, as the common saying goes, and even when you do, there’s no guaranteed path forward. Sometimes, you book a certain job and think “Oh yeah, this is IT!!” Only to have that job fall apart or not continue in the way it originally appeared to. Then you are essentially back to square one until you get your next opportunity. There are, of course, things creatives can do every day to increase their probability of success, but so much of it comes down to luck and timing, so it requires immense patience.
Not to sound to out there but I have found that practicing meditation and redirecting my thoughts has helped me find more peace with the unpredictability of my chosen career path. I was explaining to my sister how inconsistent or delayed payments can be for projects, and even just my describing it gave her anxiety. She is certain she couldn’t be in a job that doesn’t provide a steady income week to week, which I totally understand, as I have had my fair share of stable desk jobs. It was in this conversation with my sister that I realized that I personally have gotten so much better in sitting in the discomfort and anxiety that comes with being a freelance artist. For any non-creatives, I think it’s important to understand that the volatility that creatives deal with day to day is not for the faint of heart and that we are probably some of the most resilient people they’ll meet. No one gets into the arts or a creative field to become a high-powered CEO, so if you meet someone who is still in it, you should probably have a bit of awe for their tenacity.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
There is a selfish answer to this question and a selfless answer to this question. I will give the selfish first because it’s relatively simple: it is SO much fun when something you do really hits, and the pride that swells throughout your whole body is enough fuel to push you to your next big project. When you’re on stage or in front of the camera and it just FEELS like you are doing what you were meant to do and you get to spend timing doing what you love, the feeling is unmatched, perhaps inexplicable. The selfless answer is that I have always loved to entertain and, especially, make people laugh. Wait, that sounded selfish too. But, whenever I am performing in a live show and hear laughter, it is the best feeling to know that someone is going home today and their mood has been altered by something that I helped to create. I really believe that laughing is one of the best human experiences we can have. Likewise, moving an audience in general is such a powerful experience, and I love knowing I have an impact on the people in the room with me. One of the most meaningful gigs I have is I am a company member at the Imagination Machine, which is a group that goes into elementary schools and performs stories the students write for them. The job requires a lot of early mornings, but nothing is more rewarding than watching, hearing, and feeling the students see their stories come to life. It’s so energizing and innocent.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @c_doyzee
Image Credits
Headshot is by Siobhan Webb