We were lucky to catch up with Emily Robyn Clark recently and have shared our conversation below.

Emily Robyn , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

“Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties.” – Erich Fromm, psychologist and author. “An artist must be free to choose what he does, certainly, but he must also never be afraid to do what he might choose.” – Langston Hughes, poet and writer. I have a lot to share about my career as an artist, but I’d like to begin by discussing the notion of risk-taking, which I believe to be one of the most important. Risk, as a noun, refers to “exposure to the chance of injury or loss; a hazardous or dangerous chance.” As a verb, it describes the act of exposing oneself to the possibility of injury or loss; venturing or taking the chance. I thought it pertinent to define this upfront, to eliminate any confusion about what I am discussing.
I’ll never forget being an incredibly shy eight-year-old, crying in my dad’s car before my friend Amy’s birthday party. I told my dad that I’d changed my mind and didn’t want to go anymore, but he looked me in the eye and firmly said, “Emily, you have to gather your courage, face your fears and go.” So, I left the car, entered the party, and to my surprise, my fears evaporated amid the warm laughter-filled room. That day, I learned an invaluable lesson from my dad—I must carry on, regardless of my shyness, fears, and most crucially, despite my tears. As an adult, I often reflect on my dad’s stern wisdom when I’m feeling uncertain or hesitant about diving into unfamiliar waters. Working in the entertainment industry—one of the most challenging fields in the world—requires frequently diving into the unknown. To succeed, I must summon all the courage I can, coupled with a strong determination to overcome any criticism, both from others and from within myself. But how is risk-taking relevant on a broader scale? Life itself is a risky business, isn’t it? Every decision we make, no matter how small, has a ripple effect on the larger trajectory of our lives. Therefore, every decision involves some level of risk. The natural world is no different; not every sea turtle hatchling will survive its perilous journey to the ocean, but those who do risk it all for the chance to thrive. Humans are no different. We may fail, lose, or fall flat on our faces, ridiculed by those around us. Life isn’t always fair, but it holds its own form of magic, which I’ll address shortly.
This brings me to my second point: risk taking is a profoundly spiritual journey. To take that leap, we must have faith in our decisions and believe in our ability to make good choices for ourselves. Add being an artist or creative to the mix, and it feels like extra risky business. Following an artistic path should come with a warning label it seems. But the truth is no matter how scary it feels to make decisions that appear less secure, akin to walking out onto an icy lake or balancing on a tight rope, at the end of the day, I believe that following the creative path is the most rewarding one that a human can take, and I don’t just mean following an artistic career path. Following a creative path means experimenting with life, actively designing a path for yourself, weaving it delicately or hacking a way through a dense wood which is a lot more interesting than taking a concrete road through the suburbs, am I right? Whatever road one chooses, I recommend trying to imaginatively design one’s own. That’s what I’ve done and it’s made all the difference in the world.
At age 19, I left my boyfriend behind and flew alone to Europe to work as an Au Pair for a year. Traveling around Germany, Switzerland, France, England, and Spain alone was a transformative experience that changed my life for the better. It was extremely difficult in the first few weeks, and there were many moments when I felt completely alone and misunderstood, eager to return to the U.S. However, despite these negative emotions, I pressed on, meeting new people, traveling to new places, and working on my French. Over time, I had amassed a wealth of knowledge in exposure to languages, books, music, food, culture, and history along with a newfound confidence and the life-changing realization that I could take care of myself in the world. When I returned to the U.S. early due to sickness in the family, I wrote in my diary that I felt comfortable enough to move to Europe permanently. When I arrived back home, not only did I feel like a grown-up version of myself, I also felt much more at home in who I was.
At age 25, I took another major leap and moved cross-country from Virginia to California, leaving my cushy office job at the Attorney General’s office behind in order to pursue a career in screenwriting and film. I gave up a lot—my apartment, car, guitar, and most of my possessions for a mere couch to sleep on and a bike to ride to work on. I sacrificed a lot, but it paid off. Within a year, I was working on an NBC show, had meetings with producers, and was writing scripts for students at Brook’s Film School in Ventura. Just two years later, and I sold my first script to a small production company. Since then, I’ve taken a lot of different paths that some may perceive as failures, but I’ve never looked at my life in such black and white terms. I’ve always tried to follow my heart first and use my intellect to sort out the practical details. At age 29, I was dating a successful musician who once again encouraged me to take a giant leap and follow him on the road while he toured the country performing. It was a big transition and I moved out of a comfortable two bedroom house by the beach to live in and out of a suitcase for almost two years. However, out of that experience, I met many successful artists who would have a profound influence on me including Steve Martin, Martin Short, The Steep Canyon Rangers, Lyle Lovett and his Large Band, Russi Taylor, Mason Williams, and many others, all of whom had a hand in shaping my journey and dreams.
Even during that time on the road when I was primarily focused on the career of my then-partner, I was still writing and even published a book of poetry that I performed at incredible venues around the U.S.
At age 30, I decided, with the encouragement of successful friends in the industry to direct one of my own scripts and it was the same partner who believed in me enough to be the first to fund my first movie, LOVE SPELL, which won multiple awards and played in 14 festivals around the world.
At age 35, I flew to Nashville to record my first E.P. after working with a local studio in Salt Lake and a songwriting coach to hone another passion of mine: songwriting. I also fell in love, got engaged in Paris and subsequently went through a painful breakup, but I decided that I was going to go to grad school for Film Production and I wasn’t going to give up on my dreams no matter how many tears I’d shed—just like my dad had taught me some 27 odd years before. I may come across as an extrovert, but I’m really an introvert and it’s still not easy for me to go out of my way to meet strangers or get out of my comfort zone to step into the unknown.
But despite these challenges, I’ve never regretted going out of my way to meet new people and many of the connections and friendships I have today resulted from some risks and places I’ve voyaged alone. For example, attending The American Film Market in LA, AFI in LA, Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, and Mill Valley Film Festival in Mill Valley, California and even taking an acting class in Hollywood at age 28 to learn more about directing actors, to joining the International Screenwriter’s Association (ISA) at age 32 and attending events throughout COVID which helped the isolation immensely.
Romantic relationships have played a significant part in shaping my life and my understanding of myself, with each relationship serving as a mirror, reflecting different aspects of my heart. Every leap I took, whether it meant beginning or ending a relationship, required an immense amount of courage and brought along its own set of challenges. Yet, each decision contributed to my growth and self-awareness, providing me with invaluable life lessons.
The decision to come out as bisexual was another crucial leap. Sharing my sexual orientation with the world, revealing a part of myself that had been hidden, was a liberating experience, though not devoid of fear. It required me to confront societal biases and prejudices head-on, but it also allowed me to live authentically and promote understanding and acceptance.
The decision to disclose my ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) diagnosis, which I received in 2021, has been another critical moment. It marked a new chapter in my life, one of self-acceptance and understanding. This decision was not an easy one, as disclosing a diagnosis like ASD carries risks in a world that often misunderstands neurodivergence. It meant opening myself to potential judgment and stigma. However, choosing authenticity over hiding part of myself was a risk I was willing to take. Every risk, every decision, carries with it the potential for unintended consequences. But life is a journey, and the paths we choose lead us to unanticipated destinations. When we walk through one door, we leave behind the path that led us to it. We can’t go back and choose another door. But we can learn, adapt, and grow from the choices we’ve made.
The world needs authenticity, acceptance, and understanding. It starts with us being true to ourselves, acknowledging our complexities, and embracing the entirety of our identities. We need to validate the parts of us that we fear might be rejected, knowing that our worth is not defined by the acceptance of others. In doing so, we not only nurture our own self-acceptance but also contribute to a more understanding, accepting, and diverse world. Risk-taking, indeed, requires courage. It requires an understanding that things may not always go according to plan. Yet, it’s in taking these risks, in walking this uncharted path, that we discover our true potential and the magic that life has to offer.
From personal experience, I can say that taking a leap of faith off the ledge and into the unknown is always worth it—the risk brings many rewards and a sense of inner knowledge that is like no other. This leads me to my last point.
Earlier I mentioned that life carries its own kind of magic, even though our lot in life may not be fair. The magic I’m talking about manifests in many forms—The Law of Attraction, Karma, Dharma, The Golden Rule, or Synchronicity, to name a few. However, I do believe that there is magic that we create by trusting in the universe’s plan. Being willing to take a risk and be at peace with the consequences of our actions in both triumphs and defeats, makes it possible for us to carve out our own creative path. It’s important to do this while seeing everything along the journey as having a purpose to make us stronger, more empathetic towards others, and more intuitively aware of who we are, while helping us to recognize the signs that we’re in alignment with the universe’s design. These moments of clarity I’ve discovered by embracing risk and navigating the unknown have helped me identify one great truth—that by walking this path, I’m stepping into my power, and that has made all the difference in the world.

Emily Robyn , 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?

Bio:

I was born into a creative family of artists, and I’ve been writing since I was about three or four. My first poem, “What Should We Do in Outerspace?” was published when I was five in the Sow’s Ear Poetry Review, and I’ve been writing ever since. When I was 12, I won first place in the Virginia Highlands Creative Writing Contest for a short story, and at 15, was featured and my poem “Wonders of Worley Cave” was published in A! Magazine for the Arts. Being raised by two artists had a massive impact on my upbringing and helped to instill in me a deep love of words and storytelling that has become the primary vehicle for my work in the world and my calling. For example, my mother is a professional poet and Poet Laureate of Arkansas, and my late father was a talented sculptor, graphic designer, and photographer. After getting my B.A. in Virginia in 2012, I moved to Southern California to pursue screenwriting and filmmaking. I took acting classes in Hollywood to learn more about directing, and my acting coach asked me and his other students to write scenes for class, so we did, and he ended up filming our scenes. I acted in the scene that I wrote alongside Kether Donohue. I also cut my teeth on several P.A. roles for companies including NBC and Lionsgate as well as several independent companies in LA such as Skrein Productions where I worked as a writer and wore multiple hats such as Unit Production Manager and Head Costumer. I also gained a lot of experience working on student projects with friends at Brooks Film School. I remember receiving an alumni email one day by accident and laughing, but it was pretty common: a lot of the students thought I attended the school. I got my first break as a writer when a local production company hired me to write a short narrative script for them. Since then, I have self-published my first poetry collection, Art Triumphant, along with an anthology of student poems from my workshops taught in Southern California. My writing has taken me to many places, and I’ve performed poetry all over the United States. I’ve been a featured artist at Beyond Baroque in Venice, SoHo in Santa Barbara, Mohawk Falls in Colebrook, New Hampshire, and T.U. Studios in North Hollywood, E.P. Foster Library in Ventura, The Emerging Poets Series in Ventura, the Ojai Art Center in Ojai, Healthy Rhythm Art Gallery in Montrose, Colorado, Weller Book Works in Salt Lake City, Utah, LITCRAWL with Los Angeles Poet Society, and Women’s Voices Now in LA. I’ve worked as a journalist, poet, and poetry teacher in Southern California. My articles and poetry have appeared in various publications: Dig In the magazine, LA’s Cultural Daily, VCReporter, the Acorn Newspapers, A! Magazine for the Arts, Sow’s Ear Poetry Review, Sketches of Home, Ventura Arts Council’s Emerging Poets, Askew Poetry Journal, Spectrum, Aspen Daily News, Gaye Magazine, and Lavender Review with a forthcoming publication in Lullwater Review, and Utah’s Best Poetry and Prose 2023.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

1. “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron
2. “The Buddha in Your Mirror” by Woody Hochswender, Greg Martin, and Ted Morino
3. “Zen and the Art of Writing” by Ray Bradbury
4. “Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within” by Natalie Goldberg
5. “The Writing Life” by Annie Dillard
6. “Story” by Robert McKee
7. “Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life” by Anne Lamott
8. “Ernest Hemingway on Writing” edited by Larry W. Phillips
9. “The Human Condition” by Hannah Arendt
10. “The Art of Loving” by Erich Fromm.
Each of these works brings unique insights into the craft of writing, human psychology, and philosophy.

Video: John Cleese on Creativity In Management

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

My journey of self-discovery is intertwined with my desire to instigate positive change, striving to craft a world that is more inclusive, accepting, and understanding. The internal drive propelling me is not just the aspiration to succeed personally, but to also leave an indelible mark on the world, shaping it into a better version than I found it. At the core of my purpose is the ambition to create an expansive, nurturing space for neurodivergent women, providing them with the platform and resources to thrive. I am committed to paving pathways for creative minds that have been stifled due to constraints of religion, family dynamics, or environmental factors.
My aim is to democratize opportunities, especially for those from underprivileged backgrounds or those who have been overlooked and sidelined by society. Embracing the spirit of equity, I strive to uplift the narratives of underdogs and underrepresented individuals, with a special emphasis on the LGBTQIA+ and neurodivergent communities.
Through storytelling, I aspire to weave the tales of those who’ve been shadowed, amplifying their voices and experiences, fostering an environment that truly celebrates diversity and inclusion.        

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.emilyrobynclark.net
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyrobynclark/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erclark1
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-robyn-clark-60b95650/
• Twitter: @EmilyRobynClark
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vw7i8M_fe8
• OIMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7945148/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1 https://emilyclarkmoviereview.blogspot.com/?fbclid=IwAR2alICiGft9TvTof18A3BhUIpfEi7SWm_Ek-5W85pcb2S0fvpN8flNtqQA

Image Credits
Photographer: Erick Wilson Photographer: Joseph Vernon Reidhead