We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Evangeline Shepard. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Evangeline below.

Evangeline, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

This question is so complex and could have so many different answers. I think as artists, there is always going to be a moment of “am I doing the right thing?” Or “Will I be happy if my dreams don’t come true?”

It’s really tough because I know I find my joy in film, acting, and storytelling and sometimes I despise how society has made it not as “respectable” as being a doctor or a lawyer. So then therefore it feels impossible to make a career if you already don’t have a foot in the door. When in reality, everyone needs art in their lives.

I think not a lot of people, including myself, don’t show the really tough moments. The moments where jobs are few and far between or how when it comes to auditions, you will hear more “no’s” then “yes” and that is a reality that we as artists have to be ok with. We hardly see how most upcoming artists and creatives, especially working actors, have to get multiple jobs. For example I’m a pilates instructor AND I work in luxury retail AND I do my acting gigs. We don’t see how it’s harder to find your path in life because we didn’t chose a 9-5.

There are times where I’ve needed to step back from my day job to then film something and that is where the hope comes in. The hope of “maybe this will be it.”

I chose this question because I am going through these emotions of questioning my happiness when it comes to acting. Of course it brings me happiness when I’m actively working on something but I see a lot of my friends and family taking a traditional path of a four year university and then they are guaranteed job security and it makes me feel “behind” in a way. For me, I dropped out of college because I couldn’t do it. I was unhappy that I was doing something else besides my art. I have a love for fitness and luckily I am able to make my own hours so then I can go film if need be. I can take time off to do five auditions in one day as well which is perfect.

A huge thing I realized is finding joy in the tough moments. This is key. As artists we KNOW we love our art. There is no question. The doubt comes from us being tired of not feeling stable. But I would say there is happiness in that. I was brave enough, and lucky enough, to be able to take that leap and kind of just go for it. I’m constantly auditioning and then there will be a period of constantly filming. I have found joy in accomplishments such as signing with my management “Kreativ Artists” in LA. Or getting an agent here in Portland where there isn’t a ton of work so having an agent has helped. I have found joy in meeting so many cool people and knowing that building connections is so important and so valuable for just everyday life and relationships because we are all on the same journey.

I know I’ll never give up. But it’s scary to think “what if it never happens” so that’s when finding joy and happiness in the little tasks of an artists becomes so important and also making sure you have other sources of happiness. If you can’t find that, life will feel miserable.

Evangeline, 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 was born and raised in Portland, Oregon! I got into this industry because my grandmothers father was a music composer and vocal coach for many cool artists. I never met him, but I constantly see photos, hear music from him, read old letters, and see how it impacted my dad’s side of the family. They are all creative in some way. My dad really loved movies and film and we used to make movies on that app “iMovie”

I knew since I was young I didn’t want a “typical” job. I started theater at a very young age and continued throughout high school. Then after high school I started to do film. It was tough because Covid hit during my high school years. It stumped my creativeness but about 2021 I then started taking my first film auditions.

In 2022 I filmed my first short film and I can’t describe how I felt. It was so much joy and also relief knowing that this is what I was meant to do and wasn’t crazy.

Building my resume and skills has been challenging and has made me very disciplined when it comes to my art. I take it seriously but I also love the friends I have made along the way.

It hasn’t been easy finding acting gigs to build my resume because Portland is pretty quiet with films. I think my biggest accomplishment is somehow finding really cool jobs with how slow it is, especially after the strikes. I singed with an agency (currently signing with IMD) and my managers are Kreativ Artists who represent me in LA, NYC. They have all given me great opportunities and I look forward to see what happens since work is slowly picking up,

I want people to know that I’m not going to lie and pretend that this is an easy career path. With the day and age of social media, it’s easy to convince people that things just happen. You have to work hard and I always hope that I can help people. I will never gate-keep how I’ve found jobs or how I have gained some success because that is one thing that drives me crazy. No one wants to help each other in this industry which never made sense to me.

I want to bring back people having uniqueness. I think we are focused on being like one another when it comes to acting or acting styles. I like finding my own way to work because then people who match my goals find me. I feel very blessed to be able to do as much as I do.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I love this question because artists and creatives are often thrown away. We are dismissed as not having “real jobs” or we are “confused” about our life path. I think as a society we need to make more space for art to be incorporated in day to day life. If you think about it, we consume it everyday. Movies, TV shows, music etc. so why is it so hard to create more jobs that require artistic abilities?

I think taking away this idea that being an artist is somehow not respectable is the first step. There shouldn’t be shame in wanting to do something different.

I also think there needs to be a way for artists to make a living on their art somehow. Even if it’s not through Hollywood, there needs to be more money because I’m not going to lie, it’s tough to see other people get any job opportunity but when it comes to art, it’s so much more difficult. I’m not sure how to go about this but I just know that money is always being taken away from artistic communities.

My last thought that I touched on previously is helping one another out. I’ve gotten multiple messages from people asking how I’ve built my resume or where I find jobs. I ALWAYS tell them in detail and sometimes I’ll send them casting calls. The gate keeping needs to stop because no one has ever accomplished anything great without someone by their side.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I knew about where to find short films without paying for casting sites. That’s the best way to build a resume when getting started. I literally went to local universities and colleges to see if any of the film students needed actors.

Once I acted in a few school films, this helped me create a reel that was impressive enough for agents and managers to want to sign me.

I also wish I knew where to find good priced acting classes that felt helpful. It took awhile for me to find them because I felt sometimes they were a money grab. My first ever acting classes was with Ted Rooney here in Portland. He made sure you got a bang for your buck and I still use his tools to this day. Finding acting classes in smaller towns or even people who are wanting to start an acting school, is the best bet because they are passionate about their art.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evangelineshepardd/profilecard/?igsh=MThxODltbTB4cnQxYw==
• Other: Link tree: https://linktr.ee/evashepard

Image Credits

First Photo: “That’s Not The Real Me” Film. Directed by Ashton Livingston and written by Chris Furlong

Second Photo: Photography by Nino Ortiz
https://www.ninogortiz.com/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaYd36VSMS4oH75JEFGfTaOHs5GnyDm03AbRYFbYPDB5OC5N6v_96upCd1k_aem_C0Sy9BizfaOyCTJiOGeuBw

Third Photo: Just a phone photo on set of “Double Burn” written and directed by Luke Jackson and director of photography by Zach McKinely

Fourth Photo: Still from “Afterparty” written by Luke Jackson and director of photography Zach McKinely

Fifth: Just a camera photo by Wyatt Braun

Sixth photo: Still from “Double Burn” same as the other one