We were lucky to catch up with Haley K. Clay recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Haley K. thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. 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 never imagined the heights my career would reach when I booked my first professional theatre contract in 2014 (WOAH! A whole decade of being a professional artist?! Hello?!) For years, particularly throughout my educational career, performance contracts were supplemental to my training — a way for me to get hands-on experience and network in an industry where it’s “all about who you know.”
When I graduated from The Boston Conservatory with my MFA in Musical Theatre (albeit, during a global pandemic which left the entire arts community hanging in the balance) I knew I was prepared to create the life and career that I always saw for myself. As our industry began to comeback, I seized every opportunity I could to get back onstage and realize my goals. This eventually led me to Royal Caribbean International, where I began what would become nearly a 5 year career as a full-time performer at sea across various cruise lines.
My career performing at sea was not always exciting and glamourous — it included countless hours of hard work and sore muscles, not to mention the sacrifices and loneliness that can come from a life on the ocean. That being said, it also brought me some of the biggest blessings I’ve ever come to know. I have traveled all seven continents, seen over 60+ countries, honed my skills in a way that continues to serve me everyday, and cultivated relationships with some of the best performers and friends. Back to the question — it *literally* afforded me the opportunity to make a full-time living sharing my gifts and my passions as a performer. Through this work, I have been able to pay off ALL of my student loan debt from my Master’s degree and can officially call myself debt-free, which has been SUCH a blessing! It is one thing to be able to be financially independent and confident — it’s another thing to earn that money doing what you love. I have been lucky enough to do both.
In this industry, it it extremely rare to work and make a living full-time as a performing artist. In fact, it is typically unheard of even at the “highest levels” of the artform (i.e. Broadway, The West End.) I used to think this was because careers in the arts are severely underpaid and underfunded (which, *they are*, that’s just a story for another day.) I have come to realize that most of the performers I know who work “side-jobs” or “Muggle jobs” as they’re often called, do so because they are passionate about multiple things and are interested in pursuing those passions alongside their careers in the arts. Making a full-time living from your creative work is a beautiful and rare thing, AND I would encourage any artist to chase their other passions, too. Keep chasing whatever sets your soul on fire, whether it’s your creative work or something else that excites you.
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.
Well, to start, my name is Haley K. Clay and I am a performing artist and advocate! I’m also a joyful & grateful human and lover of coffee and tea — anything that comes in a cozy mug, really. Through a long series of ups and downs, trials and triumphs, I have been lucky enough to create space for myself in the live theatre/music industry and continue to take steps to reach the goals I have long dreamed of (though, let’s be real, they change everyday!)
I am the daughter of a small town in Eastern Kentucky and parents who have supported and celebrated every creative move since day one. I am the product of all of my experiences and all those, especially the women, who came before me in this industry. My work has been inspired by fellow creatives who seek to tell stories, change hearts and minds, and answer questions through art: What connects us all? How can our bodies and voices inspire the next generation or create great change in our world? How can we seek to find artistic value in all creative endeavors — from theme park performances to Tony Award-winning musicals? Among others, these questions drive me to continue to do “the work” and create space for myself and others.
My career has brought so many things to be proud of — nominations, awards, dream roles, artistic achievements on all different levels — but I think I’m most proud of something that really has more to do with being a human: I am so proud that I have been able to maintain my joy & gratitude through it all. Being an artist can bring new challenges every single day. While I certainly have hard days, I think my magic trick as an artist is my perseverance and ability to preserve my joy. This magic allows me to show up as my best self in the audition room, the rehearsal space, backstage and finally, onstage. I strive to always bring light into every space, sharing my gifts and my joy side by side.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
(I love this question!) One of my non-performing passions is organizing work in Democratic politics, so I have many thoughts on how the arts can be better supported by governments and patrons, alike!
One of the best ways to become a supporter of the arts is to start small: Attend local community theatre productions in your area (I would be nowhere without my community theatre educators from my younger days!), tour a small art gallery or buy work from a local jeweler or painter, go to the corner pub’s open-mic night! It may seem small, but any ounce of support means everything to an artist. When you pay $10 to attend a local performance or buy art from a local artist, you’re putting money back into your community and showing that your community is a place where the arts can thrive! In turn, this may inspire people in your area to follow their own passions and help create a thriving circle of artists!
Unfortunately, we live in a world where more money almost always means more access. The best thing local, state, and federal governments can do to support the arts is to FUND THEM. It has long been researched and proven that government investment in the arts is imperative to creating a strong economy, larger work-force, and a smarter, literate, more empathic human race. However, we often see people in power slashing funding for the arts. We watch as school boards cut drama programs, yet build million dollar field houses for the football team. We fight as those at the highest levels of government eliminate federal funding for The National Endowment for the Arts and choose to fund violence and war.
Don’t get me wrong, there are politicians and advocates at every level doing *the good work* — but I truly believe in the power of organizing and making your voice heard. Start small and allow it to grow. Contact your local and state representatives and tell them you believe in a better, more creative world that is only possible when we fund the arts. We have the power to create change and live in the world we wish to see!
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
A lesson I live by: “Instead of trying to be what you think *they* want to see, just be *you.* Show up authentically in every space and, if you’re right for the project and it’s meant for you, it will happen.”
For so long in the live theatre industry (especially if you were just starting out/trying to get your foot in the door), it felt like there was this very unfortunate idea of what I like to call “cookie-cutterism.” Everyone would show up to auditions with the same jewel-toned knee-length dress and tan character heels and belt the same two songs and do their double pirouettes and if you weren’t capable of that, you were doing something “wrong” or you “weren’t good enough.” In an industry that already asks so much of our personal energy and vulnerability, it was exhausting to feel like you weren’t a part of that group.
As I grew older, I quickly realized that the audition rooms I felt safe enough to be myself in, were the jobs I booked. When I sang the songs that fit *me* as an artist, when I wore the clothes that made *me* feel confident, when I played around and told the story authentically, I had the most success. Of course, it’s a journey; Every day brings new challenges of maintaining your authenticity. You may want to book a show so badly that you’re willing to change yourself for it…but if they’re hiring you for being someone you’re not, is that really a space you want to work in as a creative? We do our best work when we can fully show up for ourselves and our team — the best way to do that is to show up expressively and beautifully and authentically because that’s who *you* are. Wear the weird thing. Sing the weird song. Go to the dance call even if you can’t kick your face. Show up as *you* and the work will come.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.haleykclay.com
- Instagram: @haleykclay
Image Credits
Personal photo (yellow background) + dance photo (blue flowy dress, leg & arm outstretched) : Please credit JAMES JIN IMAGES
Character photo (maroon dress, holding basket) : Please credit MOONBOX PRODUCTIONS, BOSTON