Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Katharine Franco. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Katharine, appreciate you joining us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?

As a toddler, I would do impersonations of family members or people around me, stand on the coffee table to create a stage and dance. The signs were there to move forward with plays and classes with other children, but we moved around quite a bit. So, in terms of art education, yes, I wish I would have started earlier but the “career” aspect of it feels right at this time in my life.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I was sitting in my office when a co-worker asked if I’d like to join him and some friends to see his wife perform in a musical. I had no idea she was a stage actress and looking forward to her performance! It was and she was incredible! After the show, she thanked me for coming and asked if I would mind helping her with her bags located backstage and of course I was happy to do it. Seeing the wardrobe racks as physical manifestations of the production we had just witnessed, fascinated me. There was something magical about the space. The creativity which sharply contrasted my work life. Ultimately, she gave me her contact for a vocal instructor and accompanist which lead me to an audition for the musical, Evita, where I booked a role as a dancer and singer- only 1 year later on that very stage! From that point on, I never stopped! An actor really is an entrepreneur.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Unlearn the buzz of what everyone else is doing. A pretty common, human leaning. It’s a lesson of learning to check in with myself. To the little voice inside me that never steers me wrong. That voice is a compass and it guides us in the direction we should go.

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

Most children are open, creative and artistic. As a society we can support creatives by recognizing these gifts at all ages with early arts education.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: KatharineJFranco
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/katharinefranco