We recently connected with Lin Hult and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Lin, thanks for joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
Growing up as an only child up pre-internet I was left with a lot of time for introspection…for reading…and for using my imagination. When I was at the Cape with my Dad I spent a lot of time in nature…nature has always been, and still is, my sacred space. My time in the city with my Mom, when not in school, was spent reading books from the library – Emerson, Thoreau, etc and my black hardcover Funk and Wagnell’s Dictionary, a gift from my Farmour which was my prized possession at the time. I read it every night.
I always questioned everything, had a great need for understanding things, and for self expression. I wrote poetry in middle school that expressed a desire for something deeper than day to day mundane duties on the surface level of physical life…pondering the real meaning of life and being versus mere existence. This disturbed my parents I learned as I overheard them discussing my writings along with the idea of therapy.
But my Dad worked full time and was following his sea captain dreams and my Mom worked two jobs and didn’t drive so that idea faded away. That’s also the reason why I was unable to attend the dance lessons which I so craved. Extra curricular activities and arts were not a part of my socio-economic reality at the time.
Looking back, there were a few memorable landmark moments on my journey which became somewhat of a guiding light on my creative path, motivating me to pursue an artistic life. A day spent exploring the Worcester Art Museum on a school field trip;
My fifth grade English teacher, Mr. McGuiness, choosing me to partake in a reading of Romeo and Juliet; and seeing the play Waiting for Godot at Holy Cross College Theatre (another field trip). All of these experiences were magical and exhilarating. The way life was supposed to be. My spirit felt elevated in an energizing yet peaceful sense of refinement. I felt that ‘something more’ which I had been yearning for …that was not present/found in everyday life.
Through a distributive education program in high school I began working at a clothing store at age 17 to help my Mom with the rent, and took great pleasure in being the designer of the window displays. After getting my drivers license my grandmother allowed me to use her car and I was finally able to bring myself to dance lessons.
I went on to work for nonprofit/service organizations, The United Way and The Easter Seal Society, where I was Assistant to the Director of Field Services, and participated annually in the planning and production of the Jerry Lewis Telethon, before taking the civil service exam and working at the Police Department evenings while attending college during the day studying business and psychology…all the while still studying the beloved dance.
After seeing an impromptu performance of the pantomime Marcel Marceau I sought out pantomime training, and it was through the Pantomime that I was introduced to the theatre. I applied my skills and worked at the theatre as Administrative Assistant, while there writing a successful grant for $10,000 from the MA Arts & Humanities, thriving in the creative environment, and began my studies in the Uta Hagen Method of Acting.
About this same time I became enthralled with a local dance company which performed ‘edu-tainment’, presenting the history of Mid-Eastern Dance. I began studying that art form as well, learned to play finger cymbals, the art of sword balancing, cane and candle dances and became a member of their company, performing throughout New England for several years at Colleges, first Night Performances, and Festivals. It was during this time of living in theatre arts and dance performances that my professional artistic journey officially began.
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 am one who believes that artists are borne. Whether following the path of writer, painter, sculptor, musician, surgeon, actor, dancer, activist, doctor, teacher, philosopher, etc, the Artist possesses a heightened sensitivity …an ability to see the invisible…hear the unspoken…and understand with deep compassion. They have a need for truth, authenticity, expressiveness and action. Artists, with a quickened sense of aliveness in their soul, and driven by the transcendent dimension within, are the seer’s and sayers of life. Throughout the ages they have been sharing their vision and knowledge…source energy beings…reflecting and stirring up humanity…raising public awareness…lighting up the world with consciousness. Their paths may be different but the light is the same. We each have a vitality, a life force and energy that is unique, which consequently makes our expressions unique.
As a performing artist, a classically trained actor who enjoys collaborating on creative projects for both live performances and films, I have been active in the New England arts scene for many years in both traditional and dance theatre, as well as original staged productions, including performances at King Richards Renaissance Faire, Hammond Castle, Hanover Theatre and Mechanics Hall.
I most recently appeared at the historic Wilbur Theatre portraying Catherine Greig, long time moll of notorious Boston gangster Whitey Bulger, in the multi-media stage show/production of Saints, Sinners and Serial Killers, written by NY Times best-selling authors Casey Sherman and Dave Wedge.
Over the years I have worked as a Teaching Artist for the Committee for Public Counsel Services for their District and Superior Court Training Programs, as well as for for the Quinnipiac University Masters of Teaching Program.
Additionally I’ve enjoyed collaborating on many feature and Indie film projects, as well as with Boston University film students on their thesis projects.
Certified by the American Council on Exercise since 1995, I am a fitness trainer/program developer, currently teaching a Strength & Balance fitness program for seniors and a Strengthen and Sculpt exercise program for adult women.
In my past original stage shows, as well as in my fitness training, and my life in general I guess… my aim has always been to inspire, to improve quality of life for others, to bring some joy…to brighten and enlighten. To get the ‘work’ done with an element of fun.
Through my creative collaborations on stage and in film, when creating a human being, my goal is to be truthful and authentic. After doing my research and personal work on the character, if the director is also the writer I may ask them to for performance references, aesthetic references, camera references, etc to ensure that I be threaded in the right direction in terms of my prep work.
With regard to dramatic works …I possess an ability to well up and reach an emotional catharsis fairly instantly. I’ve heard from collaborators that I am fun
to work with, patient, tenacious and that my attention to detail is appreciated. Disciplined has come up as well…but I believe that is more of a devotion, a willingness to put a generous amount of work and energy into an undertaking/project that I believe in/am passionate about.
What I am most proud of is bringing to life/raising a bright, kind, conscientious, moral, aware, nature-respecting, independent thinking, entrepreneur son, whom I lovingly refer to as my Magnum Opus. My living message to the future.
I am proud of both myself and my son for our early advocacy work in DC on behalf of the National Coalition for Public School Options, which resulted in the then Governor of MA approving ten virtual schools as an educational lifeline for those students who, for health or other various reasons, were unable to attend a brick and mortar school.
I have also written a few successful grants in the past…receiving $10,000 from the Arts and Humanities for a theatre company I worked for as Administrative Assistant, as well as a $5,000 grant from Lowes for a playground for the public neighborhood school that my son attended.
Over the years I have rescued/saved countless felines…working in conjunction with a local TNR group who are absolute earth angels…(it’s like the underground railroad for cats)…getting medical treatment for all, having them neutered, finding homes for the adoptable and maintaining feral support colonies for those who choose not to be domesticated
Overall I am proud that I have been able to positively affect and improve quality of life for many, through my fitness teachings, through the fore mentioned successful grant endeavors and through my advocacy for art, education and animals, as well as through the personal caretaking for loved ones that I have done over the years.
I am proud of the life I have created, with every small, courageous step that my shy, introverted little self has taken (and still takes) outside of my comfort zone… onto a stage… into a class…into a courtroom… onto a set… wherever that bravely spoken ‘yes’ carries me, to arrive at the me I am today, believing that one’s life expands in proportion to one’s courage.
One of the bravest steps thus far was accepting the offer to act as body double for Ms Streep in the blockbuster Hollywood comedy/disaster movie DON’T LOOK UP. Although the circumstances of the controversial alien scene scared me near speechless, it was an honor that I could not deny, and which I somehow, quivering in my custom-made merkin, managed to successfully and efficiently accomplish in two takes.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
Feeling deeply, understanding that which is not spoken, finding the magic and the beauty in simple things, seeing the wrong in things that are accepted as right and taking the initiative to challenge those injustices are some of the rewarding elements of being an artist. It is a blessing, but in some instances it can also feel like a curse. Whether it be fueled by nature or nurture, we who remain on the creative path are survivors, having survived external pressure from a myriad of sources and societal norms. Creativity takes courage. But one needs to be brave to get to the truth.
It’s an honor to represent and share humanity… one of the most rewarding aspects of being an artist is the opportunity to bring light to current events/history/humanity by breathing life into characters…to give voice to people’s feelings and share their stories. To reflect the human condition, the paradox and minutia of human life, and increase awareness by holding a mirror up to society/humankind. To reveal the depth of the human experience, the joy and the tragedy and everything in between. I am grateful that this journey allows me to explore what interests me and to do what intrigues me…speaking the language of felt experience.
Being of service to an inner guidance, acting as a receptor/conduit, connecting the metaphysical world and all that ever was to the physical world of here and now is a spiritual high. (I’ve felt it so strongly it has brought me to tears when writing a grant proposal, a show, a song or when inhabiting a character.) Connecting past to present…present to future… traveling beyond time…exceeding your human physicality/limits/life via means of answering a higher calling.
The artistic process is transformative. It’s a giving/surrendering of yourself to creation/to art, altho not as a sacrifice …you don’t lose yourself…you continue expanding/evolving…allowing yourself to be invisible for the time perhaps…transparent…
Oh…and the amazing human beings I have crossed paths with on this journey! Those from whom I have learned some aspect of the craft, those who have inspired me, trusted me with their stories/projects, those whom have taught me through my teaching them, those who have helped me through my helping them, those whom I have creatively collaborated with on all levels and those who have connected me to other creatives. All have widened my horizon. #blessed #grateful
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
My partner of 9 years died unexpectedly while performing at a circus in Germany two weeks before I was to meet him in Amsterdam to be married. I was absolutely devastated as he was the magic in my life, my love, my inspiration. We shared the same essence and it was a loss/ pain that I felt on a cellular level. I lost all faith and belief in the physical world and felt that I had been betrayed by the universe. Nothing mattered. I abandoned all of my possessions with the exception of my car and a suitcase filled with clothing.
As my world was haunted by the expectation of catching glimpses of him in all the familiar places I became a vagabond of sorts…moved to Boston and Rockport, then Salem, managed dance studio’s and taught stretch classes in return for a place to sleep and a small salary, abandoned myself into the teachings of Modern and Ballet dance…I lived at the studio, slept at night in what I considered constructive rest, in stretched positions often times with books piled upon my extended legs to work on my dancers ‘extension’. Somehow the discomfort of the toe shoes and this ‘productive’ physical pain soothed the emotional pain that I was suffering from, clinging to his absence.
Great loss sets you free somehow.. albeit in an unsettling way. I noticed this feeling again when both my parents had passed on…I felt like a cut flower, having no roots and harrowingly aware of my ephemerality.
Janis Joplin said it best…’freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose…’ And that feeling propels you in some strange way to live more passionately in each moment… to stand bravely neck-deep in the flow of life… keeping your awareness focused in the exact/precise/right here and now.
The present moment is a safe haven…a small island of time and opportunity between the pain of the past and the uncertainty of the future. A place of certitude and aliveness where you can focus all the passion of your being into your work. Living moment to moment is a way to survive…and eventually thrive.
Inspired by my personal loss I wrote and narrated a staged fairytale, a one woman show for children of all ages, Frauline Liesl and the Three Step Curse, which incorporated dance, sword balancing and fire spinning and emphasized the strength and resiliency of the human spirit. I received funding for these performances from the Sturbridge Arts Council.
Shortly thereafter I became a member of the American Magicians Society and wrote and choreographed an Illusion Show set to music – Magic in Motion – where I incorporated all of my skills, in addition to levitating and illusions.
The theme of that show was ‘the magic is you’. I made it clear to the audience that what they were seeing on the stage was not magic, but the art of illusions. And that the real magic in life was kindness, compassion and the love of family and friends and humanity.
I took a hiatus from traveling performance endeavors when I became the sole caretaker for my stroke disabled Mom. She became my project if you will, from her originally being bed-bound and in a coma, then alert but left Aphasic and paralyzed on her right side … through PT and speech therapy, to where she was able to transfer into a wheelchair to get herself to the bed and the bathroom. My daily care allowed her to stay in her home with her beloved cats for an additional twenty years.During this time I did collaborate on songwriting/writing song lyrics, as well as teaching dance and fitness classes locally. I qualified for the Nationals in a local Fitness Competition after I had my son, and became the PTO Mom creating snowflake festivals and running book fairs and writing grants for the school to have a playground.
Life is a process of adjustments. And challenges exist to awaken us. I guess it’s during these ‘real’ life times, where we find ourselves not performing on a stage, that by performing in life we are replenishing our well of life-felt experience…that fills up our artists/actors toolbox…we are becoming more human…from which we can then draw to create and feed our sensual language that we later utilize to create and bring life to our characters.
Nothing is as strong as gentleness and nothing is so gentle as real strength.
Experiencing the early/untimely death and the disablement of these two key people/figures in my life intensified my journey and further inspired me to follow my creative path…to accept what is…to welcome and be grateful for each moment, even those that present conflict and challenges, as they arrive to escort us to yet another stage/level of growth. It’s not about perfection or power, but about embracing our vulnerability. Real courage can be as gentle as showing up and allowing our self to be seen, honestly and truthfully, with nothing to prove, nothing to hide, nothing to protect, nothing to perfect and nothing to defend. Freeing us to live more completely and passionately than ever before. It is our job to keep moving forward…moment to moment… remembering that we are the sky. Let go and live vibrantly…in joyful expansion…laugh often…Love what is…say the prayer of ‘thank you for the aliveness of this moment’…listen to your heart…what pulls on your soul…find your aliveness…your treasure…your peace… your freedom… stay close to people who feel like sunshine…find your light. Create your own sunshine …live with all your soul and celebrate life. To quote my 11 year old self “live as if there’s no tomorrow, for we are never assured of catching another day.”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.linhult.com/
- Instagram: https://www.Instagram.com/lindamariehult
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Linhult?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lin-hult-87073627
- Twitter: Twitter.com/linhult1
- Other: IMDB – http://imdb.me/linhult ACTORS ACCESS – https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/linhult
Image Credits
Headshots by Paul Vicario.
Professional Full length photos by Paul Vicario
Screenshots of:
•Abigail Reece, from Mike Melo’s film SUNNY SIDE UP (1)
•Penny the Popcorn Lady from REDISCOVERING CHRISTMAS, Lifetime Network
•Tiffany from Ida Baybekman’s film FISHING FOR GRACE
One-Page designed/created by Marilyn Busch @ActorBuzz
BTS shots:
•Netflix DON’T LOOK UP, photo credit Robert Marsala
•Grandmother Rebecca Bates from Dante D’Amore’s film LIGHTKEEPERS, photo credit Arthur Hiou
•Appearing as Catherine Greig at The Wilbur Theatre in SAINTS, SINNERS AND SERIAL KILLERS, written by NY Times best selling authors Casey Sherman and Dave Wedge, photo credit Paul Kandarian.