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

Livi , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

Such a loaded but beautiful question. I actually just watched an instagram reel yesterday, it was a compilation of celebrity speeches across different awards shows where they had thanked their mother in their speeches.
I think as artists we’re constantly stuck in this world of pain and angst because we believe it is what drives our art, that it is not very common to have someone ask you as an artist “what are you happy for?”, “what went right in your life?”. We need more questions like this.
Oh God, my parents, where to even begin on how they have impacted my art? My parents may not be professional artists or creatives but to me they are artists. From music, to dancing, to film, to even the art of food, my parents have always shared so many different genres, styles, and cultures with me. I remember seemingly the first horror movie I had ever watched was Silence of the Lambs when I was probably 7 or 8. My dad was watching it by himself on the tv and I had joined in on his watch (he was probably asleep by this point), and although I had no idea what was happening, I knew it was a pretty famous movie that was said to be good, so I just sat and watched. Not knowing that I would make my own horror movies one day.
I learned so many great classics just from joining in on my dads watches, The Shining, Gladiator, Shawshank Redemption, Fast and Furious, Saving Private Ryan, etc. So firstly, I am grateful to have grown up in a household where the arts were celebrated. Secondly, I am grateful that never once in my life (by my parents) have I been told that being an artist wasn’t possible or that I was not capable of it. I know I would not have the education in arts and the support in my filmmaking without them. They have never let me go a month without saying they are proud of me, especially my mom, and I don’t always express exactly how much that impacts me but just know, I wake up every day knowing that I am capable and I will make it because of that support!

Also shout out to my grandparents, would not be a working artist without them either!

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.

It feels a little pretentious to sit up here as a 22 year old and talk about my art and me being an artist when honestly, I am still learning and creating my voice as well! It’s not that I wouldn’t consider myself an artist at this point in my life, it’s just also like, what is art? What is an artist? What is it to be an artist? I am a writer and director for film and while yes, that is such a creative and artistic job, it is also very technical and very logical. I often find it hard to balance that aspect of filmmaking while also recognizing that the best films are made by educated creatives. Not just creatives and not just people that can “technically” make a film. So I guess I am not really in the position to even know what to say about my said art or the impact it has made. What I can say is my art is impactful to me because it is personal to me. I can only hope it shall impact other people because of that. As the legend himself, Mr. Scorsese says “The most personal is the most creative”. And on that note I would much rather like to discuss those who have inspired me to be a filmmaker instead of discussing myself.
I will try to be concise because I could talk about filmmakers and actors all day long. I will go ahead and get the obvious out of the way, Kubrick and Lynch. I have always admired how they talked about filmmaking, the range of films they could make, and mostly how important film was to them. For those who are not filmmakers I say these are obvious because, well, they have impacted everyones films if we really think about it!
More recently some people I have loved have been Ari Aster, Jane Schoenbrun, Robert Eggars, Lukas Dhont, and Emma Seligman. (I’m sure I am forgetting a ton.) In terms of the classics go I have always loved any Clara Bow or Marion Davies films, Hitchcock, Tati, Murnau, Fritz Lang, and as a former tap dancer of almost 16 years, anything Gene Kelly. (Shout out Michael Tisdale’s Film Genres class!)
I continue every day to learn more about film history and watch new directors and actors so my list of inspirations is forever growing and I hope it will continue growing until I cannot retain a memory anymore.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Art has always meant expression and community to me. My goal with my films has always been to express apart of myself and then offer a community to those that feel seen/heard through my characters and stories!

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Never, ever, ever, ever stop consuming art! Never stop questioning authority and status quo. And please for the love of God, stop consuming micro-content! Your brain cannot handle another 2 hours of 15 second videos! Go watch a film!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/k1ngpa1m0n_
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@livibsouthard?si=HKKY6N_kmxtwh_Tc

Image Credits

Main Photo: Christopher Priest