We recently connected with Maeve Forti and have shared our conversation below.
Maeve, appreciate you joining us today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?
I officially began my creative career in 2021 – the year I signed with a talent manager. My creative dreams began long before that, but I consider 2021 to be the official start of my professional career. I always had a dream of being an actor and breaking into the entertainment industry, but I put those dreams on hold during college to pursue other things. I wrestle with the idea of not having any regrets. My early adult life looked a lot different than I would have ever imagined or wanted. My mother passed away when I was 20 years old, and that left me without any parents and mostly on my own. My entire life and identity were flipped upside down in an instant, and I needed to learn how to be a person again. Even 6 years later, I am still recovering from this loss. I am just now getting back to baseline. So in an ideal world, I would have started my creative pursuits earlier and hit the ground running, right after graduating college. But the universe had other ideas.
I constantly remind myself that I am on my own journey and my timeline doesn’t need to be compared with anyone else’s. “Comparison is the thief of joy” is the quote that most resonates in my life right now. The entertainment industry is built on comparison and competition, so working against that is a skill that will only benefit any working actor or filmmaker. Ultimately, I wouldn’t change anything about the journey that has brought me to this point because the things I’ve experienced have shaped me into the person I am.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am an actor and filmmaker from Boston, Massachusetts. I’ve been acting since childhood, primarily on stage. During college, I took a break from acting to pursue journalism. Most of my work now combines those two passions. My professional work so far has been in television, which I love! As I continue on my journey and explore the types of stories I want to tell, I hope to break further into the world of documentaries. My current project, which has been in progress for several years now, is a documentary partially based on my own experience with traumatic grief, which explores the impact of death on family and individual identity.
Have you ever had to pivot?
I am constantly pivoting, and I think most creatives can relate to that. When I first started in this industry, I didn’t know much about how to create a sustainable career for myself. I would say I still don’t, but I’m always learning and trying new things. The last several years in the entertainment industry have exemplified the need for creatives to be adaptable and versatile in an industry that is ever-changing.
I think most people in the entertainment industry would agree that to have success in this current landscape, you have to create your own work. I am still navigating how to pivot successfully between acting, writing, and producing – but if you can find that balance, you are more likely to have longevity as a creator.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
For me, it’s storytelling. I think it’s one of the most powerful tools we have. Storytelling is what allows us to expand our worldview and empathize with others. Sharing one’s own story can also be cathartic and healing.
One of the reasons I gravitate towards nonfiction and documentary projects is to share stories of lived experiences that otherwise wouldn’t be told.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.maeveforti.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maeveforti
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maeve40/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maeve-forti-901a88a8/
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm13410993/
Image Credits
Lotta Photography
Sub/Urban Photography