Hi Nalini, thanks for joining us today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Discipline. Passion. Taking care of self. Staying grounded when the ride is rough. Staying grounded when the ride is great. Focus. And having the guts to do things that are outside your comfort zone.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I know the word multi-hyphenate is thrown around a lot, but what can I say I am part of that lot. I’m an actress, writer and a clown comedian (I’m talking about the art of clowning the French are well known for, not the scary clown that Americans are well known for). I do all these things mostly because I have this never ending restless creative energy in me that I have to put somewhere otherwise, well, I WILL DIE. Is that too dramatic?

When I’m not acting, I’m writing. When I’m not writing I’m clowning. When I’m not clowning, I’m running my mom’s art shop on Etsy. And when I’m not doing any of those things, I’m probably with my friends, family or loved ones trying to enjoy a glass of wine! Or, I’m in a garden somewhere staring into a plant wondering why we came to exist. This is also a common occurrence. My father used to tell me that I was a big day dreamer as a child, always in my own little world creating my own little fantasies to live in.

I actually started out in science (very much an immigrant child thing) but soon after college I realized that my true passion lay in the arts. I still have a love for science. To feed that part of my brain I read, take classes when I can, teach on the side and love to inspire students who have a passion for it.

For me, however, nothing compares to the feeling I feel when I’m on set or stage performing or breaking a story in my writing. I love to act because it gives me a chance to serve someone else’s story. I love the art of interpreting another writer’s words and bringing it to life. It gives me a chance to explore all the different worlds inside of me. I love to write because it gives me a chance to share my own stories. Here, I get to create new worlds and have other artists help me bring it to life. I love to clown because I love to play. I get to be with the audience in real time, which is extremely thrilling and terrifying all at once, but oh so incredibly fun.

Right now, I’m so proud of the solo show I created, Until Death. I took it to The Edinburgh Fringe this past year to a wonderful run. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life and I’m really proud of myself for that. Also, I’m so grateful and proud to be a part of the artistic community around me. They inspire me, hold me accountable, challenge me and help me get things done. It takes a village to make anything in this town. I’m so excited to continue to make things: be it plays, movies or TV. So excited to share it all with the world.

I am most active on instagram, so to keep updated on all my projects you can follow me there: @nalsbarkley

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

My daily reading has been a key to my work ethic and creative life. Without guidance, it’s so easy to lose focus and motivation. Recently I have been really inspired by Brad Stulberg’s: The Practice of Groundedness, The Creative Act by Rick Rubin, Lindsay Doran’s Ted Talks and an acting studio I’m a part of called The Marjorie Ballentine Studio. Marjorie is phenomenal. I’m in her masterclass and week after week she keeps my fire lit and helps me grow as an artist.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/nalinisharma
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nalsbarkley/

Image Credits
Joanna Degeneres Photography Stephanie Nelson Photography