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

Noelle, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

Performing in dance showcases and at events was sort of the start of my artistic education. It was through dance where I learned some of the most important skills an artist should have: punctuality, preparation, adaptability, communication, and more. I don’t know if I can say one is more essential than the other. They all need to be exercised at different times when necessary. Preparation can be one of the trickier ones because everyone prepares for things in their own. When starting out, you tend to take all the advice you receive but then you have to know how to apply them to fit you best.

Consistency is the main obstacle that stood in the way at times. It’s crazy how little things can throw off the flow. When you’re feeling motivated and constantly putting yourself out there but you aren’t receiving anything back can put a strain on that motivation. It makes it much easier to take your foot off the pedal. I have to constantly remind myself that being consistent is one of the more important things as an artist. Constantly.

Noelle, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I have lived in the same neighborhood in South Florida up until I graduated high school. Early on I was put in dance classes, as most little girls are. From there I dipped my toes in piano. I tried out the fine arts and learned about painting, pastels, charcoal, and ceramics. I stuck with doing all—dance, piano, fine arts—for a little while but as I got older I continued to gravitate more towards the performing arts.

When middle school came around I did my first theater performance. I was a part of a studio called Heroes of Hip Hop and they put on annual shows. I had one line in their Lion King adaptation and that was when I caught the acting bug. I continued to perform in their shows as well as studied acting throughout high school. During this time, I trained with lots of different people, including a casting director that ended up sending a session we did to a management company. That was how I got my first manager and started going on auditions for film and TV. And that was when I caught the screen acting bug. Everything started to fall into place after that! I took film and theater classes in high school and just continued to train.

Eventually, I got an agent and started to learn even more about the industry. Understanding that although it is an art, it is also a business. Grasping the idea that this can actually be a full-time career and not just a hobby. This realization was exciting but frightening as the stability in this field can be nonexistent. I figured the more you put in, the more you get so I tried to put in as much as I can. I opted to go to a conservatory to study the craft of acting even more. At 18 years old, about three weeks after graduating high school, I moved to New York City. This was by far one of the scariest things I have ever done but it was also one of the few times in life where I felt absolutely sure about something. It was tough. It was tiring. It was draining. It got frustrating. It got annoying. And yet through all of that I still never wanted to do anything else. That was when I knew that I was going to figure out how to make this work one way or another. It’s so funny how something that stresses you out so much and is so straining physically, mentally, and emotionally, is the same thing that brings you the most joy in life.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I think some non-creatives can’t grasp the idea of how much we as creatives do without being sure if our career will breed success. We don’t go to college, get a degree, and automatically become a doctor or a lawyer or an engineer. It’s hard sometimes to get people to understand that it is possible to be successful without going a traditional route. As artists, we (usually) don’t chase the money. We can’t! I think most of us understand that but we still find it in us to say, “So what?” This is what we love and if we have to have 17 side hustles to put food on the table, we’ll have 17 side hustles. Lots of people can’t agree with that.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

“If you do what you love you’ll never work a day in your life.” Getting to a point where I fully connect with that saying has to be the most rewarding aspect.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.noelleramsay.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/noelleramsay
• Other: imdb.me/noelleramsay

Image Credits
Yannick Marcelle Samuel Correa Heroes of Hip Hop