We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Pamela Nocerino a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Pamela, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

Athena Project is an organization I love to work with. They “empower women through the arts,” and I’ve worked with them as an actor, a writer, and a teacher. I’m also a big fan of Phamaly and Buntport Theater in Denver. Sometimes just supporting the bigger work of others is the better contribution to the collective, creative spaces.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My childhood best friend’s house was a creative haven. She was an only child whose parents nurtured her every inkling. We made up plays, created sculptures, wrote songs, covered entire walls with art of every medium, and always felt free. That experience taught me that being creative was my happy place. Although I often set it aside for other responsibilities, it remains who I am. When lockdown afforded me a great pause, I used it to create. The result? Fourteen published poems and two short plays selected for performance. (And lots of child-like art that made me happy nonetheless.)

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

It’s easy to set aside creative outlets for more grown-up endeavors, but there’s always a way to add creativity. I wear a ring on my left hand because at 55 years-old, I said YES to myself. It’s a promise ring – a promise to make my creative needs as important as the needs of others in my life. It’s a difficult promise. Most of the time, I squeeze it in. I’ve composed songs in line at the deli, written poems between medical portrayals, and took dictation from characters in my head at 2:00 am. But the goal to take this time of life as permission to value creative outlets is life-changing. It’s important that the work doesn’t have to BE important, or even shared. It’s the YES to creating that matters for me.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being creative is how it inspires creativity in others. My bravery, and that’s what it is when we share creativity, has inspired other people to get “back to” or “start learning” something they’ve always loved. It’s almost like being creative out loud, especially with imperfect results, gives others permission to explore their inner artists. Many credit me with inspiring them, and many have exceeded my successes. That’s the most rewarding.   

Contact Info:

• Website: https://calidage.wixsite.com/calida
• Instagram: pamela_nocerino
• Twitter: @pamela_nocerino

Image Credits
Pamela Nocerino (self)