We recently connected with Rachel Madorsky and have shared our conversation below.
Rachel, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
I feel very fortunate to say that all of my projects are meaningful… at least to me, and I hope to many others. The big ones that come to mind are these:
Project 1. Writing and illustrating the bestselling book How To Love Yourself: In Less Than a Week and Also for the Rest of Your Life and having Ellen DeGeneres choose it for her 12 Days of Holidays / Be Kind Box this year. It’s been a dream come true.
Easy link to purchase the book here: https://www.amazon.com/
I wrote this book as a guide to make loving ourselves easier, more tangible and light-hearted. My mission with the book is to sell and share a million copies and have a million people feel more loved.
A portion of the proceeds go directly toward the health and well-being of women and children around the world.
Project 2. Co-Owning ColdTowne Theater along side my husband Dave Buckman and one of our dearest friends, Tauri Laws-Phillips is another dream come true. Since 2006, ColdTowne has been serving the Austin community through its cutting edge improv and sketch comedy shows and classes. As both a theater and conservatory, we teach every age person how to be funny, collaborate, remember how to let go and play, and how to create uplifting comedy with others.
By making people laugh and bringing people together – out of their shells and onto the stage – our alumni have gone on to travel the world in comedy festivals, write and perform in film and television, win Emmy awards and some fell in love, got married and had kids… who are now doing comedy at our theater!
While ColdTowne serves as a beloved part of Austin’s culture, the skills of improvisation are universal and make us all better humans. Together, we strive to make the world a more inclusive, joyful and cooperative place.
Project 3. Love Your Life, LLC is the name of my own coaching and professional development company through which I practice as a licensed psychotherapist and executive coach, guiding women leaders and visionaries to create their best lives – while paving the way for more freedom, love and power – for all women everywhere.
I am incredibly fortunate to love people and help bring their dreams to life – for a living.
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.
Like many people, I did not have an easy beginning. Perhaps because of that I’ve spent most of my life driven, curious and fascinated by what makes people heal, grow and be happy.
As a sensitive creative person, and a life long learner with an entrepreneurial spirit, I now hold several titles. My work and greatest joy is helping people succeed through awakening to their own desires, possibilities and self-permission to live life on their own terms.
I stumbled into improv comedy while in my late 20’s. I had finally graduated from grad school, passed all the tests and opened my private practice, only to discover that I too was depressed! Life had gotten serious and I knew I needed to laugh.
What I love about ColdTowne are the possibilities and opportunities it provides for people; a place to let go, to make new friends, to learn new things, to discover your brilliance, to laugh on a regular basis, and for some – to breathe life into new dreams.
ColdTowne is more than a place to see great shows, learn improv or perform, it’s an inclusive and welcoming community where people of all backgrounds and ages come together to create something wonderful out of nothing. It is both magical and transcendent as well as silly and down to earth. That’s what makes it so wonderful, there’s room for all of it.
We have a free class every month and 8 week classes for the January – February session are on sale now. We bring ColdTowne to companies for corporate training on topics from team building to innovation, to public speaking, sales and more. There is nothing more powerful than an aligned, happy team that works well together.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
Yes! Several! The goals and missions driving my creative journey are these:
- To share and spread more love and joy in the world.
- For all people to know that they are deserving of more love, always.
- For people to give themselves permission to do what they want to do, be who they want to be, and experience more freedom, success, ease and abundance.
- To break some rules and talk about the things we’re not supposed to talk about – for example; more freedom, wealth and creative power for everyone – especially women.
- To encourage people to live from their heart, to let themselves be fully self-expressed, speak up, make art, make a mess, play, dance, sing, connect, share, laugh and be themselves.
- To contribute to a more loving, inclusive, peaceful planet.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
1. Recognize the profound and valuable role art plays in our lives. A society with no art or artists is dead, life-less.
2. Always be looking for, supporting and developing more win-win-win partnerships and collaborations that increase funding for the arts, artists and artist spaces.
3. See live theater, pay a little extra at the local spots, become a patron, invite your friends to see shows, encourage the creativity in others.
4. Champion the idea that artists deserve to make a living by sharing their art with the world. Art connects us and contributes to the more compassionate, beautiful world we know in our hearts is possible.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://coldtownetheater.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coldtownetheater/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ColdTowne/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/coldtowne-theater
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ColdTowneTV
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/coldtowne-theater-austin
- Other: Become a Patron of ColdTowne here: https://www.patreon.com/coldtowne
- Buy Rachel’s Book: http://tinyurl.com/ytya5hhb
- Rachel’s Website: www.rachelmadorsky.com
- Rachel’s Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-madorsky-lcsw-3233374
Image Credits
Alicia Rios Photography Xaria Coleman Photography Ryan McBoyle – photo of Rachel holding her book