We recently connected with Raven Clausen and have shared our conversation below.

Raven, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

You know, interestingly enough when I look back I did actually start my creative career at a young age. As a kid I wrote poems, short stories, and scripts. I was making storyboards in elementary school after seeing the making of films/BTS. I acted in school plays, made home videos with my sisters, and constantly lived in my imagination. I knew as early as elementary school that I wanted to be an artist, and that I specifically wanted to make movies. I felt that way all the way through high school, when I planned to go to Columbia College for film.

Where I lost time was when I joined the Army instead, since I needed college money. I do not regret any of that time – it was its own special chapter in my life that included its own troubles, triumphs, new relationships, heartbreaks, growth, and I learned so much about myself. I do regret, however, that I did not stay creative during that time. I only know what that era of my life was like in hindsight, so I am just recreating from memory, which is flawed and lacks the emotional truth of that era. I wish I had art to look back on that showed what I was feeling in that era.

With that said, I think art is inherently human. We had cave paintings long before we had governments. It is something that is with us at all times, and I do not feel like there is a right or wrong time to tap into it. I think it will simply vary as a reflection of you at that time, at that age, and with the experience you have – or don’t have yet. It’s hard to say “if I had started sooner” because I started as a kid. Likewise, it’s hard to say “if I had started later” because I didn’t re-enter the field until after my time in the military, so some of my training took place later in life than my peers. I’m an odd mix of both but, all things considered, I think that way worked out beautifully for me.

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

I grew up as a creative kid in Illinois, making all kinds of art. I was obsessed with movies and wanted to be a filmmaker. Then I joined the Army to obtain the G.I. Bill and go to college. I ended up spending more time in the Army than planned (for good reasons, I was enjoying my time and my military family). Afterwards, I move to Los Angeles and started studying like crazy.

I completed the two year acting conservatory at The Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, continued taking classes there for acting even after my conservatory, and completed UCLA’s Extension Program for TV/Film Development. During my studies, I also hit the ground running in terms of work, and gained a lot of on-set experience. It was a bit of a baptism by fire but I learned so much from the hands-on experience. I started working with a production company based out of the Inland Empire area doing just about every job possible on set.

I began making my own short films and entering the film festival circuit, and I was auditioning for acting roles, at the same time. I landed a few great commercial opportunities, some short films, and even got to act on a few big budget feature film productions. Now I continue to act, I write screenplays, and I still work with that production company to be whatever they need and continue growing my skill set.

The main thing I’d like people to know about me and my brand is that I bring a tactical mindset to a lot of my work, while still giving room to the artistic spirit. I believe the balance is so necessary, as the entertainment industry is still a business at the end of the day. While it is important to give yourself time and space to be free, artistic, and uninhibited in your exploration, it is equally important to know when to utilize discipline, mission-focused thinking, and the ability to adapt, improvise, and overcome any production obstacles. There will be many, and you need a tactical mindset in those moments.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Be more openminded. Truly. So much art is being policed through political lenses, whether left, right, or center. I do not believe art is inherently political. I believe it has the capacity to be political, absolutely – but it is human first and foremost.

We need safety and space to tell stories that might make people uncomfortable, because it is more important to tell stories with truth and integrity rather than through censorship and strict limits or confines based on what society deems acceptable. We need an audience that can suspend their disbelief or park their bean soup theory mindset and enter the theater with a blank canvas mindset.

People are messy. Protagonists might be unlikeable. The dialogue might be vulgar. A person might be shown in an imperfect light, and you might see yourself in that person and be upset. That is all okay – let the story impact you however it may. There is no right or wrong way to interpret art nor do we need to police that. But just understand that this story is being told through someone’s truth, and it is grounded in their reality and their perspective. We need to embrace that and welcome new perspectives.

That is the best way society can support art in today’s climate.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

Absolutely.

For veterans: Veterans In Media and Entertainment (VME)

It is a volunteer organization run by veterans for veterans but they offer workshops, career fairs, summits, and free screenings for new films. The organization also provides veterans a chance to build a community and network.

EntertainmentCareers.net

This is especially helpful for film school students looking to get hands-on experience through internships that could lead to future job opportunities. It is also a great site for those searching for job opportunities in the industry. The creators work really hard to get members employed and offer several services for feedback on your materials in order to get you hired.

Another one for veterans: O2O through the IVMF program at Syracuse University

They offer one free course and one free voucher to test for a certificate in many different programs. While they do not offer a film-specific certificate, they offer plenty of certificates that do make you more competitive as a job candidate for studios and production companies.

Warner Bros and UTA Job List

You can have this sent directly to your email so you can see the latest job openings and be one of the first to apply.

I have to also give a shout out to Dylan Mooney’s Business of Acting Course

Dylan is a professional working actor but also an incredible business owner who dedicates all his time towards building up actors careers. His course was one of the best I’ve ever taken as an actor. He works in depth with actors on their materials (resume, reels, social media, IMDb, etc), he provides great advice on how to network as an actor, how to conduct yourself on set, how to work every day to better your skill set, etc. He is a truly genuine soul and someone who undoubtedly wants to see actors succeed.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://IMDb.me/RavenClausen
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamravenclausen

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