We recently connected with Samantha Miller and have shared our conversation below.

Samantha , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

This chapter of my life is titled, “Allowing Myself to Figure it Out”. I am openly and honestly seeking truth in regard to where I am in my journey, what brings me joy, what’s working, and what’s not. From the moment I decided to pursue a career in the arts, I knew I had a fight ahead of me. I think being honest with yourself, especially about what’s not working and why is very important. I feel like my journey has been a bit all over the place, and like most artists, I have not been able to earn a full-time living from my creative work alone, at least not without working several jobs to support myself while pursuing my art. Sometimes I am exhausted, and I lack the strength to put my cape on and fight a system that is designed to keep me out. As artists so much of our careers depend on another’s opinion of our work, luck, and being at the right place at the right time. I work in an industry where hard work will get you far, but hard work won’t necessarily get you the job or an opportunity to be in the room. The audition room is a very fickle place, where decisions are made based on your size, the color of your skin, and who you know. Sometimes being gifted is just not enough when you have to combat fat shaming and fat phobia and systematic racism. People of color in the entertainment industry have struggled for a very long time and continue to struggle to battle these elements. Though the theatre community is starting to take steps in the right direction, they have more to learn when it comes to diversity and inclusion. These elements create an additional battle within that shouldn’t be present. Because of this, I often feel like I don’t have full autonomy over my career. We are at the mercy of someone being willing to see us. I’ve found success focusing on what I can control. I always have control over me. If it is not in alignment with my goals, I don’t waste my time. If I am not learning and growing, I respectfully decline. You have to stay focused and keep pushing forward. I’ve had little time to embrace my milestones because every peak has left me standing on the edge of a valley of unrecognized potential. I am working on being more present. Resources, timing, and access have all played a role in my journey. I have had angels along the way that have seen me and given me amazing opportunities, and for that I am forever grateful. I am not sure where I will land, but I have to keep reminding myself that I am almost there, and that I define my own success. I have to renew my commitment to my art nearly every day. Being an artist is hard. We work hard. I have to constantly remind myself of the why’s. I have to constantly check in with myself. I have made many sacrifices, and so far the only regret I have is the time I spent not realizing my worth. This is how I take my power back. You have to be open to allowing yourself to figure it out. Hold space for your goals, but release the attachment to how it all plays out. Allow yourself to be a part of a larger plan and a bigger story. I allow the universe to guide me, and I remember that as long as I am operating in my purpose, doors will open for me. I also give myself permission to change my mind and continue to define what my career looks like. Timing is always and will always be out of our control. I honestly don’t think knowing what I know now would have changed anything. There were lessons I had to learn. Places where I needed to grow. My journey has been my journey, and my path has been solely my path. The day I learned not to compare my timeline to others was the day I gained my freedom, and that is more valuable than any monetary compensation. Being able to adequately support oneself is important, but I am giving myself permission to find the balance between doing that through the arts and working a regular 9-5. I now focus on the stories I would like to tell, and how I can use my art to change the world. At the end of the day, I chase my joy.

Samantha , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I began singing at a very young age. I was completely fascinated with music. I used to act out my favorite music videos and perform for my family. I would spend hours pressing my ear to the radio trying to mimic the voices of my favorite artists. It wasn’t long before I started writing and recording my own music. Music soon led me to theatre. In 2015, I landed my first professional job at a regional theatre, and I am now a company member at Playhouse on the Square. When I found theatre, I definitely found my home, I found my purpose, and I found my passion. Now, seven years later, I am still on that journey. In 2019, during quarantine when theatre’s went dark, I found myself suffering from anxiety. I rekindled my love for all the things that took a back seat to my theatre career. I found healing in the things that brought me joy as a child. I started drawing again, I started playing instruments, and I began to dance again. I even made friendship bracelets. The string friendship bracelets that every teenage girl made in the 90s. I was able to take my anxiety and transform it into something beautiful. I soon transitioned to beaded bracelets, and before I knew it, I had a brand! Vintage Goddess was born. I’ve always been fascinated by crystals. I found some of the most beautiful crystal beads, and started making bracelet sets. I created Vintage Goddess to pay homage to all of the women in my family that had a hand in helping me become the artist that I am today. I believe that women should embrace their inner goddess and treat themselves accordingly. What better way to do this than to purchase something beautiful for yourself. I love to create! There’s nothing more fulfilling than bringing your visions to life. The feedback that I receive truly keeps me going. I formed an LLC named after my grandmothers, and nothing makes me more proud than having a brand with their names on it. Vintage Goddess represents all of the dreams of my ancestors that they were unable to bring to life.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Most people don’t realize how much art they consume. From the couch you are sitting on to the car you drive, someone took their creative vision, engineered it, and turned it into something tangible. Even our homes were once sketches in an architect’s book. I often ask myself what would the world look like if all of the artists decided to stop creating. Society seems to have a one dimensional view of artistry. Unless you have reached a celebrity level, society views the arts as something that should be readily available and freely consumed. Somehow being a starving artist has become something that is seen as a badge of honor, when in actuality no artist should have to struggle. We work so hard. We deserve to be fairly compensated for our work. I often feel asking to be fairly compensated makes me appear to be ungrateful for the opportunity. Actors are often apprehensive when it comes to advocating for themselves out of fear of retaliation. I am not totally against taking jobs for free. I’ve gained many opportunities by just being in the room and networking, but there comes a point where you just can’t afford to do things for free, and out of respect for yourself and your craft, you shouldn’t. In order to have a thriving creative ecosystem, our society must understand that artists deserve fair compensation and treatment. Performance spaces must be devoted to diversity and inclusion, and actively working to dismantle the systematic racism and oppression that is inherently woven throughout our society. We deserve safe workspaces where power dynamics are neutralized, and where we are safe and adequately supported. The rehearsal process is greuling. We work long hours. We deserve equal opportunity. Lead roles for BIPOC are hard to come by, and non-traditional casting is rare. This often causes people of color to leave the profession because work is not sustainable.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I come from a musical, artistic family, but no one influenced me more than my sister. She formed a group with my cousins. During the summer, we would all sing and dance and learn choreography from our favorite music videos. I was the little kid pestering them all the time. Because I was so young, no one paid me much attention or thought that I could be useful. One day someone was missing and they asked me to step in and sing harmonies for a song they were working on. I was nine years old. At that moment, I realized how much I loved to sing. Once I decided I wanted to pursue a career in the music industry, she was a driving force behind my music career. When my sister died in 2006, I stopped everything. I couldn’t bring myself to write, sing, or even step into a studio. The pain was just too much. She was my biggest fan and my biggest support system. At the time, I was majoring in music. I ultimately took a break from college because I just could not focus. To be honest, I didn’t want anything to do with music anymore, but your gift has a tendency to chase you no matter how much you run. I spent roughly ten years working in a corporate environment attempting to be what I defined as normal. I was determined to climb the corporate ladder, but I was miserable and unfulfilled. Once I acknowledged this, there was no turning back. I saw an ad for a mentorship that was looking for new local talent. I submitted my music and was admitted to the program. I fell in love with music all over again. I started writing, producing, and recording again. During that time, I met my dear friend Claire Kolheim who was, at the time, a company member at Playhouse on The Square. One day she called and told me they were having auditions. I had never been in a theatre production a day in my life. She encouraged me to audition, and soon I found myself in my first professional show. My life took another unexpected shift. My destiny caught up with me, and I couldn’t no longer deny it. My sister loved the theatre. I wish she could see me now. She would most definitely be proud.

Contact Info:

• Website: VintageGoddessDesign.etsy.com
• Instagram: I_am_samanthalynn
• Facebook: Samantha Lynn
• Other: TikTok @i_am_samanthalynn

Image Credits
Willy Bearden, Bill Simmers Playhouse on the Square, Samantha Miller