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

Serena, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

Being a creative is not easy. Especially if you intend to make a living out of it. I’ve had mentor after mentor explain the difficulty of making a living in the “business”, but I also thought that if I just stuck it out, kept studying, and put myself out there, things would fall into place with patience. After being a union actress for over 11 years, being a performer since the age of 2, and training with some of the best people in the business, I am still unable to pay any bills from performing arts work, and I now understand the full meaning of “don’t do it unless you love it”. I share this not as a ‘Negative Nelly’, but because I think there is a great deal of shame and secrecy around this topic and I think it’s important to speak openly about it.

As someone born and raised in southern California, I was indoctrinated into the Hollywood world of glamour and success early on. I was told to put my head down and work, but the subconscious messages were coming through that I needed to have something to show for it. I needed to have bragging rights, and above all, I needed to become one of the few who could “make it” in this town. My coaches would drill into me that working a “9-5” was death, and working in a cubicle, or raising a family and taking them to soccer practice, was shameful. I am amazed at how much of their toxic work ethic I automatically accepted. But then again, I was a child.

I can honestly say that I am the happiest I have ever been right now. At this point in time, I have shifted my self-worth from proving myself to an industry that doesn’t play fair, to a life of peace and meaning. I still audition, take classes here and there, and stay connected to my fellow artists, but I have made a lot of changes to steer my focus away from art too. I moved out of Los Angeles and into a town that feels safe, clean, and family-oriented. I met the love of my life and am focusing on preparing for a wedding. I am enjoying the simple pleasures of spending time with family, being outdoors, and traveling whenever I can. Because I was so invested in performing at a young age, I missed out on a lot of “normal” activities, and I am very much enjoying getting to experience them now.

So to answer your question, I am happy as an artist. I am happy because I don’t have the pressures that I had before. I have been massively disappointed by an industry that cannot put food on my table, but because of that, I have made different choices that led me to a more peaceful life. And now that I am more relaxed and detached, I can enjoy any performance work because it is merely a “bonus” to my life, rather than a reliance.

Serena, 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 was raised in Southern California where I started performing at the age of two. After extensive training in dance and acting, I decided it was time to get a degree, so I obtained my B.F.A. from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in Los Angeles and New York.
My work expands film, web, television, and theater. My most notable roles include various episodes of the hit YouTube series “Dhar Mann”, with each episode reaching millions of viewers. I am also seen in horror films, commercials, and as a live shopping TikTok host.

In my spare time, I enjoy taking classes in dance, fitness, stage combat, and aerial arts. Learning new things can be equally exciting and scary, but that’s what makes life awesome!

Thank you for taking the time to get to know me and my work.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn how to “work hard”. It might sound strange but I became a “productivity addict”. I carried around goal sheets, to-do lists, and agendas, and studied anything I heard others talk about. I would pride myself on my work ethic, staying up late, reading, practicing music, and over-rehearsing my scenes. I would be devastated when time and time again, this overwork did not pay off. I wouldn’t book the audition, I wouldn’t receive high praise in class, and opportunities were far and few between. I exhausted myself and started to feel like “What was the point?”. It took seeing those around me succeed with less stress, and also countless conversations with trusted confidants, to believe that the solution was to do less and let go. Obsessing over my goals sheet wasn’t bringing me any closer. Rather it was following my joy, and living presently that not only satisfied me but inspired my work and became magnetic to those around me. It’s something I still have to remind myself of and continue to practice, but I’ve come such a long way and I don’t think it’s something that is often discussed.

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

This is a complicated question without a simple solution, however, I do have a few opinions on the matter. I think that more grace could be extended to those in the creative realm.

When it comes to celebrities, the public feasts on their pain and heavily criticizes them without any idea of what life is actually like day to day. We have seen countless documentaries about the tragedies of famous icons, and yet when a headline is posted, or an Instagram image is shared, we still tear these people apart. Child stars and children of stars are traumatized at a young age and we allow it because the stars “knew what they were getting into”. I think as a society we are beyond this and now know better, so we must be more empathetic.

For the everyday artists, the ones who are not famous but enjoy what they do and pursue a career honestly, not enough credit is given. As an example, actors will pay hundreds to thousands of dollars a year to get headshots, take classes, sign up for audition sites, buy audition equipment, purchase their own wardrobe/hair and makeup, create websites, get degrees, and enroll in showcases to be seen by the people who make the decisions. All of this overhead cost is met with minimum wage (or no pay) roles, and non-union parts for the majority of the actors out there. Also to consider is the time commitment. Going to classes, and sending in three auditions a day, after completing a full day’s worth of work is exhausting. In most other professions, this level of commitment would be met with a stable job with benefits and an upward trajectory. I think to some degree, if the public had more insight into the time and monetary commitments given by everyday artists, there would be greater respect. However, I have also found this not to be the case.

There have been many non-artists who have challenged me by insisting that acting is a ‘privilege’ and I should either accept the lifestyle of struggle or quit for a ‘regular job’. I think this idea of constantly being grateful for any ounce of opportunity turns toxic. There is a great web series by Allison Stoner, a former Disney star, which discusses how the desperation of artists gets turned against them. They get taken advantage of in many ways. I think the real change needs to come from how we treat and respect our artists starting from the higher levels. As is seen with the union strikes, the companies/executives/producers need to ensure fair pay, treatment, and overall respect for the artists they employ. This includes audition pay, transparency, and better opportunities.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.serenakashmir.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/serenakashmir/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrP1J5L_8kVaqcr4Hlfna5g

Image Credits
Chris Jon Dhar Mann