Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Stefanie Butler. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Stefanie , appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
The whole reason I became a storyteller was to come together with other likeminded artists to work on meaningful projects that would touch others in a way that only storytelling can do. I’ve been fortunate enough to work on a number of meaningful projects in my career, but most recently I was able to bring to life one of my own stories. One that I wrote, directed and produced. It’s a story that means a lot to me and I was able to work with some of my favorite filmmakers on the project, I was fortunate to get an incredible cast, and we shot it in one of my favorite locations in Northern California. It’s a story about a woman who feels trapped by her own choices, and when she meets a young traveler unexpectedly, he presents her with an opportunity that could change the course of her life forever. That’s what stories can do for us and that’s why I feel so lucky that I get to do this for my job.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I am an actor, writer, director and producer. Before I got into the business as a professional actor, where I earned my SAG card and became a member of the union, I studied acting at Pepperdine University. I always find that those who come from a theater background have a different work ethic and have learned the craft of acting on a deeper level than those who didn’t go to drama school. I am so grateful for that foundation because it taught me that doing the work and having the stamina and longevity for the love of the craft was the thing that would sustain me; not the desire for the money or the fame. It really set me up for success in this business, which can often feel like a tough journey, and how to keep the perspective on doing the work for the love of storytelling above all else.
Following graduation, I was fortunate to land an agent straight out of school and started booking commercials, tv shows, and eventually independent films as an actress. Acting will always be my first love and is definitely the thing I am still pursuing day-to-day, but I also found that being an actor could be limiting as a storyteller in some ways, because you’re really just a conduit for telling the story, but you don’t have as much say or control over the foundation of the story, the characters, the overall vision, or how it’s going to be presented to the world. That’s why I started writing, directing, and producing. To have more of a voice and to shape the stories I was telling rather than just playing a small role within those stories. It’s definitely a lot more work and I’ve had to learn so many different skills in that process, but they have been so rewarding and each of those roles have allowed me to flourish in new ways and grow as a creative all around, which I am so grateful for.
One of the things that I love the most about being a filmmaker are the people I am so lucky to call friends and the ones I choose to surround myself with and collaborate with. First off, my sister is my producing partner, also an actress, and one of my best friends and we work really well together. We are like a well-oiled machine that is totally in sync with one another and are on the same wavelength and although we don’t always agree on things, we each appreciate that we can bring different strengths to the table as individuals. And the other filmmakers we choose to surround ourselves with and continue to work on projects with time and time again all have similar traits that we look for: hard-working, kind, empathetic, inclusive, masters at their craft – I mean really talented people – and are collaborative people we genuinely enjoy being around.
One of the things I feel most proud of is when people come to me and tell me that they really connected with a character I played, or a script I wrote or that something I was a part of deeply affected them or touched them or made them laugh. When I get that kind of response or feedback, I always feel like I did my job well.
My faith plays a huge role in my life and it’s something I deeply care about infusing into my work, but maybe not always in the most obvious of ways. Again, telling stories that are meaningful and that matter on a deep level, with important messages that remind people of who they are, where they come from, why they are loved and significant and important and that they are created with and for a purpose. Those are the ones that truly touch my heart.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
Absolutely – I’ve had to pivot a number of times in both my career and my life this is what I want people to hear and really understand. Pivoting is not failure. It is not a set-back. It is not giving up. It is not going to keep you from your dream. I had been acting for years and was going through some things in my personal life and I needed a solid consistent job. But rather than get a job doing something outside of my career field, I thought, is there a way I can pivot just a degree or two to the left within my field to get a steady paycheck, while still auditioning, and learning further skills as a filmmaker? So I did. I worked as a coordinator at a post-production house and learned that side of the business. Then I took a job in development so I could be writing, learning the development process of which films do and don’t get made and growing by being around other directors and producers. Then I funded and wrote, produced, and directed my own short film, so I’d learn those skills and have a calling card as a writer/director all will the hopes of each of these things leading to more work and more future opportunities. If we can start seeing pivots in life, be it your career or personal life as opportunities to become better with our skills, then we’ll never see those pivots as failures or giving up but rather opportunities to continue to grow and push us closer to our goals.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
I think it’s vitally important to not look down on creatives or those who choose an artistic life as something that is less than a 9-5 job or what others would consider a “normal job.” What does that even mean?
When people ask an artist or creative person when they’re going to get a “real job” or that if their dream is not working out, how much time are they going to give it before they “give up” and move on, that can be so damaging. Like there is some kind of timeline.
I think supporting artists looks like asking them what they love most about living a creative life, how it’s fulfilling them, what ignites their artistic spirit, how you can support them as a friend and am someone who believes in them, actually doing just that – believing in them and telling them that – and recognizing the value that artists have and bring to the world. We’re not brain or heart surgeons, but we certainly are artists that make people use their brain to think about things in a new way or use their hearts to feel things that they couldn’t any other way.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://stefaniebutler.com
- Instagram: @stefbutler52
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stefanie.butler.54?mibextid=eQY6cl
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/me?trk=p_mwlite_feed_updates-secondary_nav
- Twitter: @realStefButler
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@stefaniebutler?si=lVGN8r2EE8jBnlFb
- Other: IMDB: https://imdb.me/stefaniebutler Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/stefaniebutler Courage Braveheart Blog: https://couragebraveheart.com
Image Credits
Aña Monique