Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Thea Kegler. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Thea, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

In some way or another, I always expected I would have a creative career, but I’ve had a pretty winding path to where I am now. My background, from childhood through college, is in the arts; I grew up in a family of artists, so creativity, craft, and art practices were always an integrated part of life. But it took a long time for this to translate to a profession for me, and there was a chunk of years when I followed other interests – interests that seemed more practical for making a living – and I went into the mental health field. But, despite it being a genuine passion of mine, it never felt like the right fit professionally, and I was already starting to reevaluate several years ago when the pandemic hit. 

During covid, with the future so uncertain, and life turned upside down, some of the self-imposed constraints around what I could strive for and prioritize in life fell off. I let myself think more about what would make me happy, now, rather than sacrificing the present for an unguaranteed future. What would I be excited and energized by, if I let go of the constructed notion of what being valuable, and of service to society, can look like? The work I was doing at the time, as a social worker, was emotionally taxing in a way that didn’t feel sustainable – and I admitted that I missed working creatively. At the same time, living in Los Angeles was naturally drawing back the curtain on the inner workings of the film industry, (an art form that had always felt mysterious and out of reach) and I started to learn what the different jobs were, and meet people who were doing those jobs. I guess I would say that this was when I started to think more explicitly and realistically about having a creative career – when I saw how possible it is, and at the same time allowed myself to want it. 

Thea, 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 work as a production designer, set builder, and in almost any role in the art department of film production. This means I’m part of the team that creates the physical world of the film. The details of the actual work look different in every project, but it always involves deep diving into the script and characters through exploratory conversations with directors and producers, researching the historical and cultural settings, and strategizing the best way to build or source the spaces and objects. It’s important to deeply understand the characters and story before anything, so that we can make choices about each character’s environments and props that, when done well, represent and add dimensionality to who they are, their state of mind, their phase of life, their priorities and motivations. 

On a more practical level, creating sets involves an eye for spatial design, color theory, an ability to sketch and convey ideas and plans visually, and other fundamentals of visual arts. This aspect goes alongside construction and fabrication – skills I learned over the years helping my parents to rehab old homes on the east coast. From building walls, to sewing curtains or crafting custom props, the art team has to be flexible and well resourced to problem-solve as production gets underway, and find creative ways to deliver what’s needed to support the story, all while working within an always unique set of parameters, balancing time, budget, resources, the requirements of the script and the desires of the director. It’s a collaborative job, which I love, both within the art team and between departments. I also love the way each project is different and presents new challenges and opportunities. Each project takes me down different research rabbit holes, to different corners of the city searching for specific props or set decoration, meeting new people who lead me in directions I would not have been able to guess I’d go. And although my big picture goal is to work primarily as a PD, I love having the flexibility to take on different roles, gaining experience and confidence in each, from set decoration to props, construction, and assisting.

Working in film fulfills and combines so many of the things I have always been passionate about and have practiced in other contexts – at its most fundamental: aesthetics, tactile craft, and storytelling.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

As a person with chronic health issues, I have always struggled to keep up, and to accomplish the things I wish I could. My path feels slower than my peers, and I dedicate a lot of energy to maintaining my health in various ways – both physical and emotional. So if I had looked critically at the film industry and thought about whether the lifestyle – notoriously long grueling days, high stress, and an industry culture that normalizes abusive working conditions – was a good fit for me, I never would have done it. But because I started in a low-pressure way, where I was just trying it out and seeing how it went, and because I went in relatively naively without knowing what I was really getting myself into, I found out what I was capable of. Time after time, I have found myself in harrowing situations, and been surprised to see that I am able to rise to the occasion and pull it off – and even enjoy the challenge. That’s its own kind of reward and motivation. I have learned that when I’m doing something I love, my resilience and stamina are far greater than I had thought. And I think that a big part of my motivation in those moments comes from the collaborative nature of the work – I’m not in it alone, and at the same time there are people relying on me to make things happen.

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

The film industry is currently in the midst of a historical strike, seeking to secure fair contracts for both the writers’ and actors’ unions. The unions are fighting for fair compensation and various employment protections for their members – the creatives and artists who make the content that generates extreme wealth for the executives at the top. Supporting and strengthening unions is one big way that society can support artists (and workers of all kinds), so that we can afford to do the work we do, and have a sustainable and healthy lifestyle. There is a strange societal perception that artists who love what they do should do it regardless of compensation. But without getting paid, getting health insurance and benefits, job security and protections against exploitation, there is no way that they can thrive and continue to do their work.

Contact Info:

• Website: theakegler.com

Image credits
1) Headshot – no credit
2) B&W photo – Jamie Hurtarte
3) photo with typewriter – Cassie Fuertez
4) in front of mirror – Andrew Nibbi