We’re looking forward to introducing you to Carole Gordon. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Carole, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned about your customers?
The most surprising thing I have learned about my customers is how quickly friendships are formed between students. Sharing the same passion, learning to be vulnerable and sharing emotions with fellow students in a safe environment creates relationships that could take years to establish outside of class. No matter the age, eighteen to eighty-plus, everyone is supportive, encouraging and like-minded. It is a joy to be a part of the class while working towards a common goal.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am fortunate to have the opportunity to share my experiences of having worked in theatre, commercials, television and film, both in front of and behind the cameras in Los Angeles and Tampa. I am a twenty-plus year member of SAG/AFTRA with over thirteen years of teaching in Tampa and Lakeland. My love of acting has stayed with me no matter what else I have done in my life. From working as a TWA Air hostess, back in the day when it was cool, and spending years in Commercial Real Estate, through marriage, single parenting, advocating for Child Support Enforcement to moving to California and back, the one constant in my life has been acting. I have experiences that resonate with my students and lets them know they are not alone in pursuing their dream.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
When I was studying and working in Los Angeles and trying to decide which direction to go, either: film, commercials, improv, or stand-up comedy, a friend told me I didn’t need to choose only one. She explained that I should think of each one like the ribs of an umbrella. All I needed to do was hold onto the handle. After I let out a sigh of relief, she said, “You have the soul of an artist.” It was at that moment that I understood why I didn’t always fit into the corporate world or a routine life. My Spirit needed to be fed in order for me to feel complete and at peace. From that day on, my focus has been on my creativity and passion. That is what I give to my students.
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
The power came when I realized that as an actor all the struggles, hurts, disappointments, worries, and fears and the emotions gained from them would become useful when I needed to create back stories and feelings for characters. I had a plethora of pent-up emotions just waiting for an opportunity to be released. I learned to bring up the memory, use the emotion and release it. I could control my emotions; they didn’t control me. It has been said that acting is cheap therapy. I believe it.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
I feel like at this stage of my life, I am pretty much the same, no matter where I am or who is with me. I have lived a life that has afforded me so many opportunities to experience personal and professional growth, to be surrounded by individuals from all walks of life, to travel, to experience loss and heartbreak, to appreciate the times of joy and success, to fight for what I believe to be true, to help others achieve their goals, to find my Spirituality, to enjoy my solitude and to be grateful for all of it.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
I understand that an attitude of gratitude goes a long way. Taking things for granted is not a guarantee that it will always be there. Relationships can be ended by a lack of gratitude. An unexpected compliment, praise for a job well done and a simple thank you, can brighten someone else’s day. and at the same time, bring a moment of joy to yourself. We need to become observant for those moments when we can acknowledge the good done by others and recognize. when we need to stand up, show up and speak up when they are being wrongfully attacked. Sitting idly by when others are being threatened or assuming there is nothing you can do, is wrong. Taking for granted that others will somehow make everything alright, is wishful thinking. We all have a role in the balance of the Universe. Whichever way you receive your guidance, receive it with gratitude and may you act upon it with confidence.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://CaroleGordonActingClass.com
- Linkedin: Carole Gordon
- Facebook: Carole Gordon Acting Class
- Yelp: Carole Gordon Acting Class
- Other: E-mail: CgordonLA@earthlink.net
Image Credits
Headshot by Photographer Ethan Kidd-Oyakhilome
