Meet Holly Monks | Actor & Singer-Songwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Holly Monks and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Holly, what habits do you feel play an important role in your life?
I try to do at least one thing every day that feels like a step towards my goals. I never want to feel disempowered or overwhelmed when opportunities do pop up because I haven’t been working on my craft.

Daily things like listening to relevant podcasts, reading production announcements, watching new work, and making sure my materials are up to date, all those habits can feel small at the time but I do believe they add up. It’s also important to me to be intentional with taking care of my physical and mental health, and with consuming or making art – whether it be sitting down with my guitar, reading a book, listening to a new album, or painting, it puts me in a much more open space to be creative when I make the time to nurture those habits daily.

Keeping up my routine, as well as being in class regularly, it means I feel a lot more confident and ready to go when an audition comes through because I’ve been working that muscle consistently. They’re also all things I can do for myself, so it’s a nice reminder that we do have agency over our own careers, and that the little successes can be celebrated just as much as the big ones.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m an actor, and a singer-songwriter. (I also love painting, but that’s a side hobby for another day).

I recently wrapped my time on an Australian series called ‘Flunk’, which I’m really proud of. It was my very first paid acting gig, and I ended up working on that show for three years as a series regular, so I feel very lucky for that. Being an indie production, we really had to make the most of our days so we would often shoot new scenes on the fly and everyone was so efficient with getting the shots before we lost daylight. I learnt so much about being on set, and about my own process, but also how to handle a super fast-paced environment and understand that actors are just one cog in the machine. I can also learn lines crazy fast now, which is such a useful skill. It’s wonderful that I got to have that experience and work all of those things out on a series that’s so well-loved by its fans. I also have a big soft spot for romance and teen drama as a genre, so I love that my character got her fairytale ending as the show wrapped up that era of characters as they graduated from high school. I’ll always be thankful for that experience.

I’m also currently working on my debut EP, which I’m incredibly proud of. It’s totally different from acting, where even though I’m giving my interpretation of a character, it’s also part of my job to understand and deliver the vision of the writer and the director. Working on my own music, where every lyric and melody is entirely my own that I scribbled down in a notebook with my guitar or at a piano, is so freeing but also absolutely terrifying. I’d dabbled in writing for a long time privately, and then lockdown gave me the opportunity to really work on my instruments. It wasn’t until a year later I met my friend, Emily, on the set of ‘Flunk’ when we were chatting about music and she encouraged me to share my songs, so I’m incredibly grateful to her for pushing me out of my comfort zone. Creatively, it’s been so energising and rewarding and I can’t wait for people to hear what I’ve got to share. If even one person can relate, or enjoys it, I’ll be over the moon.

I think what sets me apart from others is my desire to just learn and absorb as much as I possibly can. I love the intertextuality of modern media because we have so much available now to draw from and enrich our stories. I just find it so satisfying to completely dive in and immerse myself in as much research and related art as I can. Reading books, news articles, watching other movies in the same genre, creating playlists of different songs that make me feel connected to the character, all of that brings me so much joy. I think the more knowledge we hold as people and the more we get to know ourselves, the more evolved we become creatively, and vice versa, so I’m always seeking out new things to learn and enjoy.

The biggest challenge for me on a practical level was probably that I moved around so much growing up. I went to four high schools and moved interstate twice, so it wasn’t until around the age of sixteen when I actually settled and found a creative community that I thought, “Oh wait, people can do this as a career!”. I could never decide what I wanted to do growing up because I loved learning new things at school, and every time I would watch a new tv show or movie I just wanted to do whatever the character’s occupation was. I was also so sensitive, even as a kid I was so moved by theatre, film and music. As soon as I figured out I actually just wanted to explore all those different facets of myself, and hopefully inspire others to feel all the things I was feeling, everything made a whole lot more sense and I became really committed to pursuing acting.

Mentally, I think the biggest challenge for creatives is always the belief (or lack thereof) that we can do this. As artists, it takes a lot of courage to show up honestly as ourselves and trust that it’s enough. It’s the biggest, longest lesson we can learn, and it’s something I think a lot of people can relate to. I don’t know if I could even begin to explain how I’ve made steps to overcome that fear. It’s a process!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I have to admit I’m quite a homebody so I probably don’t have very trendy recommendations! I love the Dandenong Ranges – Olinda especially which is up the mountains. I love small towns with just a few cafes, a really good antique shop and a beautiful view. I’d take them there, and also to Lorne for an Italian meal at Totti’s with a beach view, and a hike around Erskine Falls the next day. For a taste of the city of Melbourne, I’d take them to see some theatre in our East End theatre district for sure, and the authentic experience isn’t complete without rushing to get dinner and a cocktail at the closest restaurant before the show starts.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My big sister! She’s the best. Her name is Lauren Draper, she’s an author, and her second book is coming out really soon which is called ‘Return to Sender’. We’ve always been each other’s biggest cheerleaders, and I owe a lot of my success to the fact that she’s always been so supportive and encouraging. When we were little, she would oblige to my putting on plays in the living room and she’d write me stories, so the signs were really there from day one. Plus, I got to read her new book in lockdown when it was still a draft on her laptop, and it made me feel such a full spectrum of emotions in a time that felt so dreary. It was such a lovely reminder of all the things that keep me inspired to put art out into the world.

Instagram: @hollyemmamonks

Image Credits
Rachael Michelle, Melanie Rowland, Ric Forster, Lauren Draper, Emily Mutimer