Meet Karin Hallén | Writer, director, model and actor

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

Hi Karin, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
I find the subject of risk very interesting, and I have a lot of thoughts on it.
Probably because risk-taking has been a huge part of my journey. It has been a red thread woven throughout my entire life.

I do think the act of becoming a creative in today’s world is a risk in itself. But I want to go deeper than that.

I think of risk-taking as a necessity for reinvention, and my life and entire career are built upon reinvention.

Starting off as someone who didn’t know what I wanted to do at an early age, risk-taking has been a necessary part of trial and error, searching for my truth and living purposefully.

While I took risks already in my childhood and youth, I think the “real” risk-taking began for me in my 20s.
After I graduated from Law School in my native Sweden, I knew that working as a lawyer was not in my heart. My true passion had always been the arts. I had chosen law because my mind told me to pick a sensible career. But I felt like a liar when I looked in the mirror.
I have always said, “Once you know, you have no excuse,” and this was one of those moments.
I took a huge risk and left Sweden, and a safe, well-paid career path for New York City to study acting at the Lee Strasberg Institute.

I took another risk when I later went to Tokyo for a year, performing improv and sketch comedy with a Canadian/US improv group. It made no sense on paper, but it was a deeply enriching experience that allowed me an immersion into a cultural society I would never have had otherwise, and which I can authentically draw from in my storytelling.

Both my NYC and Tokyo years were amazing times in my life. While I didn’t quite find my lane during these years, they brought me experiences I would never want to be without.

So did the risk I took when I after moving to L.A. – as the only western actor invited – said yes to an experimental, low-budget vampire film to be shot in Kenya with very little information in place before leaving. Some might have called it a stupid risk, and I was certainly warned by many, but I followed my intuition, which spoke so strongly that I knew in my gut I knew I had to do it. The incredible memories I have from this trip will always live within me with their magic. We slept in tents in the true wilderness (not safari areas), where wild giraffes walked past our campground like gentle, giant ghosts in the moonlight at night. It was so beautiful that tears streamed down my face the first time I saw it.

Anyway, back to the subject of taking risks. Even if I enjoyed acting, I always had this nagging feeling that it wasn’t quite my true passion, or at least not my only passion. So, I kept exploring.
At age 38 I decided to start playing the bass just for fun, never having played an instrument before. Out of the blue, I almost immediately got the chance to join the rock band ROTOR with musicians who had been playing for decades. This was a terrifying and exhilarating opportunity. It was not a calculated risk; this was a heck-why-not-risk. In some ways more a chance because I had nothing tangible to lose, but also a risk, because it came with the huge risk of making a complete fool of myself in front of an audience. I took it. I have rarely been more nervous than I was when after only a couple of months, I had my first gigs on Sunset Strip at clubs like The Roxy and the Viper Room etc. But I loved it! We played all over L.A. for a few years, and it’s one of the most fun things I’ve ever done. I found a camaraderie in music and the band culture that I had been missing and longing for since my youth, when I played a lot of team sports. That sense of team, community and working towards the same goal, and where the sum of all is greater than the individual, is something I really value and find fulfilment through.

Another risk-taking opportunity appeared around the same time when I got the opportunity to be on a reality TV show. It was a model show called She’s Got The Look, much like America’s Next Top Model for women over 35. It was incredibly scary for me. Even though I felt at ease in front of the camera in an acting role, I was very uncomfortable at the thought of “just being me” on camera. But when I was selected from a pool of 25,000 contestants, I knew in my gut that I had to do it. The show was filmed in magical NYC – my favorite city in the world – and it was another experience that I will forever cherish as one of the most fun and enriching gifts of my life. I loved every moment. I ended up becoming the 1st runner-up up so I got to be part of all the episodes, and I met wonderful people I am still friends with today. I had none of the negative experiences related to reality TV at all. Everyone, all the contestants and everyone involved were just amazing.
This show launched a modelling career for me at an age when most models have put that career behind them. I have been lucky enough to work with highly creative, inspiring designers and photographers since then. I love modeling and the energy of the collaborative, intense focus of the team aiming to create that perfect moment together.

As you can probably tell by now, intuition has played a huge role in my risk taking. I am a big believer in – because it’s been proven to me – that our intuition often has more knowledge and wisdom than the rational mind.

That said, the rational mind being protective, fear-based, and practical has also always had a strong hold on me. It’s been a constant internal battle.
I am not one of those people who take risks lightly and assume it’s going to work out well, or don’t worry about the consequences. Quite the opposite, I often lie awake at night, anxiously asking myself, “why, oh, why did I say yes to this?”, wishing I didn’t want what I want so I could live an easier life.
I think a way to describe myself is: “I’m always afraid, but I do it anyway.”

In some instances, it has taken me years to gather the courage to take a risk. These are a different type of risks, not the ones you’re presented with and have to accept or deny in a snap moment. These are the risks of going for the dreams you harbor deep within your heart. The ones you sometimes don’t allow voicing even to yourself. The dreams that require you to risk your soul exposed.
I didn’t realize this about myself until after the fact, but for me, leaning into some of my true calling is something I only had the courage to do when it presented itself as a practical solution.
I had always loved writing and I remember when I was 7 years old and asked in school what I wanted to be when I grew up I said “author.”

Throughout my life, I had always written but rarely showed it to anyone.
After coming to L.A. I had fallen in love with screenwriting after studying it and working as a reader but I think this dream was so important to me that I didn’t dare to explore it professionally.
It felt more daunting and like a greater risk than anything else. Clearly, because it meant more to me, I realized that later on.

But when I suddenly found myself in a position where I needed location flexibility, writing appeared as a practical solution, a means to an end. Seeing it from this angle knocked it enough off the pedestal I had put it upon for me to go for it.
I wrote a spec script, which got me hired to write a feature for a production company. And from thereon, I have collaborated with many producers as a writer for hire in the US, Sweden and Germany.
I was also hired to write season 2 of a YA SciFi TV show for Swedish network TV.

When I started screenwriting, it was like everything fell into place. All the earlier risks of exploring, finding out, experiencing and eliminating had been leading up to this. I felt at home, it felt effortless, and like something I could do forever without ever getting bored. Something I felt grounded in.
It just took me a really long route to get there. I’m sure writing and sending out a script looks like the smallest risk of all of the ones I’ve mentioned to an outsider. But to me, it was the hardest one to find the courage for.

And in no way was my risk-taking over just because I found screenwriting.
I have recently stepped into directing, which I know that I want to do a lot more of.
When a band asked if I could help them make a music video, I took a calculated risk and said yes before feeling ready. I surrounded myself with a great team, and the band really liked the result. I realized that I love directing and ended up directing five videos that year for different artists, and they were all great experiences, both creatively and educationally. I also started creating different types of music videos for artists as a library footage content creator and some of those videos have had a million views.

My next upcoming “new risk” venture is co-directing a feature film this fall. While it is my first feature, it feels like a natural evolution of the path I am already on and less of a risk in some ways. However, anytime we put ourselves out there, there is risk involved. Risk of being seen, being judged, risk of letting collaborators you care about down, of being a failure… I think it is something all creatives, and actually all people who care deeply about what they do, feel.

I have found that risk to me means getting to know yourself by walking through your fears towards what lights your heart up. But the choices are often not in black and white, especially not at first. It’s shades of gray, and sometimes cloudy. It requires trust in opening the one door that lights up a little more than your present life, and having faith in the unknown behind it. And through every risk you take, you learn which ones are leading you down the path towards your truest self and which ones are the perceived risks you take to avoid leaning into the ones meant for you. The ones that will set you free by leading you toward your purpose.

On the note of the latter, I believe most of us at some point have engaged in some avoidance dressed up as risk.
Even if I didn’t realize it at the time I know now that I have taken several perceived risks that were not actual risks at all, just distractions, because I was afraid to look at the risks that I should have taken.
Maybe my career would have been where it is now many years earlier if I hadn’t succumbed to that at times.
But I don’t want to dwell on the delays I might have caused myself. Better late than never. And I think as long as we learn from our experiences, there is a reason for them. And every experience we live through can enrich our art and stories as creatives.

I don’t know what new risks the future will hold for me, but knowing myself by now,  I have a hunch they will keep appearing just as I start feeling comfortable. Caused by a nagging need for stretching into an expanded truth.

Maybe that’s what growth is all about. And to quote Lou Holtz, I too believe that; “You’re either growing or Dying…”  I’d rather grow.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As I mentioned, I’m co-directing a film this fall, which I’m also co-producing and it’s is currently in pre-production, so that’s keeping me very busy at the moment. I’m also developing two other projects with different production companies. Both are scripts I’ve written.

In addition, an increasing number of people have started seeking my mentoring and guidance, both professionally and personally. I didn’t necessarily plan to venture into this field, but people are reaching, and if I can help others navigate their journey to create with skill and live with courage and clarity, it feels right to do so.

Earlier when we talked, you also asked me what I’m proud of.  That’s such a great question, because as driven creatives with big visions, we often forget to stop and be proud of anything at all. Wherever we are is almost always far from our great vision, regardless of how far we’ve come.

So thank you for reminding me to stop and reflect on this question.

Well, as you can tell it took me a long, winding road to get to where I am today.
And I am proud of that I never stopped trying, that I didn’t give up on finding a way of creating and expressing that feels like authentically me. That I didn’t give in to fitting into a box and allowed myself to be a multi-creative. That I have kept going when it seemed impossible and paved ways where there were none.

I have had many moments when I felt like giving up. But somehow I always knew it wasn’t an option. If you are an artist, you die inside if you don’t create and don’t dream or don’t move towards the completion of a creative vision that keeps you up at night.
For me, having great friends around me who are fellow creatives has been incredibly helpful in overcoming challenging times. We help pull each other up when one of us feels down.
Ultimately, what always keeps me going is that I believe in the magic of stories and art. It always brings me back. It always lures me in. It makes me happy.

I think what sets me apart is my unique perspective gained from exploring many different hobbies and professions across five continents.

What I want the world to know about me:
When I was a young child, long before anyone talked about The Law of Attraction, I came up with my own motto: “Smile at the world and the world will smile at you.” This simple motto has stayed with me through life and is the lens through which I create.
I believe people are stronger and braver and better than they think, and I want to turn the mirror on people to see that and show it through my stories. No matter what genre or art form I’m working in, the human story is what I’m drawn to explore and hope to empower through.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Favorite spots.

Maybe because I am Swedish, I still really like the touristy spots of L.A. I have had many friends and family members visiting from overseas, and they love seeing the sights they’ve only seen in movies. So with the risk of sounding cliché, I would take them to some of these places. We would spend a day around Hollywood visiting The Griffith Observatory and Hollywood Blvd, because all my friends who have ever visited want a picture of themselves with their hand in a famous movie star’s handprint outside Mann’s Chinese. We might have lunch at Musso & Frank’s.

Since I love trees and hiking, I would bring them on an afternoon hike to Fryman rather than Runyon since it’s a little less busy and one of my favourite trees is at the top of Fryman. It’s amazing that you can take hikes in the middle of a city the size of L.A. at locations where you can’t see or hear cars at all.

I would take the visitors to spend a day at the beach in Malibu. We would go to Point Dume and park at the state beach and then hike up the hill and climb the stairs down to the “hidden” beach on the other side, which is much less crowded. In the late afternoon day we would go to “The Sunset” restaurant right on the beach at Point DuMe for Happy Hour. I love their Happy Hour – big shout out to them!!

We would spend one day shopping at the Farmer’s Market and visiting Beverly Hills.

Another day visiting Venice Beach and Santa Monica.

If we had the opportunity, I’d love to take them to a night at the Magic Castle.

I also love the Huntington Gardens, so we might go there.

If the visitors were older and remembered the TV show MASH, I would take them to Malibu Creek State Park in the Malibu Mountains, where it was filmed, and you can still find old Jeeps, etc.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have several shout outs.

The first one is my teacher from 4th through 6th grade in Sweden, Per Ove Lind. He encouraged reading, creative writing and storytelling and inspired us to use our imagination in so many ways. He inspired us to explore creatively with curiosity and without judgment. He also used characters and storytelling in teaching other subjects and opened our eyes to a world of creativity.

I also want to shout out to the entire City of L.A. and its creative energy. When I came to L.A. I felt a “yes-saying” creative optimism that I feel is unique for L.A. An energy that thrives on possibilities, where you feel free to dream and talk about visions, where you meet to talk about ideas rather than to gossip. This is a beautiful, vibrant quality of L.A. that I don’t think is mentioned enough. And it’s something I think it’s extra important to remember in challenging times.

I also really want to give a Shoutout to the trees of L.A.
I love trees and feel deeply connected to them. I feel that they have healing wisdom, patience and loving acceptance flowing through them which has helped me through difficult moments many, many times. I go for hikes several times a week to spend time among trees and I often just stand there and hug one for quite a while. Their grounded peacefulness and patient love flow through me and wash stress and worry away. My very favorite L.A. tree doesn’t live near a hiking trail. He stands at a residential street corner in North Hollywood. It’s hard to explain the depth of our connection. He is a soulmate. I make special trips to go visit him. I call him “Toothless Leaf-lush” because he has a face that looks like “Toothless” in “How to Train Your Dragon” and he is lush with leaves in the summer.

There are many books, novels as well as non-fiction that have given me inspiration, ideas, hope and encouragement.
Two non-fiction books that come to mind:

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
I keep going back to this book. It’s like a truth-telling friend who keeps me on track when needed.

The Creative Act by Rick Rubin
I love this book and its message. I often pick it up and read a page here and there, and whichever page I land on always resonates with essence. Like the title states; The Creative Act: A Way of Being.

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karin-hallen-0b05b111/

Image Credits
Charles Mitri René Salvador Christine Lunday Cesar Cuevas Ricardo Mora Octavio Carlin Angie Gray Andrew Asch”