We had the good fortune of connecting with Kate Szekely and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Kate, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
I used to be completely terrible at work life balance. Like, I’d be out the door at 6AM and back in at 11PM and that was my schedule for almost a decade. Mostly, I was in survival mode, needing to scrape together a living from all of the odd jobs I had, to attempt to build a career in acting and producing. The problem was, I was so caught up in rushing from job to job (I taught yoga and personal training group and private classes) that I actually didn’t really have much time for the stuff I was passionate about. Not to mention spending time with my partner (now husband). We only saw each other on Saturday afternoons…and we lived together!
But COVID brought an abrupt stop to that. Essentially all of the yoga studios closed, all of my private students moved away and there was little-to-no theater or film production happening. I had to stop. But, the beautiful thing about that period of time was that it granted me the space to re-prioritize my life. Suddenly, my husband and I were having dinner together every night. I was able to start up my own virtual yoga and personal training business in which I could set my own hours and rates, earning me the money with less effort. My husband and I decided we needed more trees and more family in our lives, so we moved from New York City (after 12 years) down to Florida, where we now live a much more relaxed, nurturing life. And, now I have the resources and head space to act and produce as my career, rather than a wishful pursuit. What do ya know…when I stopped spinning my wheels, adopting a workaholic lifestyle for the sake of remaining busy, I actually was able to have a life AND partake in the work I love.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
There are two things that keep me afloat in an industry where it feels like, most times, you are just trying to keep your head above the water. The first is my support system. Not everyone is as lucky as I am to have family and friends that say, “go for it,” and have my back, should anything happen. The second is that I have a daily practice of self-study and development. My emotions and thoughts can be volatile, so I have to have practices that bring me out of my tendencies to identify with and obsess over those feelings, thoughts and situations. On an almost-daily basis, I practice meditation, breathwork, Brazilian jiu jitsu, I walk, I knit, I play ukulele, I journal. Essentially, I work on craft-based practices to draw my focus away from end results and onto process.
And that is where the art begins, for me. I prioritize presence, deep listening, and archetypal awareness in my work, so I have to have those life practices and rituals come first before the soil is fertile enough for me to be creative. I suppose I would like the audience to see that present moment honesty in what I do. I feel like, if I am being real, and am fully alive and embodied within the world of the film or play, then the audience gets permission to be real and alive in the receiving of that story. And the story always comes first.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh, we are going outside, for sure. I live near these incredible natural springs, where the water is crystal clear and so pure. I like to kayak or paddle there, just soaking up the splendor of nature. There are also a lot of great hiking trails by me, so I’d add that to the list. I mean, you also can’t go wrong with Florida beaches or laying out poolside with a good book. And in the evenings, I’d sit out, dockside, at a local seafood restaurant, watching the sun set behind the silhouette of a palm tree and into the endless horizon of the ocean. That’s real bliss, there.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My husband, Harry. I know people say this all the time, but I actually couldn’t do what I do without him. If there is something I’m passionate about, he is the first to tell me to go for it. If there is a project that I’m unsure about investing myself in, he reminds me to trust my gut and follow my intuition. He is my reader for pretty much every self tape audition I have. Harry is also a creative himself (we did meet in acting school, after all), and has taught me more about film theory and appreciation than any class or professor could have. He also is the best audience member in the room and I recommend hiring him if you need a hype man. Bottom line: he’s my best friend, the love of my life and a generous, playful soul that inspires me every day.
Website: kateszekely.com
Instagram: @officialkateszekely
Other: IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6287624/
Image Credits
Samantha Szekely Scott Dentinger Harry Perales Jr