Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Elliott Mickle.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve always had this blossoming love story with the arts. Both of my parents were incredible sketch artists but circumstances didn’t allow them to pursue their passions to their fullest potential. So you can say artistry is embedded in my DNA. From dance to poetry, music, singing, illustrating, I found ways to express myself through these creative outlets.
I believe my gravitation towards this form of artistry was encouraged through the insecurities I experienced as a maturing adolescent. It allowed me to step outside of my own circumstances and temporarily live the life of someone else. After taking a summer job as a counselor at a performance art camp my curiosity was ignited. Shortly after I entering my last year of high school, I was approached by one of favorite teachers, Mr. Burton who thought I might be a great fit for the performance program he was initiating. I stepped onto that stage as Lady in Blue from Colored Girls by Ntozake Shange and the rest is history. I was accepted to several universities but Grambling State University ultimately became my new home.
The universe continued to carve out this unforeseen path right before my eyes. Denzel Washington brought “The Great Debaters” to Louisiana and Ms. Maroney was tasked in choreographing a dance number for one of the scenes in the movie. She scooped me up as I had studied with her when I first arrived at Grambling but ultimately had to choose between acting or dancing/movement because they both required rigorous hours that I could not provide equal attention to both. There I was rehearsing, performing in front of Denzel Washington, Jurnee Smollett, Nate Parker, Jermaine Williams! My heart was so full. Again, with footsteps guided I made my way to audition for AMDA. I was accepted but the balance of being a responsible adult and devoting all my time towards my career proved to be difficult. I made the decision to take a different route but I just couldn’t let go of acting, so I relocated to California. The unknown can be so invigorating! I didn’t know what would transpire, but I knew I wanted it; bad. I made my way to sunny Los Angeles with a hope and a dream and when I look back at my journey thus far, I am grateful and proud. Ultimately, I have done what was intended, and now I’m just excited to explore beyond what I even thought was possible.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Stepping out of my comfort zone and into what felt like this open void, obstacles piled up quite a bit. One of the most significant lessons in my journey is truly understanding the value of trust. Whether it’s trusting in this process, relationships, or even myself, they’re all equally important. For some it seems as though their success is overnight, but for others like myself you look up and realize you’ve given a decade. Although I still struggle with this, I continue to work on creating ways to cope when it seems stagnant and at a standstill. Bookings don’t necessarily solidify I’m unworthy or incapable but that the opportunities specifically crafted for me have yet to be birthed. It also serves as a means of inspiration to create more of my own work. As far as relationships, I’ve grasped that I prefer to cultivate my association with individuals who see me not only for the potential monetary opportunities but beyond that. I overstand the concept of working with positive, easy going personalities, trustworthy, good-hearted folks verses the “divas.” The ultimate battle has always been self. Always questioning if the choices I’m making are “the right one.” Let the peanut gallery tell it I can be very indecisive, so it’s easy for me to believe I could have always done something different, said a line better, or gave a different expression. Through consistency in self-development and experience, this has become less of a challenge.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
As an entertainer, I felt limited when referring to myself as just an actress, a writer, or whatever form of expression I was experimenting with at any given time. Art is such a vast exploration of expression so as an ARTIST, I’ve been afforded many opportunities from stage, film to TV. Theater birthed and raised me. Working with peers such as Tai French a prodigious playwright, author, and screenwriter known for her witty ingenious storytelling abilities in a plethora of stage productions from Pound Cake, Please Don’t Feed the Mannequins, and Hurt People Hurt People. To the likes of seasoned writer/director Don B. Welch in A Lady in Waiting and Life Stories. I believe my first love will always be the stage but when I ventured to California, my sights were set for the big screen. Breaking into television, I never imagined I would book my first job with an artist directly connected to one of my favorite shows of all time, “Martin.” Working on Bentley Kyle Evans show “Family Time” was my stepping stone on what was soon to come. Soon after co-star roles on “The Guestbook” on TBS and “Ghosted” on Fox with Craig Robinson and Adam Scott set the foundation for my onscreen career.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
The old saying, “No risk, no reward,” probably rings true for most but I have an incredibly difficult time living in this reality. The riskiest move I’ve made was taking a chance on myself and relocating to the West Coast after graduating college. I blame the young and dumb mentality because the only thing I knew was I wanted to live out this dream but had no real direction or idea of how to obtain it. On the other hand, I am grateful for that moment of freedom in my life where my mind wasn’t polluted by my experiences. Every now and again I have the “F it, I’m jumping” type of mood but aiming to for this to be a more permanent state of being.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artistelasicaredd/
- Carol Morris: Management: [email protected]
- Amy Lord: Eris Talent Agency: [email protected]
Image Credits:
Tarra Jefferson w/ Tarra Jerfferson Photography Jesse Saler w/ Saler Photography Shoniece Love
