Today we’d like to introduce you to Claire Woolner.
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?
From childhood musical star (in my bedroom) to on-stage idiot, theater owner, and filmmaker, I always have been and still am constantly creating–my medium changes but my search for (I’m not sure what) is endless.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No! I have been so depressed at times, so happy at others, so unsure about what I want to do and how to do it. If I’m in my head or thinking for too long about anything but where I am in the moment and what I’m making, it becomes pretty dark. Community is super important to me–by which I mean, the people I’m creating with at the time. And my meds are good right now! (Wellbutrin and Cymbalta as well as my standard poodle and the film I just made and the solo show I’m creating and my nice/hot husband and good friends and new theater. and walks.)
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am an actor and performer; best known for the intensity I bring to the screen and stage. I care so much about what I do, about questioning the status quo, and about searching for poetry in everything. The thing I struggle with most is focusing on one medium/project at a time. In my current developing of a live solo show (which I’ll shoot as a special), I am experimenting with smashing all my mediums into each other and seeing what comes out.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
My tenacity and courage have always kept and keep my going. There’s nothing else I want to do but perform and create, so even when it feels awful, or people don’t “get” what I’m doing, I know I won’t stop no matter what. The other night at a show I did a pretty weird and maybe provocative piece I’m trying out–a 51-year-old male comic came up to me and said “that will either make you famous in 3 weeks or it will take a long time” and I just thought “Ya, that isn’t really what this is about–when I start thinking of what the outcome will be of anything I do (meaning the response or if it will make me ‘famous’ and ‘how long that will take), I’m heading for a dark dark tunnel of despair and a big lack of inspiration. For me it’s knowing that I have to and want to keep moving, exploring, pushing myself—and for me, that is fun. It’s gotta stay fun.
Contact Info:
- Website: clairewool;ner.com
- Instagram: @clairewoolner
- Other: IG: @pda_space
Image Credits
Eric Kelly
Amanda Streets
