Career Area: Leadership

  • Rae Weekes

    Rae Weekes

    “Pave your own path, make your own way, it can look anyway you want it to.”

    Rae Weekes is the Artistic Director at the Hearts Inclusive Arts Community in North Charleston, South Carolina.

    Interview

    Transcript

    Emma Plutnicki  00:00 

    Okay, so to start, what do you do for work and where are you currently working from? 

    Rae Weekes  00:06 

    I work for a nonprofit called Heart Inclusive Arts Community, and we are a visual and performing arts studio for adults with disabilities who want to grow as artists. And, I am currently working or, yeah, I’m currently working from my office that is in our studio building in North Charleston. 

    Emma Plutnicki  00:26 

    Amazing. And how long have you been working there?  

    Rae Weekes 00:29 

    I’ve been here since it started 10 years ago in 2014. 

    Emma Plutnicki  00:34 

    Wow. And what’s your official job title? 

    Rae Weekes 00:36 

    I am currently the artistic director. 

    Emma Plutnicki  00:39 

    Okay amazing. So, what is one thing that you love about working in South Carolina specifically? 

    Rae Weekes  00:48 

    I really don’t have any experience elsewhere. So, this is really, I’ve lived most of my life in South Carolina. I grew up in Greenville and then moved to Charleston for college, and then just have stayed here ever since, and Heart has kept me here. So, I mean, it’s, it just kind of is, I think we have a lot of opportunities here. I think what’s also special about our organization, specifically being here is that I think our state tends to lean in a direction that is not very supportive of who we work with and what we do and who we are. So, it feels good to be doing something that takes up space and lets our artists be seen in a different light.  

    Emma Plutnicki  01:39 

    Amazing. And how would you describe the local professional community in South Carolina? Are you able to collaborate with other groups? Or how’s the professional community?  

    Rae Weekes  01:50 

    Absolutely. I’d say within the creative community here, it’s pretty tight knit. We’re always trying to connect and figure out ways that we can collaborate together. I think at times, well, at times it can be, it can feel a little competitive, I guess, just because we’re all kind of trying to fight for our way to exist, but, but it all in all like we acknowledge that and realize that that’s not beneficial to anybody. And so yeah, we all try to work together as much as we can, and that opens up new opportunities that you wouldn’t really imagine or think of before, and also just kind of pulls from all different disciplines. 

    Emma Plutnicki  02:31 

    Yeah perfect. So you know, in a creative career, it can be kind of difficult to figure out what success looks like. So how do you define personal or professional success in your career. Do you have any metrics, or how do you kind of calculate that?  

    Rae Weekes  02:51 

    That’s a big question for me. I guess I would say social impact, community impact and those kinds of things, awareness. How many people can we affect? Are we changing things for the better? So I try to stay on that track, and that’s, I guess, kind of my focus for success. 

    Emma Plutnicki  03:14 

    Yeah, amazing. And did you have any fears when you were looking into a career in kind of off the beaten path, any careers that came up?  

    Rae Weekes  03:27 

    No I guess I’d say no for me personally, no, I think my parents did. I’m probably, like a lot of other folks in this field, was kind of the black sheep of the family. So was paving my own path. Was doing things that my parents didn’t really, I mean, I’m super grateful they were super, super supportive, but they were definitely nervous. And my dad gave me like a book when I was a senior in high school that said what to do with an arts major, and I probably thumbed through it once or twice. It’s like, well, I don’t know. I’m probably not going to follow any one specific path. And I didn’t. Here I am. 

    Emma Plutnicki  04:11 

    Yeah there you go. And along the way, throughout your career, and when you were looking into this career, was there any advice that you were given along the way, good or bad, either from family or mentors or anything that stuck with you? 

    Rae Weekes  04:27 

    I can’t, I guess I can’t really say any one thing that sticks out, I think, kind of at large it was to pave your own path, make your own way, and that can, that can look any way you want it to. And yeah, I think that was just comforting to be able to hear that, especially from somebody who’s older, and it wasn’t any one person that said that. It was kind of like, once I got into this field and into the arts, it was kind of like a, surrounding advice from mentors within the community, teachers… 

    Emma Plutnicki  05:07 

    Yeah that makes sense. So now, on a typical day-to-day basis, what does your work look like? What’s expected of you on a daily basis? What kind of tasks do you get into? What does your day look like? 

    Rae Weekes  05:20 

    It can differ from day to day, which is something that I really enjoy about what we do. So, I guess a typical day we would come in, everybody, all of our artists would, well, let me backtrack a little bit. So, our artists are only in our studio two days a week. The other two days we do all of the behind the scenes. We’re a very small staff. Do all of the emailing, scheduling, things like that. So that’s more of like the boring, like computer stuff, I guess, and then. But when our artists are in the studio, that’s when we all are very energetic, and personalities are just bouncing off the walls. So, I’ll talk about that kind of day. We all come in, and all of our artists just kind of trickle in for the first, like 30 minutes, hour of the day. We’re together for eight hours, and we start our day with a daily draw, which is led by a volunteer. And that kind of gets our creative juices flowing. And just kind of, it’s not expected to be a masterpiece by any means, just a creative activity to get the day started, and then we’ll jump into our main activities for the day. And that can typically start with a couple hours of Visual Arts, where everybody is working on their own, their own projects, their own ideas, brainstorming, everybody’s at different stages. And then staff is there to just help facilitate any needs or wants or thoughts or questions and help just kind of build and strengthen whatever they’re working on. And then we’ll break for lunch. And then after lunch, we dedicate the afternoon to, well, maybe, like 30 minutes of, like movement, or just kind of meditation, yoga, and then after that, a couple hours of Performing Arts, and that could be whatever we’re working on at the time. Maybe we have a small performance that’s coming up and we’re going to do a couple songs, or we have our big summer production, and we’re doing full rehearsals, but that time would be dedicated to that, and then at the end of the day, we just kind of chill while everybody’s leaving, but we do pepper in a lot of outings within our community. We go see shows and events. We go have fun and go to the beach or go to the pool. We take a family vacation every year. And so, yeah, it really just kind of varies week by week. 

    Emma Plutnicki  07:48 

    Yeah, amazing. Sounds like busy days. And so, you mentioned that there are some shows for the Performing Arts, kind of side of your days, but for the art, like portions of the days, are there ways for the art to be exhibited? Or do you have exhibits? Or do the artists take the works home with them? Are there any ways of showing their work to the community?  

    Rae Weekes  08:11 

    Absolutely, we do a number of markets throughout the year, so we’ll have, like, a vendor table, and those markets can vary as well. We’re part of an arts festival some other like holiday markets. We also have been or the past couple of years, have had an exhibition and a professional gallery, one at one in Somerville at the Public Works Art Center, which was incredible, and then one in the Park Circle gallery, we try to have an art exhibition that coincides with our show or its own exhibition at a gallery. I’m not explaining this very well. Yeah, we try to take whatever opportunity we can find, but that also puts us in the same playing field as any other artist. We don’t want to be secluded, we don’t want to be set aside, pushed to the side. We want to hang on the same walls that another artist would, and that’s important to me, personally and for our artists as well. And then we do have an online store. It’s a little messy right now, but that’s another space that we try to showcase their work and on our website, and try to make that accessible to folks who can’t physically come to our shows.  

    Emma Plutnicki  09:44 

    Oh, great, great. And so throughout your career, has there been a particular project that has really resonated with you, or one, one single moment that you really reflect on as being kind of a defining moment in your creative journey? 

    Rae Weekes  10:07 

    Oh, every single day you see something that, yeah I try to see every moment, or try to use every moment as a learning opportunity through and through. So, I mean, there’s been a lot of big moments. I mean, that feeling you get after a production. All of our productions are original, and so there’s a lot, a lot of work and effort put into it. I mean, across the board, within our gallery exhibitions as well, there’s just so much work put into it. And so I feel, I mean, I’ve never been disappointed after a show or after an exhibition, opening. Never been disappointed. We’ve been disappointed in rehearsals like, What the hell are we doing? You know, but, but everybody just shows up and shows out for everything, every performance and exhibition that we do, and I think those are just big moments that you know, you feel accomplished, you feel pride, you’re there with your people. And you can, I mean, you see it on everybody’s face, it’s oh. So, I guess collectively, those moments of just being able to take a breath and be like, Look what we just did. Look what we accomplished, and all together, we did it together. So those are, those are the moments, I guess.  

    Emma Plutnicki  11:31 

    Yeah, that’s very sweet and I’m sure when you know performances happen, that’s taking up a lot of time in your life. So how do you manage the life-work, balance? And you know, just have space for personal creativity, while also managing that in a professional setting? 

    Rae Weekes  11:49 

    I wouldn’t say I’m a poster child for work life, for a healthy work life.  

    Emma Plutnicki  11:54 

    Why not? 

    Rae Weekes  11:57 

    Because, I mean, I’m getting, I’ve gotten better over the years, but I think a big thing that defines my life is my work and because we’re so close knit, we consider ourselves a family. So it’s, I mean, I hang out with some of our artists outside of our studio hours. We go to shows together. We go to dances together. So, it’s not necessarily all work. I also feel it’s kind of difficult to get things done when our artists are in the studio. So, anything like, we’ve done the computer, I could be like, Yeah, well, I’ll just do that later tonight, or, like, I’ll look up that later tonight. I can do it on the couch. And I also, I mean, I’m a single person with a dog living alone, and so I have, I mean, I’m able to do all those things, and it doesn’t really affect my life too much, but also it’s all kind of I know, but that’s okay. And then in terms of personal creativity, it really is just whenever it strikes me, it’s not a regular thing that happens. Because we’re so creative all the time in our studio, I feel like I do get that creative—that scratches that creative itch very quickly. By just being here. I tend to get more personal work done, I guess, around the holidays and stuff, because I make most of my gifts. So, when there’s a need for a gift or something like that, I can get a little bit more creative and get more work done. But really, if I other than that, if I’m out, or if I’m inspired by something, or if I want to try new material, like I’ll do it pretty quickly, and then it’ll just kind of sit on my coffee table for a while, and then I’ll pick it up again, and then I’ll put it away. So, it just varies. But I think everything’s kind of intertwined for me. 

    Emma Plutnicki  13:45 

    Yeah, no makes sense. So just as we wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to add, or anything else you may have wished that I asked that I didn’t? 

    Rae Weekes  13:54 

    Not that really comes to mind. Remind me, how are you guys using these interviews again? So, I know you’re pulling the information for folks who want to, like, maybe gain some insights and things like that. But is it going to be like, written or like, our video is going to be posted? 

    Emma Plutnicki  14:15 

    Yeah, so it’ll be a little bit of both. Mainly, we are having a professional directory on the Uncharted initiative of the Creative Career Studio, and then I’ll send you the link to the South Carolina Arts Commission Creative Career Studio website. It’s very cool, very intuitive, and offers a lot of great information, but we’ll be collaborating with that, kind of cross-referencing the interviews that we’re doing here with them, so there’ll be a little bit of back and forth on their website. And then we’re also starting a podcast and having video guides to just give more information for young professionals. So, getting the word out there,  

    Rae Weekes  14:54 

    Yeah, it’s so awesome.  

    Emma Plutnicki 14:59 

    Yeah, no, it’s a great resource. And everybody we’ve been talking to has been amazing. So, I really hope that a lot of young kids are able to utilize this and really work toward a future career doing whatever they want to do.  

    Rae Weekes  15:08 

    That’s amazing, exciting. 

    Emma Plutnicki  15:10 

    And is there anybody else that, either a coworker or somebody else that you know, in a creative field that you think we should interview? 

    Rae Weekes  15:21 

    I mean, I have a number, like, just like artists and teaching artists. 

    Emma Plutnicki  15:27 

    Amazing, yeah, I can send you a follow up email. We’ll we ask for, like, a headshot of you. And then also just sign-up permission form, and then I’ll also send a nomination link. If you think of anybody, you can put them there! 

    Rae Weekes  15:44 

    Well, thank you so much for doing this. I know I, when I found out about the—sorry reminder—the Creative Career Studio, I immediately send it to my mom, because I was like, I think this would have just been so helpful for you guys, just to feel like, okay, look at all this, the variety of opportunity that people can have, and because they just could, you know, they’re creative, in a sense, but like they probably wouldn’t consider themselves like creatives, and so they just were so unaware. And my mom was also a guidance counselor after I was in school and everything. And I just think that would be such an important tool for all of those people to have who are guiding young people, and especially, yeah, just families, parents who are scared that, like, you can’t make a life out of something like that. And it’s so, so not true. Collecting all this data and information and having real people, real voices is, it’s really important stuff you’re doing. So again, yeah, just super great. It’s awesome.

  • Sisi Garland

    “Being brave does not mean being unafraid. It’s being scared and going forward with it anyway.”

    Sisi Garland is the Executive Director of Heart Inclusive Arts Community, an interdisciplinary art studio in North Charleston, South Carolina, serving adults with disabilities. With a background in stage management and theater, Garland has worked in New York and Charleston and celebrates five years of leadership at Heart. She believes in the power of creativity, community, and courage in the arts.

    Interview

    Transcript

    0:02 | Lexi Raines 

    So first, just give a little introduction of yourself. What do you do from work and where are you currently working from? 

    0:20| Sisi Garland 

    I am Sierra Sisi Garland. I’m the Executive Director of Heart Inclusive Arts Community. And I am working from my office (my pink office) here at the Heart Art studio. And I’ve been with Heart for five years now. I just celebrated my fifth anniversary as the Executive Director. (Yeah? So, yeah, did that answer all of those?) 

    0:47 | Lexi Raines 

    Yeah, tell us a little bit about the Hearts initiative. 

    0:52 | Sisi Garland 

    Heart Inclusive Arts Community is an art studio for adults with disabilities, and we are multi-disciplinary. So, we do performing arts, visual arts, any kind of creative endeavor that we want to get our hands into. We take it on. 

    1:07 | Lexi Raines 

    That’s awesome. That sounds like a really fun and meaningful thing to start. So, where in South Carolina are y’all based? 

    1:23 | Sisi Garland 

    We are in North Charleston, South Carolina. We started 10 years ago in downtown Charleston and have moved into the North Charleston area about a year ago. But yeah, so we’re in the Lowcountry. We have members in our studio who are from all over the Dorchester, Berkeley, Charleston area. 

    1:46 | Lexi Raines 

    Yeah, that’s awesome. Charleston! I love Charleston. Such a good area.  

    1:50 | Sisi Garland 

    Yeah, it’s beautiful here. 

    1:53 | Lexi Raines 

    It really is. So, kind of on that note, like what’s one thing that you love about working as a creative in South Carolina? 

    2:03 | Sisi Garland 

    There’s lots of inspiration here, for sure. Visually, it’s stunning, especially in this and I’m bias from being from Charleston, but especially in this Low Country region, it’s just gorgeous. You have so many places and parks that you can go to and create. But outside of that, there’s also such a rich culture here, and so many different cultures coming together, especially in this downtown area. There’s just a lot to take in, and a lot that you can be inspired by. 

    2:38 | Lexi Raines 

    I completely agree. I’ve been in Charleston a lot. I used to have family who lived there, and I feel like there’s just so many different areas blended into one. Like, I feel like you can go to like, one side of Charleston, and it’s completely different from the other side of Charleston. 

    2:57 | Sisi Garland 

    Yeah, absolutely it makes it pretty clear why a lot of Hollywood productions want to come out to Charleston and South Carolina, because there’s a lot to offer here. 

    03:10 | Lexi Raines 

    Yes, for sure. So, what do you think South Carolina does offer, like, what do you think it brings to your work compared to anywhere else? 

    03:21 | Sisi Garland 

    South Carolina has this incredible way of feeling like a sort of small town, where you know everyone, and everyone knows what’s going on with you and what you’re doing, and you just have a lot of familiar support. But at the same time, it also has this broader, bigger feeling to it as well. Like it has a lot of resources, it cares a lot about the arts. It was immediately surprising to me how much South Carolina actually does support its arts and artists, while still feeling very tight-knit community as well 

    04:07 | Lexi Raines 

    And that’s amazing to hear, obviously, because that’s like, what we’re trying to do here is just spread that word. Because so many people, I feel like, especially young students in like, middle school and high school, I feel like they really think that they have to move out of South Carolina to pursue a creative path, which definitely isn’t true at all. So that’s amazing to hear. 

    04:32 | Sisi Garland 

    Yeah, absolutely. My niece is in high school now, and she’s thinking about a creative career. She’s an actor, and so she, you know, is starting to do the search for school programs and things that she can get to when she graduates. And she’s dead set on New York. She’s got her mind fixed that she’s going to go to New York. And I’ve done the New York path. I’ve moved there for a little over two years and worked there as a stage manager and an actor, primarily as a stage manager, if we’re being honest, but it’s so hard to break people of that idea that you have to go to these you know, like New York especially, or Chicago, if you’re an improver or if you’re in film and television, that you have to move out to LA and it’s just not true.  

    And in a lot of ways, I think that being go going to those big places, especially for your education in the arts, before becoming a career professional, it can be a little too daunting, or it can be a little too unsupportive, because if you’re not coming there with a network or with a confident background, then it’s going to, it’s going to feel so overwhelming so quickly. So, I’ve been trying to steer her in other directions, to find something a little bit more friendly to the younger, to the greener people, before hitting the big cities. 

    06:10 | Lexi Raines 

    Yeah. Well, if she does get accepted there, maybe, like, I feel like New York is obviously an awesome place, but maybe, maybe she’ll miss home. 

    06:21 | Sisi Garland 

    Maybe. I’m originally from Delaware, and she still lives in Delaware as well, so it’s only three hours away. It’s fine.  

    06:28 | Lexi Raines 

    Yeah, that’s not that bad at all. So how would you describe like the local professional community in Charleston? 

    06:38 | Sisi Garland 

    Supportive. That’s the first word that comes to mind. We are so lucky to have a lot of professionals around us who are not only interested in what we’re doing and want to be a part of it, but that will rally their support around us whenever we do things. They’re coming to shows they’re supporting each other’s shows. they’re just getting involved amongst everyone and not just creating this insular, individual attitude where it can’t all exist together. 

    07:17 | Lexi Raines 

    I feel like that definitely is something that does happen in a lot of bigger cities, because I feel like things start to get, like, so niche that it’s like you have to be in one specific group or interest. So, I feel like that’s definitely an amazing thing. 

    07:33 | Sisi Garland 

    Yeah, yeah. I saw that a lot in New York, which is bizarrely, you know, for being such a big city and everyone, millions of people living there, you still ran into the same people all the time. You’d be in auditions with the same people, or you’d end up like in productions with somebody else’s show running at the same theater. And so, to still have that sort of competitive mindset and attitude toward things. It made it so much more difficult, because on one hand, you’re talking to each other so chummily and or, you know, whatever it is, but then you’re still feeling like you have to compete with those people for the same resources. And so, it just nothing ever felt very secure.

    Whereas here it feels like you have friends, you have supporters, you have people that you can turn to, and they’re not going to hoard their information or their experiences and ideas. They’re sharing with you because that inspires them as well. 

    08:42 | Lexi Raines 

    Yeah, that’s something I’ve heard a lot across all interviews, is that, South Carolina, really is such a community. Everybody is willing to support everybody. Everyone wants to, kind of, like, hold a hand out for everyone who’s trying to get in who’s trying to grow, all that stuff, and I feel like that’s just such a beautiful thing.

    So, kind of shifting gears here. How would you define professional or personal successes in your creative endeavors or in your career? 

    09:19 | Sisi Garland 

    As far as in my career, it’s kind of easy, I guess, to define for me, because being Executive Director, I’m sort of responsible for the overall wellness and health of the organization, and so as long as the nonprofit is still going, then I feel like we’ve succeeded to some degree, but as far as in our creative endeavors, if we have reached even one person who hadn’t seen us before, or who was touched by something that we did, or inspired by it, or felt something from what we were doing. Sounds so cliche, I know that’s probably like the creative cliche, but it does mean something, and it does feel like a success. If you’re presenting a gallery in a new space, and someone has walked in and they had no idea what Heart was or who our artists were, and they come in and they see a piece, and they just are in awe of it. That’s so successful and so meaningful to us. So, that’s creatively how we know we’re doing something.  

    10:31 | Lexi Raines 

    That is really awesome. And do y’all have your showings in North Charleston? How often do y’all have those showings?  

    10:43 | Sisi Garland 

    We don’t have set shows or exhibits necessarily. We do a musical every year. Tends to be an original musical that we’ve written ourselves every year, that we might be exploring different avenues in that and outside of that, we do a rock concert at the poor house in Charleston every year in the winter, we do performances all over the place, like we’ve been invited to perform in Myrtle Beach for some professionals convening there, we were just invited to perform at the State House in Columbia for our advocacy day. Yeah, performances were canceled because of the thunderstorms. 

    11:32 | Lexi Raines 

    This weather’s been crazy lately.  

    11:35 | Sisi Garland 

    It cannot decide what season it is around here. 

    11:41 | Lexi Raines 

    So, what was your, you mentioned that you were an actor. What was your biggest fear when you first decided to pursue the arts professionally? 

    11:52 | Sisi Garland 

    The fear that you won’t succeed, that you won’t survive the biz, I guess. You know, like I said, I came from Delaware, which is a small state to begin with, but also I came from a small farming town in Delaware. There wasn’t arts really happening. We had our one school musical every year. And outside of that, there just was not a lot of exposure to the arts, so I had no real concept of what being a professional creative could look like. It felt to me at the time like you either had to be A-Lister red carpet famous or a sad, struggling wannabe, and that there was no in between.  

    And so, when I came down to Charleston, I moved here to go to the College of Charleston, and I signed up that first day to be a theater major. My father was just so worried. And I don’t know that he’s ever stopped being worried about this, but he just was like, “You’re going to have to do something else. You have to have that backup plan. Everyone has to have the backup plan.” And to some degree, he was right, because you know, you have to have that survival gig while you’re forming that career for some people. Some people are lucky that, that career is built in for them from the beginning. But a lot of times you do have to have other things that you’re good at, but having that creative basis, that creative foundation, makes you good at those other things as well. So, his worry that having a theater degree was going to be completely useless the second that I graduated became also my fear, and I was so nervous about it that I was just going to be poor and struggling forever.

    But everything I learned being a creative and being a theater person has gone into all the work I’ve done since, whether or not it’s directly a creative job 

    14:15 | Lexi Raines 

    I feel like that’s definitely a barrier that a lot of people have to work through whether it’s like you just have self-doubt, or your family isn’t supportive about it.

    Because I know personally, I am an English major, that’s not what I was originally. I was originally a computer science major, but when I told my family I was going to be an English major, it did not go down well, but I feel like if you have a buyer for it, I feel like you can figure it out. And I feel like these jobs do have a lot more to offer than people think. So, I feel like breaking down those boundaries is just so important. 

    15:03 | Sisi Garland 

    Yeah, and it starts with having exposure, so like this program that’s coming up, and the creative careers resources, if you don’t know those possibilities are out there, or realize how infused into everything else the arts are. Then if you don’t know it exists, you can’t necessarily imagine that it could happen for you. Um, so, yeah, it’s really cool these programs that that are coming up.  

    15:36 | Lexi Raines 

    I 100% agree. So, can you define, like a defining moment, or describe a defining moment in your creative journey? Like, did you have a particular project you worked on that like had a significant impact on you, or did something that you like produced really showcase your creativity? 

    16:01 | Sisi Garland 

    I think one, probably the most defining moment in my career, was my first time working professionally as a stage manager. I had stage managed all through college as a theater major, but I hadn’t really expanded outside of that yet, and probably mostly because of that fear and nervousness and doubt. But someone I had worked with on a production in college, they were already a creative professional. They were an actor and director, and they were directing a show in Charleston, and wanted me to come stage manage for them. And I said yes to it. Swallowed the doubts and everything, and I said yes, and came on and did it. And it was that production that connected me to the theater company that I have now been working with for almost 15 years. And it was through doing that that I realized, no matter what else I’m doing in my life, to survive or to be able to live day to day, I’m never not going to do theater as well like I have to keep this in my life.  

    So, it’s like you said, it’s kind of, if you have that passion, or you have that fire for something, you’re going to go out and do it. It’s just a matter of how it manifests in your in your world. So that show brought me essentially the rest of my career, and it all came from just saying yes to somebody I had worked with in college, and he’s now on Broadway. He’s originated roles in Once, and he was just in Anastasia and Amalie. Yeah, he’s incredible, and I very much have him to thank for continuing to do the arts even when it was scary.  

    18:07 | Lexi Raines 

    Yeah. So, I feel like that is, like a really positive note, but kind of going from that, what do you have, like, the worst advice you’ve ever received? 

    18:21 | Sisi Garland 

    The worst advice, I mean you always hear the superficial stuff like that, “you have to define your brand” or that you…

    I mean, I graduated in 2009 from college, which probably sounds like a long time ago now. But even still then, when I was young, you were still hearing like things about body shaming and appearance and all of these things that you have to do, which thankfully, I feel like have kind of gone away.

    But it never leaves you if someone has said that thing to you about just your personal being. Something that is not yourself and took it as, and they say it was such authority that you believe them, you know. And so that’s definitely the worst advice, is listening to anybody about who you need to be and what you need to look like to do anything. It’s terrible. It’s hard not to listen to it, but it’s terrible, it’s awful advice. No one should listen. 

    19:40 | Lexi Raines 

    I completely agree. I feel like everybody is their own person. You got to love yourself. So, what’s the best advice you’ve ever received? 

    19:55 | Sisi Garland 

    Again, probably a cliché, but it’s true, and I still think about it all the time. That being brave does not mean being unafraid. It’s being scared and going forward with it anyway. So being nervous about an audition or a show that’s coming up, or anything that you have coming in, or taking the leap into a new career, a new job.

    All of these things are really scary, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t do it, and you can still be brave and go forward with it, even as scary as it is.

    I was terrified when I took this job. I feel like I’m probably still terrified every day in this job, but it’s the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done, and it feels like the culmination of all of these disparate career paths and skills that I had just been doing that because I love them, for so long. And now they get to come together in my job here as the Executive Director, but it was so, so scary. And if you know I didn’t have people telling me that it can be scary, but you can still do it, then I probably would have been like, no, it the this is telling me something I shouldn’t be doing it if I’m this worried about it. 

    21:21 | Lexi Raines 

    Yeah, I completely agree with that. I just feel like fear is the best motivator you can have, because I feel like it goes along the lines of like, the only way to grow is to get out of your comfort zone and push yourself. So, I think that is like, I agree with you. I think that’s like the number one advice you can give receive anything, because that’s personally helped me a lot too. 

    21:54 | Sisi Garland 

    Yeah. It’s hard to live it, too, though. I mean, I say that, but it’s not like I was the most bravest person, just going out there, throwing myself into things, I still played it fairly safe. I’m still kind of a scaredy cat in that way. But all the good things that I’ve done were when I, like you said, stepped out of my comfort zone, went for that thing that I’d always wanted to do, and I wish I had done even more of that, especially when I was younger, especially when I just like, you know, when things felt a little bit more, not carefree, but possible. You know, when you’re looking ahead into your future and you’re thinking, you can do anything, keep that you can do anything. You can always do anything. So go ahead and do it. 

    22:43 | Lexi Raines 

    That’s awesome. I think that’s really amazing. So, can you walk me through, like a typical work day at Heart? 

    22:55 | Sisi Garland 

    Yeah, we have sort of a dual life here. So, I have my office time on Mondays and Wednesdays, where I’m doing all of the background support work for the organization. But then on Tuesdays and Thursdays, we have our artists in the studio, and we have about 25 artists that we see every Tuesday and Thursday, nine to five, and they’re all adults. They’re all our peers and our friends and our creative partners in crime.  

    So, I get to come to work every morning about 8:30 or 9:00, come into the studio and be greeted by everyone and just sort of like, just have that water cooler chat with all of my friends as we come in. And then we first get into sort of a creative but palate cleanser. It’s our daily draw. It jumps starts our day with a little bit of creative thinking, we get an interesting fact for the day from one of our volunteers, and from that, she also creates a drawing prompt that we all work on. So, we do that to kick things off, we get into visual arts, which is now being led by our artistic director, Rae, and that can look all kinds of ways, depending on what we’re working on.

    Often, artists are working on some individual piece that they are wanting to finish and see through to its ending. Sometimes we’re doing collaborative larger pieces all together, and sometimes we’re working on a theme towards a specific gallery, but in any case, we’re all creating some form of visual arts there.  

    We have lunch. We’re usually watching something silly or fun or creative or whatever during lunch. A lot of documentaries about animals, because that’s always fun to see. And then in the afternoons, we do performing arts. So, our performing arts Director, Mel, is a music background. She is the musical director for all of our performances, all of our shows. And so generally, we’re working towards whatever our next performance is going to be.  

    So lately, it’s been preparing for that state house performance that didn’t quite happen, but we were also performing at “A Night to Shine: The Prom,” which is sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation. We were asked to perform there at our local prom. We also have some other performances coming up, and then ultimately, we are rehearsing for that original musical that we do each year. So that goes from auditioning, writing, editing, rehearsing the production, rehearsing the musical, putting it all together with a live band, all of that jazz. 

    And then at the end of the day, we sort of have some decompression time. We’ve got our free time where we can chat and socialize. We can finish up projects that didn’t quite get to a good spot along the way during the day or just say hi to everyone who stops in to visit on the way home. 

    26:22 | Lexi Raines 

    That sounds very busy, but it sounds like a lot of fun. That sounds awesome. 

    26:28 | Sisi Garland 

    It is a lot of fun, but I am exhausted at the end of the day on Thursday. 

    26:34 | Lexi Raines 

    So, you mentioned that you still want to always try and include, like acting into your life, even when that’s like, not specifically what you’re doing. So how have you created, like, a work life balance where you’re still able to maintain both your professional and personal creativity? 

    26:59 | Sisi Garland 

    It’s hard. It’s very hard, especially when your career is so closely aligned to what your passion creativity is, and especially lately, since the pandemic, it was very difficult. I’m part of the acting company for the Village Repertory Company, which is over 20 years old now, here in Charleston, but we had to close during the pandemic. And so that avenue of personal creativity was sort of lost to me, and at a very important time in my career as well, because I had just started working here at Heart.  

    And so, this new experience, I didn’t have that sort of old, reliable source of creativity to turn to. So, it is really hard, but I feel like just anything that you’re doing, almost as like a self-care or just to feel good, if it’s creative, even if it’s reading a book, even if it’s going to see a show or a performance, that you’re not a part of. Engaging in art, whatever your favorite kind of art is to you, that is the balance, right?  

    So, it doesn’t always have to be, I feel like sometimes creatives we can put like this burden on ourselves, that we have to complete something, or that we have to show something, we have to have something to put out there for it to count and it doesn’t. It can be whatever you do for yourself, even if that’s like writing one sentence of a novel at the end of the day, and that novel goes nowhere. Who cares, you are expressing yourself. You’re doing something that you care about, and that’s all it ever needs to be. It never needs to see the light of day for it to be important to you. 

    29:15 | Lexi Raines 

    I completely agree with that. I think that, like you’re saying, there is such a push to just keep putting stuff out there, but at the end of the day, you are like a person who needs to have things just for you. So, I think that is an amazing piece of advice. So, do you have any questions that you wish you were asked? 

    29:40 | Sisi Garland 

    Oh gosh, no, I don’t know that I could have come up with any questions better than what you guys already have. 

    29:48 | Lexi Raines 

    Awesome. Yeah, I feel like we kind of put people on the spot without that question. So finally, do you have, this is also not to put you on the spot, but do you have a creative that you’d like to nominate to be interviewed? 

    30:05 | Sisi Garland 

    Oh yes, I spoke with someone at Arts Advocacy. Oh, gosh. Okay, let me, for some reason her Instagram, oh no, I know her name. Her name is Janelle Smalls. 

    30:16 | Lexi Raines 

    Janelle Smalls. Can you spell that for me? 

    30:19 | Sisi Garland 

    I believe it’s Janelle and last name is Smalls. I might have to dig for her contact information to send to you to reach out to her. But she is an artist who is also a K through 12 arts educator and speaking with her at Arts Advocacy this week or last week, she was so passionate and was like, so full of gumption to do something for her students. I think she would be an incredible person to speak with. 

    30:54 | Lexi Raines 

    That’s awesome. Yeah, she sounds amazing. Definitely, definitely, send me her information if you can find that. It was so nice talking with you. I think you had such wonderful advice. And you obviously come from a place where you care so much. 

    31:14 | Sisi Garland 

    I hope so. That’s sometimes the only thing keeping us going is how much we care about it.  

    31:20 | Lexi Raines 

    I completely agree. So, thank you. I hope you have a good rest of your day. Yeah, I’ll be reaching back out to you just for that headshot, and then I can definitely try to email you whenever this goes live to send you the link. 

    31:36 | Sisi Garland 

    Yeah, perfect. And if there’s anything we can do at Heart, any of us to support this project, future projects, everything you all are doing, please, just let us know, and we’re there for you. 

    31:49 | Lexi Raines 

    That’s awesome. Thank you.  

  • Angela Yemi Gibson

    Angela Yemi Gibson

    “A closed mouth doesn’t get fed. You gotta ask.”

    Angela Yemi Gibson is a medical biller by day and an arts visionary by night: founder of a nonprofit African Dance Company in Spartanburg, SC.

    Audio Interview

    Transcript

    00:02 

    Emma Plutnicki:  So to start, what do you do for work and where are you currently working from? 

    00:07 

    Angela Yemi Gibson: I work from home. I am a medical biller, and I work for a billing company called Medical Billing Center Incorporated, 

    00:16 

    Emma Plutnicki:  Okay, amazing. How long have you been working there? 

    00:18 

    Angela Yemi Gibson: Six years. 

    00:20 

    Emma Plutnicki: Okay, amazing. And that’s based in South Carolina?  

    00:23 

    Angela Yemi Gibson: Yes, it is in South Carolina. 

    00:25 

    Emma Plutnicki:  Okay, how does working in South Carolina specifically influence your work, if at all? 

    00:32 

    Angela Yemi Gibson: Well, I have a nonprofit that I do outside of this, but, you know, being a nonprofit, you have to at least have some type of stream. So I do both. I don’t know, I moved here from Colorado, so it’s a little different, 

    00:48 

    Emma Plutnicki: Okay, yeah. And what is your nonprofit? 

    00:52 

    Angela Yemi Gibson: My nonprofit is an African Dance Company.  

    00:54 

    Emma Plutnicki: Okay, amazing and how long have you been doing that for? 

    00:57 

    Angela Yemi Gibson: Over 20 years! 

    00:59 

    Emma Plutnicki: Wow, and you started that? 

    01:01 

    Angela Yemi Gibson: Yes, I started dancing with other companies in Ohio, and then I moved to Colorado, and now I’m here. So I have my own nonprofit here in South Carolina. 

    01:11 

    Emma Plutnicki: Yeah, what made you want to start that? 

    01:14 

    Angela Yemi Gibson: It’s something different. It’s always changing. It keeps people engaged and it also brings a sense of community to everyone that’s involved. 

    01:27 

    Emma Plutnicki: Yeah, for sure. So what does a typical work day for you look like these days? What’s expected of you on a daily basis? What are your responsibilities 

    01:36 

    Angela Yemi Gibson: For my primary job? 

    01:38 

    Emma Plutnicki: Both. 

    01:40 

    Angela Yemi Gibson: So I work every day, Monday through Friday, from 7 to 4:30. Iam responsible for making sure that claims are clean when they go out of the system. I am responsible for fixing denied claims and rebilling those claims, patient statements, speaking to patients about their balances, communicating with the clinics and the owners about any account issues thatI have. Teamwork. and in my nonprofit, I am responsible for all the choreography, all the booking, all the costumes and the musicality. 

    02:21 

    Emma Plutnicki: Wow. And how are you able to manage both at the same time? Because I’m sure both of them are pulling you in different directions. 

    02:27 

    Angela Yemi Gibson: Yes, I’m not able to manage at all. I’m not good. I’m not able to manage it all. Since I work from home, I hop from one thing to another. So it’s one moment I’m here, then the next minute I’m there. So fortunately, I have the flexibility with my job to be able to do that. 

    02:43 

    Emma Plutnicki:  Yeah, and are you able to manage a healthy work life balance, or is that difficult to manage? 

    02:50 

    Angela Yemi Gibson: It’s difficult to manage most of the time because most of our- I teach classes during the week and we perform and rehearse during the week or during the weekend, so it was kind of wherever. But fortunately, I have a good support system within my family, so I’m able to juggle both pretty, pretty good. 

    03:09 

    Emma Plutnicki: Amazing, and within both of your jobs, how would you define success? I feel like it’s difficult sometimes with creative careers, especially, you know, some people say it’s monetary, some people say it’s more ideological. So how do you define success in your professional career and also just in your personal life? 

    03:30 

    Angela Yemi Gibson: In my- my professional career, I would label success financially, because as much work as you do, you want to getpaid for the work that you do. But as far as my nonprofit work, I label success by the people’s response. So if no one responds when you’re doing something, that means you’re really probably not doing a good job. So if it’s- I’d rather deal with customer engagement and the responses of people in order to garner my success for my nonprofit. 

    04:02 

    Emma Plutnicki: Yeah, makes sense. And did you have any fears when you started your nonprofit? 

    04:07 

    Angela Yemi Gibson: Oh absolutely. Whether I will be successful in doing it correctly, and will it be sustainable? 

    04:17 

    Emma Plutnicki: Yeah. And how were you able to kind of overcome those fears? 

    04:21 

    Angela Yemi Gibson: Just keep going. I have a team of 10 so far, and we have been going strong for these past few years, since we started the nonprofit, so it’s been pretty good. So I mean, dealing-working with people that you trust and that are dependable is key. If you don’t have those types of people involved, then you probably won’t be successful. 

    04:46 

    Emma Plutnicki:  Yeah, no, that definitely makes sense. And overall, have you been able to get advice from anybody? Is there any advice that stands out as either exceptionally good or just terrible advice that you received along the way? 

    05:02 

    Angela Yemi Gibson: I have received a mixture of both. I’m online a lot, so I tend to research more than anything else. So I’ve received a mixture of good and bad advice. Some people say, you know, don’t- What do people say? Don’t confide so much in the people that you work with, because the more that they know, the more that people can possibly use against you, so to speak. But I think that if you are more transparent with people, people are more- tend to either appreciate you or to be more understanding if you’re a little bit more transparent. But I’ve also learned that a closed mouth don’t get fed. You gotta ask. Sometimes it’s okay to ask for help if you need it. 

    05:57 

    Emma Plutnicki:  Yeah, I love that. No, that’s great advice. And throughout your career, has there been any specific projects that you’ve worked on that kind of stand out as having a significant impact on you, or just something that you know is something that has kind of been the pinnacle of your career? Anything that stands out? 

    06:18 

    Angela Yemi Gibson: This year we did, for- this is for my nonprofit, I can’t really say for my my primary job, because we do the same thing every day. 

    06:26 

    Emma Plutnicki: Yeah, okay. 

    06:28 

    Angela Yemi Gibson: But as far as my nonprofit, we successfully completed our very first residency- artist in residency. So that was a week long, and it was new, and it was completely different, and it was way out of the comfort zone, but it was successful. It was very successful. 

    06:48 

    Emma Plutnicki: Amazing. Congratulations on that. And what was that? Where did that take place? 

    06:53 

    Angela Yemi Gibson: It was in Monks Corner, South Carolina, and we taught fourth grade kids and kindergarteners for five days. 

    07:01 

    Emma Plutnicki: Amazing. And how has the community reacted to your projects and just overall, your nonprofit? 

    07:08 

    Angela Yemi Gibson: Wonderfully. They’ve been very supportive here where I am, because I live in Spartanburg, so they’ve been very supportive here. Also, I am a dance teacher at one of the ballet centers here, and they have been so supportive to where they’ve written grants to be able to get make sure that myself and my two drummers are paid for our classes. So the we’ll be able to offer the classes for free to the community. So they’re free to the community, but yet we get paid for our time. 

    07:41 

    Emma Plutnicki: Amazing. And have you seen the community, like the local professional community in South Carolina, generally helping?And is it tight knit, or is there any gaps in it? 

    07:51 

    Angela Yemi Gibson: It’s tight knit. I really think that if you don’t know the right people, you’re not in specific circles. So I think that it’s really click-ish, so you just gotta know the right people. And unfortunately, I don’t know a lot of people, so I just stick to where I’m at work, who I know. 

    08:09 

    Emma Plutnicki: Yeah, how are you able to have those conversations with people? Are there any, like, networking events or anything within South Carolina that you’d recommend for people if they’re trying to get in the door with people. 

    08:21 

    Angela Yemi Gibson: I honestly have no idea. I really need to know those things myself, because I need to get out there and network a little bit more. 

    08:30 

    Emma Plutnicki: Yeah, I’m sure at some some points, it’s just being in the right place at the right time. 

    08:34 

    Angela Yemi Gibson: Yeah, and it’s just finding those right places in the right time, that’s the problem. 

    08:38 

    Emma Plutnicki: Yeah, exactly. Amazing. Well, thank you so much for your time. Just as we wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share any advice for future people looking for a career in your field? 

    08:52 

    Angela Yemi Gibson: Keep swimming. What I can say is, honestly, don’t waste your money on college, unless you’re going to do something specific to that particular major that you’re going for. If you go to trade school, go to trade school, but stick to your guns and just remain positive. 

    09:17 

    Emma Plutnicki: Yeah, I love that. Well, thank you so much. I really- You’re welcome! 

  • Terry Roberts

    Terry Roberts

    “There’s always something new to learn, if you really believe in yourself then something will happen.”

    Terry Roberts is a conductor, professor, and lifelong musician in Florence, South Carolina. He leads with passion and perseverance across every stage.

    Transcript

    Emma Plutnicki | 00:01 

    Okay, so first, what do you do for work and where are you currently working from?  

    Terry Roberts | 00:06 

    I’m the coordinator of music at Francis Marion University, and I’m a professor for various different classes and ensembles, and I’m also the music director of the Florence Symphony Orchestra. So, this is all in Florence, of course. I’ve been here, I’ve been a conductor since 2003 and with the University for about 16 years. I believe.  

    Emma Plutnicki | 00:31 

    Amazing. So, what is one thing that you love about working in South Carolina, specifically?  

    Terry Roberts | 00:37 

    Well, normally, you can play golf year-round, but not now. Well, I was raised in the South mostly. I’m from Oklahoma originally, but, yeah, most of my life I’ve lived in the South. It’s a lot nicer, calmer. I had friends, one friend of mine, who’s a soloist, said “The only reason to go to New York is to get the check and leave.” So yeah, I was in Europe for a long time. When I moved back, people asked why I didn’t move to New York. I said, “Well, I can get to New York real easy. I don’t need to live there.” So yeah, and I get up there to do some gigs. But, yeah, one week’s about all I can stand in there.  

    Emma Plutnicki | 01:25 

    Fair. So, what does South Carolina bring to your work? Does it have any unique influence on your work compared to working anywhere else, working in New York?  

    Terry Roberts | 01:37 

    Well, like I said, I’ve had, I’ve had the good fortune to live in several different places. So, I’m more like trying to bring what I’ve learned culturally in different countries, different places in the United States, to impart that information, if you will, to my students and also to the public, and culturally speaking simply. South Carolina obviously has a lot of history. One of my professors was a famous composer from Latta, just up the street here, Carlisle Floyd, and I studied with him when I was in Florida State University, and I played some of his works and things like that.  

    Emma Plutnicki | 02:28 

    And how would you describe kind of the working community in South Carolina? How is your local professional community?  

    Terry Roberts | 02:38 

    Oh, well, Florence especially is sort of booming. To be quite honest, when I moved here, I wasn’t going to stay, but things change you know. That’s fate, as they say, and this particular community has really just blossomed. I mean, we have two major hospitals, several major companies have moved here, and culturally, it’s just a gold mine. There’s a lot of culture going on here, and there’s a lot of talent within the community. So, it’s great. I mean, it’s very refreshing, and everyone loves to partake in the arts here, which is great. And I try to be diverse as possible, which is a hard thing to do anyway, but to include as many people as I can in the arts. So, I mean, when I had hair, long hair, I played in rock bands and all that stuff. So, you know, I’ve sort of done everything, if you will, so just a classical player.  

    Emma Plutnicki | 03:46 

    Amazing yeah, so within your working in a creative field, how do you define personal success and professional success?  

    Terry Roberts | 03:57 

    Oh, wow. Well, for me, personal success is being able to learn more every day. You never stop learning in music. There’s always something new to learn and to hopefully to grow a bit every day. Professionally, I’ve been blessed to have done a lot of different things. I’ve played in all the major, I played French horn, solo horn in Europe for 16 years, and I played in all the major opera houses, concert halls in Europe and the United States. And that was, I was very fortunate. I was able to learn two more languages, you know. So, all those things are because of music. I got to see a lot of the world. So, it, I’ve been very fortunate. And it wasn’t easy at first, I have to admit, you know, but I think everyone who’s successful has to persevere.  

    Emma Plutnicki | 05:08 

    Yeah, amazing. So, you said it was difficult. Were there any fears that you had when you first decided to step into a profession in the arts?  

    Terry Roberts | 05:18 

    Well, my father has a PhD in music education. He was a chairman of music for years at universities, and so I was sort of raised in that environment. And I thought about actually becoming a pilot, that really intrigued me. But then I would have to stop playing, and I really wanted to play. And I mean, I’ve been playing some instruments since I was six years old, so, you know, and playing music is almost mathematical too, so that sort of tied in. I thought about piloting or architecture and things that, and my father encouraged me to do that because he didn’t want me to be a poor musician. But, but anyway, it worked out. So, it was hard at first. I mean, when I got to Germany, I was going to study for one year, and I had like, $250 in my pocket and a horn and two suitcases, and I didn’t know what was going to happen. And it just sort of blossomed from there. So, I was very fortunate. Right place at the right time, so to speak.   

    Emma Plutnicki | 06:24 

    Yeah, it’s great how it works out that way. Were there any people in your life giving you advice? Do you remember like the best advice or the worst advice that you ever received?  

    Terry Roberts | 06:39 

    Well, I mean, gosh, there’s so many different people. My teacher, he was very famous horn player, Erich Penzel in Germany. He gave me a bunch of tips about how to handle conductors and now I’m a conductor, so it’s funny. And I would talk to a lot of different conductors, I worked under some very big names, and I would ask them how they went into the field. And all of them, all of them, talk about perseverance, and talk about, when you’re starting out, how hard it is, and it is. You just have to be at the right place at the right time. You know, there’s, there’s plenty of people out there that can do my job, but I just happen to get lucky, you know? I tell my students, “There’s always someone waiting to take your place.” You have to think that way. You have to, you have to practice. You have to always continue to get better. You can’t just sit and do nothing. And that, I believe that still to this day. I mean, the orchestra could say one day, “oh, come on and get someone else,” you know, with different ideas, you know.  

    Emma Plutnicki | 07:46 

    Makes sense. And within your career, has there been one particular project that has made a significant impact on your life or a project that you think really showcased your creativity and kind of was the pinnacle of your career?  

    Terry Roberts | 08:15 

    I don’t think I’ve reached that yet. To be quite honest. I hope I haven’t. I’m very proud of some of the works I’ve commissioned to be premiered with this orchestra, and I’m doing another work next fall, in October, that a former student of mine is writing. So, I’m always very proud when former students are successful. It makes me, you know, it’s like having your own children be successful. You know, which I do have children, they’re somewhat successful to me.  

    Terry Roberts | 08:58 

    I mean, it’s always good, when you see someone succeed and you’ve been nurturing them and sort of mentoring or whatever, you know. So, yeah, I mean, I like helping out young people, and I think that’s probably one of my best things around.  

    Emma Plutnicki | 09:18 

    I love that. So nowadays, what does a typical workday look like for you? What’s your work process and what’s kind of expected of you on a daily basis?  

    Terry Roberts | 09:32 

    Well, one thing about the arts, it’s never the same every day. I mean, obviously at the university you have your schedule. But, like, I’ve just done three days of rehearsals with three different ensembles, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. And today, I gotta regroup. I’ve gotta get ready for a different ensemble. Yeah, so and then I’ll teach a bit. I always have one day, and this is my day actually. I always have one day during the week where I try to regroup, and that’s Thursday this semester. But normally I come into the office, I start answering emails, which there’s plenty of, and stuff like that, and then I’ll start studying whatever music I need to be studying for the next concert I’m doing, or next project I’m doing. And at the same time, I’m doing budgets for the orchestra, budgets for the music program, things like that and people are asking me for money and all that neat stuff, a lot of paperwork. I mean, everyone goes, “Oh, so it must be so great be a musician.” I say, “Well, you know, when you spend 75% of your time doing the other stuff, so you can be a musician, yeah, it’s really great when you make music.”   

    Emma Plutnicki | 10:53 

    So how are you able to keep that work life balance where you’re able to work on your professional responsibilities, but then also have time for personal creativity?  

    Terry Roberts | 11:07 

    It’s, actually not that hard. It’s all about time management. And, you know, teaching my students about that, that’s the one thing that you know, ever since I was, gosh, since I don’t know “it,” or whatever. The first thing I do every day is do some music. You know, whether it’s practice, listen, study or something, that’s the first thing you want to do every day. That sort of like, gets you going, then you can take care of all this, other things like that. So, I don’t think it’s hard to balance it out. I like to play golf, I like to watch sports, crazy about the football stuff right now and, you know, I try to have other interests. And everyone you know, sort of, you know -I hate saying this. Everyone thinks that I’m just focused on music. I said, “You know, I have a normal life,” you know, and that’s what you have to have, is a normal life.  

    Terry Roberts | 12:10 

    So, you have to shut it down sometimes. And I get, you know, nervous or excited, whatever. But you have to learn how to turn it off, too. And that’s, that’s difficult, and some days I’ll get pretty perturbed, you know? But you always have to look for a solution. You can’t stay perturbed. You have to figure out what you can do. After every rehearsal, I like to sit down for a second and just think about what I can do to make something better. You know, after when I teach something, did I teach it correctly? Or can I make it better? Make it more understood, if you will. So, it’s, it’s a, you know, different lifestyle. It’s not going into the office, clocking in, do your work, there, go have lunch. It’s not that. You’re sort of married to music, but you have to, just like with your spouse, you have to spend a little time away from it.  

    Emma Plutnicki | 13:20 

    That’s a great perspective to have.   

    Terry Roberts | 13:23 

    I once told someone, I’ve known my horn longer than I’ve known my wife.   

    Emma Plutnicki | 13:27 

    Yeah, there you go. True. Perfect. So just as we wrap up, are there any other questions you wish I would have asked, or anything else you’d like to add about you, know, your career and your life.  

    Terry Roberts | 13:43 

    I think the most important thing for anyone in the arts doesn’t matter, music, art, theater, whatever, that you cannot become discouraged. And that’s easy to say, very easy to say, because I have been discouraged many times. I’ve done auditions all over the world, and, you know, been disappointed, gotten almost there, and you feel really disappointed afterwards, but you have to persevere. You can’t just stop, you know. If you really love what you’re doing, it doesn’t matter. And I used to say, “the money will come later.” Yeah, you have to pay bills. Yeah, you have to know how to do a budget and all that stuff. But, if you persevere, if you really believe in yourself, then something will happen. It might not be exactly the way you thought. I mean, I didn’t think I was going to be a professor. After growing up that way I swore, I’d never do that. Here I am, you know. So you just never know the path, you have to be flexible and persevere.   

    Emma Plutnicki | 15:22 

    Well perfect. Do you have any other creatives in your life that you think would be good for us to interview? Can you think of anybody?  

    Terry Roberts | 15:40 

    My wife, she was a prima ballerina in Pacific Northwest Ballet in France and we met in Monte Carlo. We were both working there, and she does the ballet here. She’s artistic director of the South Carolina Dance Theater.  

    Emma Plutnicki | 15:58 

    Okay, amazing. If we could get her contact information, or I can send you the link to nominate an individual.  

    Terry Roberts | 16:05 

    I’ll just email you her email address and whatever.  

    Emma Plutnicki | 16:08 

    Okay, amazing. That’d be great.   

    Terry Roberts | 16:11 

    She’s seen more of the world than me. She has literally been around the world. But she’s from Wilmington, North Carolina, of all things. And she went to North County School of the Arts and studied. Well, she’d been dancing since, professionally, she started at 17. Dancers have a short lifespan, you know. Then she went into teaching, so I never saw her dance. I met her when she was finished dancing, so.  

    Emma Plutnicki | 16:41 

    She’s got to still be dancing a little bit these days, right?   

    Terry Roberts | 16:44 

    Well, she demonstrates. And sometimes she says, “I shouldn’t have demonstrated that.”  

    Emma Plutnicki | 16:50 

    Yeah.  

    Terry Roberts | 16:53 

    So, she choreographs and runs the ballet here.  

    Emma Plutnicki | 16:57 

    Okay, amazing. That would be great if you could send that over.  

  • Eugene Rocco Utley

    Eugene Rocco Utley

    “I would rather fail at pursuing a passion that I love rather than playing it safe, and never truly pursuing it.” 

    Eugene Rocco Utley is a freelance creative professional based in Myrtle Beach. By day, he manages marketing and advertising for Coastal Carolina National Bank (CCNB), blending strategic communication with local insight. Outside his 9-to-5, Utley pursues freelance work in film production, with experience in both commercial and narrative projects.

    About

    After studying at Clemson University, and shortly at Coastal Carolina, Eugene Rocco Utley now splits his time between a 9-to-5 role in marketing and advertising at Coastal Carolina National Bank (CCNB) and a robust freelance career in film production. From commercial shoots to creative narrative projects, he’s carved out a path that balances the professional with passion. 

    Though the freelance world can be uncertain, Utley embraces its challenges. “I would rather fail at pursing a passion that I love,” he says, “than play it safe and never truly pursue it.” His creative journey began right out of college, working on low-budget films and slowly building his network in South Carolina’s creative community, a space Utley describes as both “versatile” and “closely knit.” For Utley, success is defined not just by recognition but by collaboration: “If someone wants to work with you again, that’s a real success.” 

    A defining moment came when his short film A B gained significant recognition, marking as a pivoting point in his personal and professional career. The project, which explores the balance between mental health and artistic identity, reinforced Utley’s belief that “Failures are something to learn from, not just failures.” 

    Whether writing scripts or handling design work at the bank, Utley stresses the importance of time management and living a life outside of work. “You have to experience life to reflect on it,” he emphasizes. “You can’t define yourself only by your art.” His advice gives creatives to give yourself freedom in the process, use note cards, not full pages and face your fears head-on. 

  • Terry Roberts

    Terry Roberts

    “If you persevere, if you really believe in yourself then something will happen.”

    Terry Roberts is a conductor, professor, and lifelong musician in Florence, South Carolina. He leads with passion and perseverance across every stage.

    About

    Terry Roberts is the Coordinator of Music at Francis Marion University and Music Director of the Florence Symphony Orchestra. A seasoned conductor and former solo French hornist in Europe, Terry’s global experience now shapes local culture in South Carolina.

    His career is built on resilience and artistic exploration. Roberts has performed in major opera houses across Europe and the United States. Fluent in multiple languages and rooted in a deep love for learning, he brings cultural and professional richness into the classroom and the concert hall.

    Terry’s legacy is measured not by a single pinnacle moment but through mentoring young musicians and commissioning original works many by his former students. “It’s like having your own children be successful,” he reflected.

    In a field that never stays still, Roberts thrives on structure and inspiration. “The first thing I do every day is play some music,” he shared. Time management, introspection, and joy fuel his work. His advice to future artists is unwavering: keep going. Don’t be discouraged. And above all, stay flexible because the path might surprise you.

    Transcripts

    00:01 | Emma Plutnicki 

    Okay, so first, what do you do for work and where are you currently working from? 

    00:06 | Terry Roberts 

    I’m the coordinator of music at Francis Marion University, and I’m a professor for various different classes and ensembles, and I’m also the music director of the Florence Symphony Orchestra. So, this is all in Florence of course. I’ve been here, I’ve been a conductor since 2003 and with the University for about 16 years. I believe. 

    00:31 | Emma Plutnicki 

    Amazing. So, what is one thing that you love about working in South Carolina, specifically? 

    00:37 | Terry Roberts 

    Well, normally, you can play golf year-round, but not now. Well, I was raised in the south mostly. I’m from Oklahoma originally, but, yeah, most of my life I’ve lived in the South. It’s a lot nicer, calmer. I had friends, one friend of mine, who’s a soloist, said “The only reason to go to New York is to get the check and leave.” So yeah, I was in Europe for a long time. When I moved back, people asked why I didn’t move to New York. I said, “Well, I can get to New York really easily. I don’t need to live there.” So yeah, and I get up there to do some gigs. But, yeah, one week about all I can stand in there. 

    01:25 | Emma Plutnicki 

    Fair. So, what does South Carolina bring to your work? Does it have any unique influence on your work compared to working anywhere else, working in New York? 

    01:37 | Terry Roberts 

    Well, like I said, I’ve had, I’ve had the good fortune to live in several different places. So, I’m more like trying to bring what I’ve learned culturally in different countries, different places in the United States, to impart that information, if you will, to my students and to the public, and culturally speaking simply. South Carolina obviously has a lot of history. One of my professors was a famous composer from Latta, just up the street here, Carlisle Floyd, and I studied with him when I was at Florida State University, and I played some of his works and things like that. 

    02:28 | Emma Plutnicki 

    And how would you describe the kind of working community in South Carolina? How is your local professional community? 

    02:38 | Terry Roberts 

    Oh, well, Florence especially is sort of booming. To be quite honest, when I moved here, I wasn’t going to stay, but things changed you know. That’s fate, as they say, and this particular community has just blossomed. I mean, we have two major hospitals, several major companies have moved here, and culturally, it’s just a gold mine. There’s a lot of culture going on here, and there’s a lot of talent within the community. So, it’s great. I mean, it’s very refreshing, and everyone loves to take part in the arts here, which is great. And I try to be diverse as possible, which is a hard thing to do anyway, but to include as many people as I can in the arts. So, I mean, when I had hair, long hair, I played in rock bands and all that stuff. So, you know, I’ve sort of done everything, if you will, so just a classical player. 

    03:46 | Emma Plutnicki 

    Amazing yeah, so within your working in a creative field, how do you define personal success and professional success? 

    03:57 | Terry Roberts 

    Oh, wow. Well, for me, personal success is being able to learn more every day. You never stop learning music. There’s always something new to learn and to hopefully to grow a bit every day. Professionally, I’ve been blessed to have done a lot of different things. I’ve played in all the major, I played French horn, solo horn in Europe for 16 years, and I played in all the major opera houses, concert halls in Europe and the United States. And that was, I was very fortunate. I was able to learn two more languages, you know. So, all those things are because of music. I got to see a lot of the world. So, it, I’ve been very fortunate. And it wasn’t easy at first, I have to admit, you know, but I think everyone who’s successful has to persevere. 

    05:08 | Emma Plutnicki 

    Yeah, amazing. So, you said it was difficult. Were there any fears that you had when you first decided to step into a profession in the arts? 

    05:18 | Terry Roberts 

    Well, my father has a PhD in music education. He was a chairman of music for years at universities, and so I was sort of raised in that environment. And I thought about actually becoming a pilot, that really intrigued me. But then I would have to stop playing, and I really wanted to play. And I mean, I’ve been playing some instruments since I was six years old, so, you know, and playing music is almost mathematical too, so that sort of tied in. I thought about piloting or architecture and things that, and my father encouraged me to do that because he didn’t want me to be a poor musician. But, anyway, it worked out. So, it was hard at first. I mean, when I got to Germany, I was going to study for one year, and I had like, $250 in my pocket and a horn and two suitcases, and I didn’t know what was going to happen. And it just sorts of blossomed from there. So, I was very fortunate. Right place at the right time, so to speak.  

    06:24 | Emma Plutnicki 

    Yeah, it’s great how it works out that way. Were there any people in your life giving you advice? Do you remember the best advice or the worst advice that you ever received? 

    06:39 | Terry Roberts 

    Well, I mean, gosh, there’s so many different people. My teacher, he was very famous horn player, Erich Penzel in Germany. He gave me a bunch of tips about how to handle conductors and now I’m a conductor, so it’s funny. And I would talk to a lot of different conductors, I worked under some very big names, and I would ask them how they went into the field. And all of them, all of them, talk about perseverance, and talk about, when you’re starting out, how hard it is, and it is. You just have to be in the right place at the right time. You know, there’s, there’s plenty of people out there that can do my job, but I just happen to get lucky, you know? I tell my students, “There’s always someone waiting to take your place.” You have to think that way. You have to, you have to practice. You have to always continue to get better. You can’t just sit and do nothing. And that, I believe that still to this day. I mean, the orchestra could say one day, “oh, come on and get someone else,” you know, with different ideas, you know. 

    07:46 | Emma Plutnicki 

    Makes sense. And within your career, has there been one particular project that has made a significant impact on your life or a project that you think really showcased your creativity and kind of was the pinnacle of your career? 

    08:15 | Terry Roberts 

    I don’t think I’ve reached that yet. To be quite honest. I hope I haven’t. I’m very proud of some of the works I’ve commissioned to be premiered with this orchestra, and I’m doing another work next fall, in October, that a former student of mine is writing. So, I’m always very proud when former students are successful. It makes me, you know, it’s like having your own children be successful. You know, which I do have children, they’re somewhat successful to me. 

    08:58 | Terry Roberts 

    I mean, it’s always good when you see someone succeed and you’ve been nurturing them and sort of mentoring or whatever, you know. So, yeah, I mean, I like helping out young people, and I think that’s probably one of my best things around. 

    09:18 | Emma Plutnicki 

    I love that. So nowadays, what does a typical workday look like for you? What’s your work process and what’s expected of you on a daily basis? 

    09:32 | Terry Roberts 

    Well, one thing about the arts, it’s never the same every day. I mean, obviously at the university you have your schedule. But, like, I’ve just done three days of rehearsals with three different ensembles, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. And today, I gotta regroup. I’ve gotta get ready for a different ensemble. Yeah, so and then I’ll teach a bit. I always have one day, and this is my day actually. I always have one day during the week where I try to regroup, and that’s Thursday this semester. But normally I come into the office, I start answering emails, which there’s plenty of, and stuff like that, and then I’ll start studying whatever music I need to be studying for the next concert I’m doing, or next project I’m doing. And at the same time, I’m doing budgets for the orchestra, budgets for the music program, things like that and people are asking me for money and all that neat stuff, a lot of paperwork. I mean, everyone goes, “Oh, so it must be so great be a musician.” I say, “Well, you know, when you spend 75% of your time doing the other stuff, you can be a musician, yeah, it’s really great when you make music.”  

    10:53 | Emma Plutnicki 

    So how are you able to keep that work life balance where you’re able to work on your professional responsibilities, but then also have time for personal creativity? 

    11:07 | Terry Roberts 

    It’s, actually not that hard. It’s all about time management. And, you know, teaching my students about that, that’s the one thing that you know, ever since I was, gosh, since I don’t know “it,” or whatever. The first thing I do every day is play some music. You know, whether it’s practice, listen, study or something, that’s the first thing you want to do every day. That sort of life gets you going, then you can take care of all this, other things like that. So, I don’t think it’s hard to balance it out. I like to play golf, I like to watch sports, crazy about the football stuff right now and, you know, I try to have other interests. And everyone you know, sort of, you know -I hate saying this. Everyone thinks that I’m just focused on music. I said, “You know, I have a normal life,” you know, and that’s what you must have, is a normal life. So, you have to shut it down sometimes. And I get, you know, nervous or excited, whatever. But you have to learn how to turn it off, too. And that’s, that’s difficult, and some days I’ll get pretty perturbed, you know? But you always have to look for a solution. You can’t stay perturbed. You have to figure out what you can do. After every rehearsal, I like to sit down for a second and just think about what I can do to make something better. You know, after when I teach something, did I teach it correctly? Or can I make it better? Make it more understood, if you will. So, it’s, it’s a, you know, different lifestyle. It’s not going into the office, clocking in, doing your work, there, go to have lunch. It’s not that. You’re sort of married to music, but you have to, just like with your spouse, you have to spend a little time away from it. 

    13:20 | Emma Plutnicki 

    That’s a great perspective to have.  

    13:23 | Terry Roberts 

    I once told someone, I’ve known my horn longer than I’ve known my wife.  

    13:27 | Emma Plutnicki 

    Yeah, there you go. True. Perfect. So just as we wrap up, are there any other questions you wish I would have asked, or anything else you’d like to add about you, know, your career and your life. 

    13:43 | Terry Roberts 

    I think the most important thing for anyone in the arts doesn’t matter, music, art, theater, whatever, that you cannot become discouraged. And that’s easy to say, very easy to say, because I have been discouraged many times. I’ve done auditions all over the world, and, you know, been disappointed, gotten almost there, and you feel really disappointed afterwards, but you have to persevere. You can’t just stop, you know. If you really love what you’re doing, it doesn’t matter. And I used to say, “the money will come later.” Yeah, you have to pay bills. Yeah, you have to know how to do a budget and all that stuff. But, if you persevere, if you really believe in yourself, then something will happen. It might not be exactly the way you thought. I mean, I didn’t think I was going to be a professor. After growing up that way I swore, I’d never do that. Here I am, you know. So, you just never know the path, you have to be flexible and persevere.  

    15:22 | Emma Plutnicki 

    Well perfect. Do you have any other creatives in your life that you think would be good for us to interview? Can you think of anybody? 

    15:40 | Terry Roberts 

    My wife, she was a prima ballerina in Pacific Northwest Ballet in France, and we met in Monte Carlo. We were both working there, and she does the ballet here. She’s artistic director of the South Carolina Dance Theater. 

    15:58 | Emma Plutnicki 

    Okay, amazing. If we could get her contact information, or I can send you the link to nominate an individual. 

    16:05 | Terry Roberts 

    I’ll just email you her email address and whatever. 

    16:08 | Emma Plutnicki 

    Okay, amazing. That’d be great.  

    16:11 | Terry Roberts 

    She’s seen more of the world than me. She has literally been around the world. But she’s from Wilmington, North Carolina, of all things. And she went to North County School of the Arts and studied. Well, she’d been dancing since, professionally, she started at 17. Dancers have a short lifespan, you know. Then she went into teaching, so I never saw her dance. I met her when she was finished dancing, so. 

    16:41 | Emma Plutnicki 

    She’s got to still be dancing a little bit these days, right?  

    16:44 | Terry Roberts 

    Well, she demonstrates. And sometimes she says, “I shouldn’t have demonstrated that.” 

    16:50 | Emma Plutnicki 

    Yeah. 

    16:53 | Terry Roberts 

    So, she choreographs and runs the ballet here. 

    16:57 | Emma Plutnicki 

    Okay, amazing. That would be great if you could send that over. 

  • Angela Yemi Gibson

    Angela Yemi Gibson

    “A closed mouth doesn’t get fed. You gotta ask.”

    Angela Yemi Gibson is a medical biller by day and an arts visionary by night: founder of a nonprofit African Dance Company in Spartanburg, SC.

    About

    Angela Yemi Gibson seamlessly bridges her dual passions: healthcare administration and African cultural arts. Based in Spartanburg, South Carolina, she works full-time as a medical biller while managing her nonprofit, an African Dance Company she founded over 20 years ago.

    Angela’s days are long and varied claim filing and patient communication by day, choreography and performance prep by evening. Her recent highlight: successfully leading an artist residency in Monks Corner, where she and her team taught African dance to local elementary students. “It was way out of the comfort zone, but it was successful,” she recalled.

    Angela measures success differently depending on the hat she’s wearing. In billing, it’s financial stability. In dance, it’s audience engagement and community response. Her nonprofit recently secured grants that allowed her to offer free community classes while ensuring her team is compensated.

    Angela believes in transparency and resilience. “Sometimes it’s okay to ask for help,” she says. She encourages aspiring creatives to surround themselves with trustworthy collaborators, remain positive, and keep showing up. Her advice is simple and clear: “Keep swimming.”

    Contact

  • Rae Weekes

    Rae Weekes

    “You can pave your own path. That can look any way you want it to.”

    Rae Weekes is the Artistic Director of Heart Inclusive Arts in North Charleston, where she helps adults with disabilities find empowerment through the arts.

    About

    Rae Weekes is the Artistic Director of Heart Inclusive Arts Community, a nonprofit studio in North Charleston, South Carolina that provides visual and performing arts opportunities for adults with disabilities. Since joining Heart in 2014, Rae has been central to creating an inclusive, expressive environment grounded in equity, access, and creativity. Whether coordinating performances or supporting daily studio activities, she fosters connection through compassion and community. Rae believes deeply in the power of art to amplify voices and create belonging “not just creating art,” she says, “but creating equity and opportunity.”

  • Sisi Garland

    Sisi Garland

    “Being brave does not mean being unafraid. It’s being scared and going forward with it anyway.”  

    Sisi Garland is the Executive Director of Heart Inclusive Arts Community, an interdisciplinary art studio in North Charleston, South Carolina, serving adults with disabilities. With a background in stage management and theater, Garland has worked in New York and Charleston and celebrates five years of leadership at Heart. She believes in the power of creativity, community, and courage in the arts. 

    About

    Sisi Garland is the Executive Director of Heart Inclusive Arts Community in North Charleston, South Carolina, where she works from her pink office in the Heart Art studio. She has been with the organization for five years. Heart is a multi-disciplinary art studio for adults with disabilities that offers opportunities in visual and performing arts and other creative outlets. 

    Garland sees South Carolina’s Lowcountry as an inspiring location for artists: “Visually, it’s stunning, especially in this Lowcountry region… there’s also such a rich culture here, and so many different cultures coming together.” She describes the local creative community as not only supportive, but also actively engaged with Heart’s mission. Garland expresses that the local community “will rally their support around us.” 

    Being from a small farming town in Delaware, Garland initially feared she wouldn’t be able to make a sustainable career in the arts. In this small town Sisi wasn’t exposed to what the arts consisted of, “I had no real concept of what being a professional creative could look like. It felt to me at the time like you either had to be a Lister red carpet famous or a sad, struggling wannabe, and that there was not in between.” After moving to Charleston, South Carolina where she attended the College of Charleston, where she learned how to express creativity in the professional world. 

    A turning point came when she accepted her first professional stage management role after college. That production connected her to the theater company she has now worked with for nearly 15 years. The best advice she’s ever received: being brave doesn’t mean being unafraid, it means moving forward despite fear. 

  • Tonya Gore

    Tonya Gore

    “I sold everything, packed my dogs, and moved to Charleston because I refused to let fear of the unknown stop me. I had to stay creative and find a way to help my community at the same time.” 

    Tonya Gore, Director of Enhancement and Design, Myrtle Beach Downtown Alliance. From artist to urban designer: Tonya Gore’s journey is a masterclass in resilience, reinvention, and rootedness. After a devastating flood hit her hometown, Tonya left behind a two-decade career in graphic design to pursue a new path in Resilient Urban Design. Now serving as Director of Enhancement and Design at the Myrtle Beach Downtown Alliance, she fuses her artistic background with a deep commitment to community-building, proving that creativity can shape not just art, but entire cities. 

    About 

    Tonya Gore’s career is a study of creative reinvention and community commitment. After two decades in graphic design while moonlighting as an adjunct instructor in digital arts. Gore watched historic floods devastate her family’s hometown of Nichols, SC. The double blow convinced her that art and design could serve a larger civic purpose. She enrolled in Clemson’s accelerated Resilient Urban Design program, sold most of her belongings to finance the year-long course, and immersed herself in streetscape and placemaking theory. 

    Today, as Director of Enhancement & Design at the Myrtle Beach Downtown Alliance, Gore oversees branding, way-finding, pocket-park activations, and public-art initiatives that aim to make downtown walkable and welcoming for residents and visitors alike. Her weekly routine spans supervising digital-arts interns, refining Pantone palettes for signage, coordinating “Nights at Nance” concerts, and liaising with neighborhood-watch groups to keep redevelopment transparent. 

    Gore’s advice for aspiring creatives is two-fold: master the fundamentals then keep learning. “Technology changes fast,” she says, “but draftsmanship, curiosity, and the willingness to network never go out of style.”