{"id":2689,"date":"2019-10-29T10:28:32","date_gmt":"2019-10-29T10:28:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/?p=2689"},"modified":"2026-03-16T08:30:59","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T08:30:59","slug":"network-is-important-community-is-essential","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/lifestyle-wellbeing\/network-is-important-community-is-essential\/","title":{"rendered":"Network is Important, Community is Essential"},"content":{"rendered":"

Feeling part of something is key for everyone but what if you work in one of the most competitive industries in the world? How do you work towards and finally feel like you really belong? Actor Katherine Kerman shares her story and advice.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

As a London-based American actor, I know a thing or two about stretching beyond comfort zones \u2013 which is why I\u2019m here today to challenge you to push out of your own comfort zones to do more to nurture and grow your artistic network.<\/p>\n

Challenge yourself<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Let\u2019s be super clear, networking has never been my strong point, but it is something that is essential as an actor trying to get your name out there. Before moving to the UK to get my MA in Classical Acting at LAMDA, I studied acting at The Theatre School at DePaul University in Chicago, where I spent years honing an incredible network and community of like-minded artists. I was just starting to feel like I belonged, when I bit the bullet and moved abroad.<\/p>\n

If we met in person, I\u2019m almost certain you wouldn\u2019t believe I\u2019m an introvert \u2013 or that I struggle to network. Perhaps it\u2019s the American in me, but I tend to feel the need to strike up conversation and fill the empty space with loud booming jokes \u2013 mostly a fa\u00e7ade for being uncomfortable with silence. But moving from Chicago to London meant that I\u2019ve had to really focus on creating a new community, which has made me realise the importance networking plays in making an artistic home for yourself.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t easy leaving behind the city where I\u2019d built all my hopes and dreams. At first, it felt like an adventure coming to a new country. Buying a one-way flight to London, saying goodbye to people, packing\u2026 it felt a little bit like a game of chicken. It was exciting and people looked at me differently \u2013 and then all of a sudden I had been run over and was in another country.<\/p>\n

Because of all this, I know how important it is to create community \u2013 and it\u2019s for a variety of reasons, not just for getting to auditions.<\/p>\n

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For the times when the creativity isn\u2019t flowing, and perhaps the auditions and call backs aren\u2019t coming in, the right community is a lifeline for support.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n