Dear Artist, Be gentle with yourself!
Dear Artist,
Firstly, you got this!
Pursuing a life/career as a creative is so many things, so many deaths and rebirhts but I hope your journey is filled with joy and lots of belly laughs. This is going to sound cliché but try and enjoy the journey rather than solely focusing on the destination.
Yes, I know you want to get signed with that one particular agent, you need to work with that one director who you have admired since you were a teen or you just need to book that role before you are considered “too old”. It’s so great to have goals and ambitious dreams but also know that life is happening right now. You are an artist right now – not when x, y, z happens.
This might sound obvious but be gentle with yourself. To create great work, you must be gentle. It can feel scary and vulnerable at times but you can do this. Keep it simple, show up every day for your craft, get 8 hours of sleep and eat 3 meal a day – you got this.
I believe in you + your artistry,
I met Siún O’Kane in November 2025 at the PAF Connects event at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin. We sat together at Axis Ballymun where Siún participated in the letter-writing and interview session for the Dear Artist project.
We talked about her being in her mysterious 20s, navigating labels in the industry as an actor, dancer, theatre maker, and musical theatre performer, and the need for sending a clear message about oneself while searching for work in all the above roles.
