Women With Impact #18 - Sarah Wayne Callies
Welcome to Women With Impact, a newsletter all about the journeys of ambitious women and how they have a positive impact in our world.
I’m Clara Richter and this is the 18th edition of Women With Impact. If you enjoy this issue, please share it with a friend and like it above.
For this edition, I interviewed Sarah Wayne Callies, actor, film director and writer. Based in the Canada, she is globally known for starring in Prison Break and The Walking Dead, hit television series where she took over complex, leading roles. Sarah - being a passionate story-letter - co-created and is the lead actress of the post-apocalyptic series Aftershock. Sarah has received numerous accolades such as winning and being nominated as the best TV cast for the Satellite Awards.
Wishing you a pleasant read!
Best,
Clara
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The Journey
Who are you and how do you spend your time?
I’m someone who believes in the power of stories. The stories we tell each other as individuals and as a culture are more powerful than many of us realise. If we can see it, we can be it. When we fill our screens with stories of bleakness and despair, our culture leans in that direction because we believe what we’ve been told. So these days I try to tell good stories – whether it’s as an actor, director, writer or producer. I’m telling stories that expand our sense of what we’re capable of and our ability to reach one another; stories that affirm the fundamental goodness and decency in us, no matter how absurd circumstances get. The world needs big solutions, so we need big stories.
What do you think is most important in creating positive change?
Passion – change is harder, slower, and full of more compromises than we usually expect. So if we’re going to commit ourselves to creating change, we have to be willing to be in it for the long haul: without recognition or reward. If we’re passionate about something, that commitment comes without too much struggle. If we’re serving someone else’s agenda – it can get overwhelming.
What is a recent success you are proud of?
There’s a scripted podcast, like a radio drama, that I created, wrote, direct and perform in. The second season came out recently (it’s called Aftershock), and it was in the top 5 drama podcasts in over 4 dozen countries. It’s more mine than anything I’ve been a part of, and in it I get to explore some stories that I haven’t heard elsewhere – stories about land and ownership and forgiveness and apology. I took some big creative risks, and some of my creative partners really didn’t like them at first. But there’s a time for collaborating and then there’s a time to have faith in your own vision – and along with the support of my cast, I stuck to most of that vision. I’m proud that the global community has responded to it with such love.
The Lessons
What has been the most rewarding experience on your journey?
Actually seeing change. For example - years ago, I was fighting for casting of indigenous actors in my projects as a director and as an actor. Folks would respond as though it was some fringe request out of left field, no sense of why it might matter. Now there’s less of a fight, and more awareness that inclusion is vital and long past due. And now, seeing indigenous-created shows and films flourish and make an impact culturally – it’s a joy. There’s still a tremendously long way to go before we’re even approaching equity. But just the concept of indigenous inclusion and indigenous narrative sovereignty weren’t taken seriously at the beginning of my career.
What's a challenge you have encountered most often and how did you tackle it?
The biggest challenge I face is people with privilege who are convinced they’re the “good guys”. The most dangerous ones will tell you, for instance, they “don’t have a sexist bone in their body”. I once had a writer tell me with a straight face that he couldn’t be a misogynist because he was married to a strong woman. But the entire cast was deeply concerned about his characterisation of the lead female in the show, and we weren’t wrong. The truth is that nobody’s perfect; we all have blind spots, and at some point someone is going to come us and say: with love and respect, here’s where you can do better. Meeting that feedback with grace and humility isn’t easy, but it’s necessary.
The Inspiration
What is the best advice you have been given recently?
“It’s not personal”. And honestly, it never is when you really get down to it.
What resource do you think more people should take use of?
Each other. When we’re in the weeds on a project or in personal pain, so often we isolate. We hide our weakness out of shame or hopelessness. But when we connect with others, the problems shift – if it’s work, we get fresh creative input and solutions emerge. If it’s personal, we can begin to untangle the lie of suffering and mental illness – that we’re alone. We’re not. Just being in community with others, collaborating – it makes our work better and it heals our isolation.
Who inspires you?
Queer kids. I see the assault they’re under in so many countries around the world – both literally and figuratively - just to be who they are. But they stand up for each other, for themselves – they march and they organise and they speak and they create community… and even the ones who don’t, who may be stuck without support, they survive in a world that’s never been as cruel to me as it is to them. And they’re still making art, writing, going to school, trying to make the world a better place. It’s gorgeous. I’m in awe.
Enjoyed this or have any feedback? Let me know in the comments!
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