Meet: Jennifer Delac
JENNIFER DELAC is a choreographer and stage manager living in NYC.
(jenniferdelac1@gmail.com or JenniferDelac.com)
Catholic Artist Connection (CAC): What brought you to NYC, and where did you come from? How long have you been here, and why did you decide to move here?
Jennifer Delac (JD): I had always wanted to be in NYC. The vibrant art community has been a huge draw since I first visited in high school. I transferred to Fordham University at Lincoln Center my sophomore year and just stayed. I’ve been here almost 8 years now so I guess I’m a New Yorker at this point.
CAC: Do you call yourself a Catholic artist?
JD: I don’t know that I identify myself as specifically a “Catholic Artist.” I am a Catholic. I am an artist. But I don’t work exclusively on Catholic projects. Much like a musician that isn’t necessarily classified as a “Christian singer” by genre but still makes a point of pursuing artistic endeavors that encompass the values that they believe and support. I’m always looking for projects that bring beauty and hope to the forefront and that can be found in so many different places.
CAC: Where have you found support in the Church for your vocation as an artist?
JD: I’ve found this incredible community as part of the young adult choir at St. Paul the Apostle. It’s a volunteer choir made up of a lot of people pursuing art as a profession. It’s so nice to be able to come together once a week and share our struggles and triumphs in the entertainment field. I’ve found it to be so important to have someone to talk to who is experiencing a lot of the same things you are in the city.
CAC: Where have you found support among your fellow artists for your Catholic faith? How can the Church be more welcoming to artists?
JD: Inviting artists to use their God given gifts and talents to be involved in the community. For example, Inviting an actor maybe be a reader at mass and presenting it as a way that acknowledges and utilizes their skills. This could go even further in displaying artwork on a rotating basis or allowing musicians to host concerts in the church.
CAC: How can the artistic world be more welcoming to artists of faith?
JD: I often find myself wishing the artistic community wouldn’t be so quick to judge. In an often incredibly accepting community, I find there is a prejudice against artists of faith. Sometimes its because of a bad experience they’ve had or an unwelcomeness they have felt in the past. Their feelings are valid and I’m finding it takes patience and a lot of listening on both ends to not generalize when it comes to being an artist of faith and associating one person or experience with faith in general.
CAC: Where in NYC do you regularly find spiritual fulfillment?
JD: As an artist, there is an endless list of things to do, people to meet, dreams to chase. I’m learning slowly to take time out of my day for prayer or to simply just sit in a park for 15 minutes and be still. Yes, I could knock something off my to do list in that time but there will always be another item added behind it. It’s so important for your spiritual life and for you as a person to take that time.
CAC: How have you found or built community as a Catholic artist living in NYC?
JD: By connecting with artists who also practice their faith. There are so many more people in the city than you would think who fall into this category. Just like in anything else, you need to find people who are after the same things as you in life and reach out to them. It’s good for you. It’s good for them. It’s good for the art you are trying to put back into the world.
CAC: What is your daily spiritual practice?
JD: I try to start my day with a rosary on the train. The subway is a fountain of frustrations and I find that focusing on prayer as a way to start, helps me to keep perspective and not get bogged down by the little things that can affect my mood and mindset for the day.
CAC: What is your daily artistic practice?
JD: I don’t know that I practice my art daily. There are certain weeks that seem full to the opportunity to practice my art and then there are months when I feel like I haven’t done much at all to contribute to my artistic growth. When I find myself in a dry spell I try to sign up for something like a choreography festival or a reading or a music series to give me a deadline to work towards and not stay too far away from it. There are so many ways to be involved in small projects in the city to keep the artistic juices flowing. It just takes a little internet research and a yes. Also, singing at mass on Sundays as part of the choir has been a game changer for me in terms of feeding both my spiritual and artistic self on a weekly basis in a non competitive, community driven environment.
CAC: You actually live in NYC? How!?
I currently live with a wonderful stage manager I went to school with! I subletted for a long time through friends I knew or through the FB group Ghostlight Productions. I was in and out of the city a lot with shows so it didn’t make sense for me to sign and pay for a full lease. It also gave me time to figure out which neighborhoods I enjoyed living in and what commutes I could do on a daily basis that didn’t make me crazy.
JD: But seriously, how do you make a living in NYC?
That is always the tough question and I don’t know that I will ever perfect that answer. But there are many different opportunities in the city. I’m fortunate in that I pursue stage management in addition to choreography so it opens up a wider pool of job opportunities in the arts. I’ve found temping to be a good fit for me in between shows, especially when I’m often only trying to fill in a week or two here and there. I know many friends who work in restaurants which can be a great income source but easy to take up a lot of your time, leaving you too tired to pursue the artistic endeavors you came to the city to pursue in the first place (I will note that some people can manage this extremely well but it is not easy for everyone to juggle).
I would encourage you to delve into other skills you have and the crossover skills that make you a good artist that can be carried into other fields as well. Some jobs allow you to work remotely for companies part time, giving you freedom to work around artistic projects, things like real estate, doing digital graphics, video editing for a marketing group, etc.
CAC: How much would you suggest artists moving to NYC budget for their first year?
JD: Ideally, you would have enough to cover 3 months rent (approximately $3,000). You often have to put down a security deposit on an apartment (even if you are subletting) and it’s good to be able to focus on settling in and giving yourself time to find a “survival job” that would be a good fit for you rather then settling on the first thing that comes your way.
CAC: What other practical resources would you recommend to a Catholic artist living in NYC?
JD: Make friends with the people around you and don’t be afraid to reach out to people for advice. It’s a lot of information to learn on how both the city and the industry work. Most artists had someone give them advice and are happy to pass it onto a new person. Many people grew up elsewhere and moved here for a reason so they were once in your shoes and know how overwhelming it can feel sometimes. The Actors Fund can be a great resource as well as churches that have an artist community like St. Malachy’s. I’ve also found little coffee shops (not starbucks) to be great places to be productive and to meet other New Yorkers (Gregory’s, The Chipped Cup, and Hamilton’s Bakery are some of my favorites).
CAC: What are your top 3 pieces of advice for Catholic artists moving to NYC?
JD: 1. First and foremost, stay close to God. It’s not always easy and holding onto your faith will keep you grounded and sane, truly. It will remind you of why you started this artistic journey in the first place. God is the ultimate creator after all!
2. Find a community to both hold you accountable and to support you in the high and low times. This is a big city with lots of people but can often feel incredibly lonely so find those people you can sit down for coffee with when you feel stuck or to have a drink with when you are celebrating your first NYC show! I would be nowhere without family and friends who remind me of the important things when I forget.
3. Don’t take life too seriously. Find time to take a run through the park, go to a pop concert, try the newest dessert that you see in the window of the bakery you walk past every day. It’s a journey and there will be tough times but there is so much beauty and joy to experience as well.
