Today we’d like to introduce you to Stacy D. Flood.
Stacy D. , we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve always had a love for two things: storytelling and a sense of wonder, using the first to enhance the second. In that regard I believe I’ve wanted to be a storyteller my entire life ― from my childhood notebooks to my undergraduate degree in filmmaking to my postgraduate degrees in Creative Writing and English to my publications to my works on the stage ― in whatever manner available and suited for the story I wanted to tell. That inherent desire is what has fueled my passion and propulsion through the literary arts, regardless of medium.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It certainly hasn’t been a smooth road, and if I can appreciate anything from those trials it is the opportunity for learning and growth, two of my lifelong passions. There are the struggles of confronting discrimination, balancing art and a day job, artistic goals, time limitations, and general life demands, and these will likely be lifetime considerations, but if you focus on your goals and your heart, a path will clear itself. It may take time, a crystalline vision, and a lot of work, but your art, and yourself, are worth it.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I still feel fortunate and most proud to call myself a writer, in being both a student and admirer of the craft.
Although I’m originally from Buffalo, and currently living in Seattle, my work has appeared at ACT, Union Arts Center, Ghost Light Theatricals, Theatre Battery, and Theater Schmeater in Seattle, as well as in SOMA Magazine, Seattle Weekly, three Seattle Fringe productions, the Akropolis Performance Lab’s New Year/New Play salon, Playlist Seattle, the Adaptive Arts Theatre Company’s Night of New Works, Macha Theatre Works’ Distillery series, Mirror Stage’s ‘Expand Upon’ readings, The Hansberry Project’s REPRESENT festival, Infinity Box’s Centrifuge, FUSION Theatre Company’s ‘The Seven’ Short Works Festival, and in Starbucks’ The Way I See It campaign. I have served as an instructor at Seattle’s Hugo House and Portland’s Literary Arts as well as a lecturer at San Francisco State University — from which I hold an MA in English, an MFA in Creative Writing, and a Clark/Gross Novel Writing Award — and I have additionally been awarded both a Getty Fellowship to The Community of Writers and a Gregory Capasso Award in Fiction from the University at Buffalo. Furthermore, I have been a finalist in the Ashland New Play and Playwrights Foundation Bay Area festivals, and in addition, an artist-in-residence at DISQUIET in Lisbon, Djerassi in Northern California, Oberpfälzer Künstlerhaus in Bavaria, and Millay Arts in New York. My play entitled Wardenclyffe was a winner at the Union Arts Center’s New Play Northwest festival, and published by Lanternfish Press, The Salt Fields is my first novella.
Nevertheless, through everything, I believe that it is my constant dedication to, and love for, story excellence, in addition to enjoying the stories others are brave enough to craft and deliver through whatever medium works best for them, that sets me apart and keeps me rhapsodic about storytelling. It keeps me convinced in the power of imagination to counter whatever darkness we face, or to capture any starlight we’ve missed.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
There are two aspects that I always advise new artists, writers or otherwise, to remember: the first is to remember that great art is about listening to both yourself and the world around you ― not about telling, but noticing. The second is to never lose that sense of wonder mentioned earlier. And while I also stress understanding the difference between collaboration and compromise., honoring your art with your time and focus, and constantly learning and honing your craft, I wish I’d known sooner the importance of valuing your accomplishments. You will get there, but be sure to enjoy every moment of the journey along the way. And, lastly, remember that sometimes the darkest midnights have the brightest stars. There is constant starlight, and when you don’t see it, dream.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://stacydflood.com
- Instagram: @stacydflood
- Facebook: @stacydflood
