Women Supporting Women Featuring Kimberli Condon

"Madame Arcati"

Lately, on social media, I’ve seen a slew of young women behaving like ‘mean girls’ especially targeting Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, Millennials, black women, brown women, white women, lesbian/gay/queer women, and trans women. In other words, they were dissing just about every woman and group of women! And, we’ve all observed older women, too, misconducting themselves in a bullying manner toward other women. While this type of persecution and unkind verbal attacks is nothing new, once it hits social media, it amplifies the ugly mean-spiritedness. At a time when women are under attack from politicians and the culture, women not supporting other women is unconscionable. The last thing women need are women bullying other women.

I considered what I will do to support other women and was inspired by one of my favorite T-shirts; it sports this powerful phrase: “We rise by lifting each other” (Cirque du Soleil). What I will do is to highlight a few local women, sharing some of their story, inviting you to learn about what they offer, and supporting them in their passion. This week, Kimberli Condon is the star of this blog essay.

Kimberli (Kim) is the Events & Program Coordinator for the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences division at Bossier Parish Community College. That is Kim’s ‘day job’ and she is highly successful contributing to her alma mater (BPCC) in a key role there. She is also talented and creative performer; her passions run deep and she’s here to tell us more. By the way, I had the delightful experience of seeing Kim as Madame Arcati in a local production of Noel Coward’s play, Blythe Spirit. Her performance was brilliant! The color photo at the top of this blog is Kim as Madame Arcati and the black and white photo of Kim in another performance.

Me: What’s your passion, your purpose? Please tell us about it.

Kim: I recently received an email where I was referred to as a "talent torch bearer," and I must say I loved the title!

I find great satisfaction in connecting with people and bringing them together in a way that improves the experiences and services available in my community. My particular focus is on building opportunities for creative individuals and showcasing the advantages of incorporating their unique perspectives.

Often, creative individuals are overlooked or placed lower in the hierarchy of organizations because their tactics don't always fit within traditional structures. I'm deeply passionate about conveying the message that creative individuals possess invaluable skills that society should deeply value and integrate into every industry.

We depend on artists to work their magic and transform data, ideas, theories, systems, or principles into tangible and comprehensible forms.

Me: How did you discover your passion, your purpose?

Kim: Oh, my gosh! I declared so many majors like French foreign language, psychology, and culinary arts. I’m pretty sure the admissions office had a stack of change of major forms just for me.

Looking back I was just a creative person trying to figure out how I fit into the workforce.

Even now my beautiful gift (ADHD) has me entertaining the idea of being a yoga instructor, paramedic, crime detective, plus-size boutique owner, or politician. Which makes total sense when I tell you I ended up declaring theatre as a major.

Finally, the little girl who couldn’t sit still, stop talking in class, and spent her playtime recording toothpaste commercials was on her way to discover the world of creative and performing arts.

Me: How have you curated this passion, this purpose? Through experience & practice, through intuition, through

certifications/degrees?

Kim: Earning my Associates Degree in theatre from Bossier Parish Community College allowed me the time I needed to gain confidence and explore who I was both personally and professionally.

However, after transferring to a 4-year college, I once again found myself wondering what to major in. I must thank the intuitive academic advisor that placed me in the course Intro to Mass Communication. Suddenly, my world expanded.

I quickly realized how my theatre skills directly connected to the field of communication. I found that I could handle campaign management much like running a production. Experiencing catharsis with a live audience gave me insight into defining target audiences. Demographic reports resembled character development, and script analysis was akin to assembling a situation analysis. Theatre turned out to be even better than a business degree.

When you put it all together, you have a comedic actress whose special skills are public relations management and creative direction.

Me: What appeals to you, resonates with you about

expressing your passion, your purpose?

Kim: I love nothing more than invoking an emotional reaction from an audience or individual. Especially in the exact moment they needed to feel that particular emotion. Especially joy, making people laugh will always be my way of helping people escape all the stresses in the world.

Me: What are three fun aspects about you?

Kim: 1. When I look at people I see colors; I guess in a way I read auras pulling from character studies and color theory. 2. I can do a really good impression of Bette Midler’s character Winifred from Hocus Pocus.

3. I find it really weird that people don’t break out in song more.

Me: What’s your dream role?

Kim: I find myself dreaming up audience experiences more than a specific character – like certain live productions and how awesome it would be to produce in different local venues or working on a creative project with my favorite creative people.

Me: What advice will you give to a young person who

wants to pursue their passion for acting?

Kim: I would like to tell every young creative mind that there is a place for your talents in this world and to allow yourself the time to cultivate those talents. Try not to get caught up in the urgency to pick one path and follow it. Take time to build on who you are and what you have to bring to the table. Trust me a seat will open up when you are ready if you work hard and remain open to learning new things everyday.

I support and celebrate Kim Condon as she lives her purpose! Thank you for reading this blog essay; if you read this on social media, please type your comments below. Or, if you read this in your subscription, please share your thoughts in an email to me at reimaginelife22@gmail.com. And, I invite you to subscribe to my blog at www.reimaginelifecoach.com.