Life & Work with Erin Collins of Decatur

Today we’d like to introduce you to Erin Collins.

Hi Erin, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’ve always been a creative person, but figuring out what I actually wanted to pursue as a career was a real struggle. Imposter syndrome hit me hard, and for much of my early twenties, I let it dictate my choices.

Eventually, I started feeling this deep void in my gut. Call it existential dread, call it misalignment, it doesn’t really matter. All I knew was that it would. not. go away.. no matter what I did. I slowly realized that if I didn’t change something, I would always feel this perpetual restlessness. I was at a loss, so, like many of us do, I turned to YouTube for answers. I found a “find your purpose meditation” and I gave it my all. That meditation brought me back to my childhood and asked me what I loved when I was young and free from societal pressure. Lo and behold, performing was the answer.

Looking back, I realize that emptiness came from a lack of creativity in my life. At the time, I was pursuing a STEM degree (No shade on STEM degrees, by the way) and I had already switched my major five times. I thought, well, maybe one last try. I changed my major to Theater. Boom. Here we are.

I graduated in 2020, yikes. But by 2021, I immediately started taking film classes at the acting studio Drama Inc and other acting studios around Atlanta. There, I met a group of supportive and inspiring people who helped me put down strong roots in my acting career.

I took as many acting classes as I could and started auditioning non-stop. I self-submitted on Actors Access, Casting Networks, Backstage, and even through Facebook groups. I was hungry for experience. I just wanted to get on set and soak up all the knowledge I could.

My work ethic is a bit obsessive, and it doesn’t always let me rest as much as I should, but I am grateful for it. I met so many wonderful people on set, in classes, and through restaurant jobs, and I began to grow a community of creatives around me. I also joined an actor jam that helped me meet a ton of amazing creatives in Atlanta. Whenever someone needed help with a project (or with anything, really) I showed up if I could, and those connections opened lots of doors.

Since then, I’ve worked on countless indie film projects across the Southeast, as well as theater productions. I plan to continue this wild and wonderful journey with full fervor, oh, and an abundant amount of silly-goose energy. Duh.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Smooth road? As an actor? Hah!

Firstly, being a woman in this industry can be really hard. I always think I should keep quiet, or not have a voice, or not be too much, or not speak up for myself. But that’s BS! I’ve been so afraid of being judged in this industry, especially by men. But then I think: “Well, what’s the worst that can happen? They judge me? Fine!” So, I do what scares me. I try to speak up. I take up space. I have an opinion. It’s okay to be a woman in the arts and be seen!

This is not a new statement, but let me tell you, it is a doozy to want to be a full-time creative while living in a capitalistic society. I have a survival job, and it is not always easy to go in there with my head held high. After the strikes, there was a mass exodus of the film industry from Atlanta. There have been countless times when I have not had a project to work on, and I start to feel squirrelly, like I’m not doing enough. That’s when writing or collaborating with friends helps. Sometimes, though, I have to remind myself of what Jack Torrance taught us all in The Shining: All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. It’s okay to not always be working on something. I can enjoy my life and trust that the universe is taking care of me, (this also prevents axe-murderous thoughts).

I have learned that having a career in the arts means prioritizing self-care. I need to nurture my own self-worth and self-esteem, because the industry will not do it for me. I have to make space in my life to enjoy art, separate from external validation and booking roles. Sounds cliche, but spending time with family and friends, connecting with nature, traveling, enjoying good food, having a good giggle, and watching lots of movies (in theaters), these are the things that make my heart beam! I guess it really is the simple things. Who would’ve thought.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am an actor, writer, and producer.

Something truly special I did during the writer and actor strikes was kickstart my own project, which gave me my first real taste of production. I reached out to people in my community and helped co-produce and develop the characters for Five O’Clock Somewhere, a short crime comedy. Jon Milograno directed and wrote it, Isaac McCord DP’d, while Cleve Willis, Lucas Ayoub, Bonny Breuer, and I starred in it. Five O’Clock Somewhere has won numerous awards at festivals across Georgia, including Best Comedy at The Atlanta Women’s Film Festival and both the Jury and Audience Awards at the Atlanta Film Society’s Locals Only Film Festival. The feedback we received was beyond anything we imagined. Taking creative control, rather than waiting for Hollywood to decide I was “good enough,” was paramount for feeling empowered and relevant during such a difficult and uncertain time.

Since creating that project, I starred in a production of the renowned play The Seagull by Anton Chekhov, directed by Vivian Bang. The production received critical praise from the AJC, which noted: “Collins stands out as Nina, capturing the transition from innocence to experience with remarkable depth.” Thank you ARTSATL for seeing me!!

I also starred in the horror short Night Shift at Ned’s, directed and written by Hagen Mattingly. The film has earned multiple awards on the festival circuit, including Best Lead Actress at both Everything Holiday Film Fest and Fear at the Farm Film Fest. Additionally, I helped produce a horror short with Hagen and my friend Cory King called Forces from Beyond, a story about a witch trial gone wrong in 1500s Ireland. The film won eight awards at the Buried Alive Film Festival Sinema Challenge, and I received Best Performance and Best Villain. Yay!

I also worked on several other projects this year, including the horror feature The Killing Cell, directed by Karsen Schovajsa and James Bessey, in which I starred as Sadie. The film follows a group of YouTubers exploring the depths of an abandoned prison and is not for the faint of heart. It is currently making the festival rounds across the U.S., and Grimoire of Horror wrote, “Erin Caitlin Collins commands enough of a screen presence that it would be great to see her in more genre films.” Woohoo!

I love being a creative because it opens endless possibilities. I never know what character I’ll explore next, what story I’ll stumble upon, or what writing project I’ll be called to. Each new endeavor is a chance to grow, collaborate, and bring something fresh to life. The journey continues!

Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
Insight Timer App! This app has saved me.
Intent to Live by Larry Moss
A Practical Handbook for the Actor by Melissa Bruder, Nathaniel Pollack & Scott Zigler
The Actor’s Life by Jenna Fisher
Mindful Evening by David Dillard Wright
A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose by Eckhart Tolle
The Spirituality of Imperfection by Ernest Kurtz and Katherine Ketcham
Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting by Syd Field

And sometimes DELETING MY SOCIAL MEDIA APPS FOR AWHILE!!! It helps!!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/erincaitlincollins
• Instagram: erin_collins999
• Other: https://imdb.me/Erincaitlincollins

Image Credits
Warren Steele
Josh Stringer
Isaac McCord
Emily Eliason