The Artist Behind the Art

You worked hard to get the opportunity. Then the contract lands in your inbox, and suddenly you're expected to understand exactly what you're agreeing to.

In Part One of this two-part conversation, I'm joined by attorney and circus artist Elizabeth Wohl to help demystify some of the legal language we encounter as professional artists and understand the role we can actually play in the contracts we're asked to sign.

We talk about what a contract is really there to do, indemnification, arbitration, limitations on damages, force majeure, cancellation and payment terms, and some of the red flags that should make us slow down and ask more questions. We also talk about knowing your priorities, understanding how risk is being shifted, and remembering that a contract is an agreement—not simply something you're handed and expected to sign.

Elizabeth brings a unique perspective to this conversation as both an attorney and the founder and soprano-aerialist of Arc Benders Circus Opera, where she combines aerial silks and rope with operatic singing.

And this is only Part One. In Part Two, we get even more practical with how to ask for changes, language you can actually use in those conversations, what to do when a client doesn't provide a contract, what business documents you should have ready, and when it may be time to bring in an attorney.

If contracts have ever felt intimidating, confusing, or like something you were just supposed to somehow know how to navigate, this two-part conversation is for you.

Follow Elizabeth and Arc Benders Circus Opera on Instagram: @arcbenderscircusopera

This episode is for educational purposes and should not be considered legal advice for your individual situation. Every contract and situation is different. Consult with a qualified attorney regarding your specific circumstances.

Thanks so much for listening to The Artist Behind the Art.
This podcast exists to support performers in building sustainable, aligned, and castable careers — beyond just the skills.

✨ Work With Me: Own the Stage Act Creation Mentorship

I’m currently building the next round of Own the Stage: Act Creation Mentorship.

If you feel like you have the talent—but when it comes to act creation, something just isn’t fully clicking—this is for you.

Most of the time, it’s not a complete overhaul.
 It’s a few missing tools and a few shifts in how you’re approaching the process.

That’s what takes you from second-guessing your work
 to becoming the artist who is ready to go for the opportunities you actually want.

If that resonates, I’d love to connect.

📩 Email me at [email protected]

📲 Or DM me on Instagram at The Artist Behind the Art

🎙 Follow the podcast on Instagram:
 https://www.instagram.com/theartistbehindtheart/

Remember — you already have what it takes.
 The question is: are you ready to prove it to yourself?

Until next time — show up big and own the stage.

What makes a photograph actually feel like you?

In this episode of The Artist Behind the Art, I sit down with photographer Guido to talk about what happens on both sides of the camera.

While Guido primarily works with actors and specializes in headshots, the heart of this conversation applies far beyond traditional headshot photography. We talk about finding the right photographer, preparing for a shoot, communicating what you hope to capture, and creating the kind of relationship that allows you to relax enough for something authentic to come through.

Because whether you're an actor, circus artist, dancer, or performer, your photos are often one of casting's first opportunities to imagine what they could do with you.

We talk about showing up as yourself, allowing room for collaboration, and creating images that don't just look good—but help someone on the other side of the table see you.

Your photos don't need to show every version of you. But they should give someone a reason to want to see more.

Thanks so much for listening to The Artist Behind the Art.
This podcast exists to support performers in building sustainable, aligned, and castable careers — beyond just the skills.

✨ Work With Me: Own the Stage Act Creation Mentorship

I’m currently building the next round of Own the Stage: Act Creation Mentorship.

If you feel like you have the talent—but when it comes to act creation, something just isn’t fully clicking—this is for you.

Most of the time, it’s not a complete overhaul.
 It’s a few missing tools and a few shifts in how you’re approaching the process.

That’s what takes you from second-guessing your work
 to becoming the artist who is ready to go for the opportunities you actually want.

If that resonates, I’d love to connect.

📩 Email me at [email protected]

📲 Or DM me on Instagram at The Artist Behind the Art

🎙 Follow the podcast on Instagram:
 https://www.instagram.com/theartistbehindtheart/

Remember — you already have what it takes.
 The question is: are you ready to prove it to yourself?

Until next time — show up big and own the stage.

What makes an audience go from simply watching your performance to actually feeling connected to it?

Audience connection is about so much more than eye contact. It begins with understanding who you are performing for, inviting them into the experience, and making sure every moment leads somewhere.

In this episode, I’m breaking down AIM, my three-part approach to creating stronger audience connection:

A — Align: Know who you’re performing for.
I — Invite: Bring them into the experience.
M — Master the Moment: Perform past the skill and make every moment lead somewhere.

Whether you're creating something new or looking at an act you already love with fresh eyes, AIM will help you think beyond executing the skills and start crafting the relationship you want to have with your audience.

Because connection doesn't happen by accident.

Thanks so much for listening to The Artist Behind the Art.
This podcast exists to support performers in building sustainable, aligned, and castable careers — beyond just the skills.

✨ Work With Me: Own the Stage Act Creation Mentorship

I’m currently building the next round of Own the Stage: Act Creation Mentorship.

If you feel like you have the talent—but when it comes to act creation, something just isn’t fully clicking—this is for you.

Most of the time, it’s not a complete overhaul.
 It’s a few missing tools and a few shifts in how you’re approaching the process.

That’s what takes you from second-guessing your work
 to becoming the artist who is ready to go for the opportunities you actually want.

If that resonates, I’d love to connect.

📩 Email me at [email protected]

📲 Or DM me on Instagram at The Artist Behind the Art

🎙 Follow the podcast on Instagram:
 https://www.instagram.com/theartistbehindtheart/

Remember — you already have what it takes.
 The question is: are you ready to prove it to yourself?

Until next time — show up big and own the stage.

Range isn't about proving you can do everything. It's about helping casting clearly imagine where you belong.

In this episode of The Artist Behind the Art, we're breaking down five different types of range and how intentionally developing them can expand what's possible for your career. You'll learn how to evaluate your current submission material, identify where you need to grow, and create work that communicates: I belong in this opportunity.

Because sometimes expanding your range doesn't just change how casting sees you. It changes where you can imagine yourself next.

Thanks so much for listening to The Artist Behind the Art.
This podcast exists to support performers in building sustainable, aligned, and castable careers — beyond just the skills.

✨ Work With Me: Own the Stage Act Creation Mentorship

I’m currently building the next round of Own the Stage: Act Creation Mentorship.

If you feel like you have the talent—but when it comes to act creation, something just isn’t fully clicking—this is for you.

Most of the time, it’s not a complete overhaul.
 It’s a few missing tools and a few shifts in how you’re approaching the process.

That’s what takes you from second-guessing your work
 to becoming the artist who is ready to go for the opportunities you actually want.

If that resonates, I’d love to connect.

📩 Email me at [email protected]

📲 Or DM me on Instagram at The Artist Behind the Art

🎙 Follow the podcast on Instagram:
 https://www.instagram.com/theartistbehindtheart/

Remember — you already have what it takes.
 The question is: are you ready to prove it to yourself?

Until next time — show up big and own the stage.

Comparison is part of every artist's journey, but it doesn't have to keep you stuck.

In this episode of The Artist Behind the Art, Jennifer explores how to transform comparison into curiosity, admiration, and authentic artistic growth. Learn how to use the artists who inspire you as clues to discovering your own unique voice instead of measuring yourself against theirs.

In this episode:

✨ Why comparison is a normal part of the creative process
 ✨ The difference between comparison and admiration
 ✨ How Social Comparison Theory explains why we compare ourselves
 ✨ A practical exercise to turn inspiration into action
 ✨ How curiosity and experimentation help you develop your authentic artistic voice

Sometimes the artists who inspire you aren't showing you what you're missing...

They're showing you what's possible.

Thanks so much for listening to The Artist Behind the Art.
This podcast exists to support performers in building sustainable, aligned, and castable careers — beyond just the skills.

✨ Work With Me: Own the Stage Act Creation Mentorship

I’m currently building the next round of Own the Stage: Act Creation Mentorship.

If you feel like you have the talent—but when it comes to act creation, something just isn’t fully clicking—this is for you.

Most of the time, it’s not a complete overhaul.
 It’s a few missing tools and a few shifts in how you’re approaching the process.

That’s what takes you from second-guessing your work
 to becoming the artist who is ready to go for the opportunities you actually want.

If that resonates, I’d love to connect.

📩 Email me at [email protected]

📲 Or DM me on Instagram at The Artist Behind the Art

🎙 Follow the podcast on Instagram:
 https://www.instagram.com/theartistbehindtheart/

Remember — you already have what it takes.
 The question is: are you ready to prove it to yourself?

Until next time — show up big and own the stage.

Creating a great act doesn't start with choreography—it starts with clarity.

In this episode, Jennifer shares the three questions every artist should answer before stepping into the creative process. Whether you're creating for a casting submission, competition, festival, client, or personal project, these questions will help you make stronger creative decisions and build an act with purpose.

In this episode:

•  Why your act needs to exist 
•  Who you're creating it for 
•  What your act truly needs to accomplish 
•  Why you need to let it exist before you can refine it 

Your next great act starts here.

Thanks so much for listening to The Artist Behind the Art.
This podcast exists to support performers in building sustainable, aligned, and castable careers — beyond just the skills.

✨ Work With Me: Own the Stage Act Creation Mentorship

I’m currently building the next round of Own the Stage: Act Creation Mentorship.

If you feel like you have the talent—but when it comes to act creation, something just isn’t fully clicking—this is for you.

Most of the time, it’s not a complete overhaul.
 It’s a few missing tools and a few shifts in how you’re approaching the process.

That’s what takes you from second-guessing your work
 to becoming the artist who is ready to go for the opportunities you actually want.

If that resonates, I’d love to connect.

📩 Email me at [email protected]

📲 Or DM me on Instagram at The Artist Behind the Art

🎙 Follow the podcast on Instagram:
 https://www.instagram.com/theartistbehindtheart/

Remember — you already have what it takes.
 The question is: are you ready to prove it to yourself?

Until next time — show up big and own the stage.

What if improvisation was your creative partner and not scary...

What if it was simply about discovering what's already inside you?

In this episode of The Artist Behind the Art, Jennifer explores why improvisation is one of the most valuable creative tools a performer can develop. Whether you're creating a new act, exploring character, or feeling stuck in the choreography process, improvisation creates space for curiosity, experimentation, and artistic growth.

Instead of searching for the perfect movement or waiting until you have the entire plan figured out, this episode will help you approach creativity with less pressure and more possibility.

In this episode:

✨ Why improvisation is about finding possibilities—not perfect answers
✨ The mindset shift that unlocks creativity
✨ Why "getting oil on the canvas" matters before refining your work
✨ Three practical approaches to improvisation you can use immediately
✨ How to identify the creative gaps in your act
✨ Letting your music become your creative partner
✨ Using movement you already know to discover something new
✨ Why resistance is often pointing toward your next breakthrough
✨ Simple ways to add creative constraints that spark new ideas
✨ How improvisation helps you uncover your unique artistic voice

Your first draft isn't supposed to be your masterpiece.

Its job is simply to exist.

Because every improvisation session leaves clues—and every act begins with the courage to explore.

Thanks so much for listening to The Artist Behind the Art.
This podcast exists to support performers in building sustainable, aligned, and castable careers — beyond just the skills.

✨ Work With Me: Own the Stage Act Creation Mentorship

I’m currently building the next round of Own the Stage: Act Creation Mentorship.

If you feel like you have the talent—but when it comes to act creation, something just isn’t fully clicking—this is for you.

Most of the time, it’s not a complete overhaul.
 It’s a few missing tools and a few shifts in how you’re approaching the process.

That’s what takes you from second-guessing your work
 to becoming the artist who is ready to go for the opportunities you actually want.

If that resonates, I’d love to connect.

📩 Email me at [email protected]

📲 Or DM me on Instagram at The Artist Behind the Art

🎙 Follow the podcast on Instagram:
 https://www.instagram.com/theartistbehindtheart/

Remember — you already have what it takes.
 The question is: are you ready to prove it to yourself?

Until next time — show up big and own the stage.

The stage is what we work for.

But it's everything in between the performances that often shapes the opportunities that come next.

In this solo episode of The Artist Behind the Art, Jennifer shares a collection of career lessons, observations, and practical advice that every circus artist should revisit throughout their career. Some of these ideas came from incredible mentors, some were learned through experience, and many became clearer through years of coaching and observing artists navigate the industry.

These aren't rules or a checklist. They're conversations worth having—topics that can help you become not only a stronger performer, but a more prepared, thoughtful, and well-rounded professional.

In this episode:

✨ Building financial freedom and planning for the future
✨ Why relationships matter more than networking
✨ Creating your own performance support team
✨ Continuing to learn while on and between contracts
✨ Respecting the cultures and countries you work in
✨ Staying ahead of your physical health
✨ Becoming someone people want to work with
✨ Navigating difficult conversations professionally
✨ Finding your tribe while on the road
✨ Embracing opportunities that challenge and stretch you

Because the artists who build long, fulfilling careers aren't just talented.

They learn to balance the artist, the human being, and the business of being a performer.

Whether you're preparing for your first contract or your fiftieth, this episode is an invitation to step back, reflect, and invest in the parts of your career that happen between the performances.

Thanks so much for listening to The Artist Behind the Art.
This podcast exists to support performers in building sustainable, aligned, and castable careers — beyond just the skills.

✨ Work With Me: Own the Stage Act Creation Mentorship

I’m currently building the next round of Own the Stage: Act Creation Mentorship.

If you feel like you have the talent—but when it comes to act creation, something just isn’t fully clicking—this is for you.

Most of the time, it’s not a complete overhaul.
 It’s a few missing tools and a few shifts in how you’re approaching the process.

That’s what takes you from second-guessing your work
 to becoming the artist who is ready to go for the opportunities you actually want.

If that resonates, I’d love to connect.

📩 Email me at [email protected]

📲 Or DM me on Instagram at The Artist Behind the Art

🎙 Follow the podcast on Instagram:
 https://www.instagram.com/theartistbehindtheart/

Remember — you already have what it takes.
 The question is: are you ready to prove it to yourself?

Until next time — show up big and own the stage.

What happens when the excitement of a new act wears off?

When you're on tour, in a long-running production, or repeating an act over and over for stamina, one of the biggest challenges performers face isn't the performance itself—it's staying emotionally engaged inside the repetition.

In this solo episode of The Artist Behind the Art, Jennifer shares the mindset shifts and practical strategies that helped her continue growing artistically and technically while performing the same act night after night. From pre-show rituals and cast connections to adapting to new venues and finding fresh emotional nuance within familiar choreography, this episode explores how performers can keep performance alive instead of slipping into autopilot. 

In this episode:

✨ Why repetition can make performers emotionally disconnect
 ✨ The neuroscience behind monotony and "error-seeking" behavior
 ✨ How pre-show rituals help regulate your nervous system
 ✨ Building cast connections that create energy and presence
 ✨ Adapting your performance to different theaters and audiences
 ✨ Finding new emotional layers within the same act
 ✨ Refining technique, timing, and artistic nuance during long runs
 ✨ The role gratitude plays in keeping performance alive
 ✨ How to continue evolving even when nothing in the choreography changes

Whether you're on tour, in a production, preparing for a competition season, or simply running your act repeatedly in training, this episode will give you tools to stay present, engaged, and growing.

Thanks so much for listening to The Artist Behind the Art.
This podcast exists to support performers in building sustainable, aligned, and castable careers — beyond just the skills.

✨ Work With Me: Own the Stage Act Creation Mentorship

I’m currently building the next round of Own the Stage: Act Creation Mentorship.

If you feel like you have the talent—but when it comes to act creation, something just isn’t fully clicking—this is for you.

Most of the time, it’s not a complete overhaul.
 It’s a few missing tools and a few shifts in how you’re approaching the process.

That’s what takes you from second-guessing your work
 to becoming the artist who is ready to go for the opportunities you actually want.

If that resonates, I’d love to connect.

📩 Email me at [email protected]

📲 Or DM me on Instagram at The Artist Behind the Art

🎙 Follow the podcast on Instagram:
 https://www.instagram.com/theartistbehindtheart/

Remember — you already have what it takes.
 The question is: are you ready to prove it to yourself?

Until next time — show up big and own the stage.

In this episode of The Artist Behind the Art, Jennifer sits down with Courtney Butler, Head Athletic Trainer for Orlando Ballet and Sports Medicine Supervisor at Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute, and Katelyn, Registered Dietitian and Performance Nutrition Specialist working with Orlando Ballet performers.

Together they tackle one of the biggest conversations facing performers today: how to balance aesthetics, performance, recovery, and longevity in a healthy and sustainable way. From nutrition and hydration to strength training, recovery, and body image, this episode provides practical advice for artists looking to support their bodies at a higher level. 

In this episode:

✨ Performance vs. aesthetics
 ✨ Finding your personal athletic best
 ✨ How to build the right support team
 ✨ Why most performers are under-fueling
 ✨ Strength training myths for circus artists
 ✨ Protein: how much you really need
 ✨ Easy protein sources for training and travel
 ✨ Hydration vs. electrolytes
 ✨ Sugar, performance, and recovery
 ✨ Active and passive recovery strategies
 ✨ Injury prevention and longevity
 ✨ The importance of sleep and rest days
 ✨ Immediate action steps performers can take today

Whether you're a circus artist, dancer, aerialist, acrobat, or performer looking to support your body for the long haul, this episode is packed with practical takeaways you can start implementing immediately.

Thanks so much for listening to The Artist Behind the Art.
This podcast exists to support performers in building sustainable, aligned, and castable careers — beyond just the skills.

✨ Work With Me: Own the Stage Act Creation Mentorship

I’m currently building the next round of Own the Stage: Act Creation Mentorship.

If you feel like you have the talent—but when it comes to act creation, something just isn’t fully clicking—this is for you.

Most of the time, it’s not a complete overhaul.
 It’s a few missing tools and a few shifts in how you’re approaching the process.

That’s what takes you from second-guessing your work
 to becoming the artist who is ready to go for the opportunities you actually want.

If that resonates, I’d love to connect.

📩 Email me at [email protected]

📲 Or DM me on Instagram at The Artist Behind the Art

🎙 Follow the podcast on Instagram:
 https://www.instagram.com/theartistbehindtheart/

Remember — you already have what it takes.
 The question is: are you ready to prove it to yourself?

Until next time — show up big and own the stage.