88. Not All Feedback Is Good Feedback | Ruchi Loomba on Filmmaking, Motherhood, and Owning Your Own Path

We all have moments like that, Ruchi.

Like, when you were talking, I was like, "Oh, yes." Like, I feel like anyone who's in the grind listening is like, "Same." I love that you used the word curiosity, 'cause I feel like it's that curiosity of what we're even capable of as actors, and also, like, the industry is changing so rapidly.

Art is so subjective.

Like, there's so many possibilities of, like, what that could look like, so it, it's hard not to have that curiosity just get piqued so often.

The way you detailed your story of kind of what the natural curiosity that led you to start taking classes and auditioning for short films and then eventually get an agent, I think it's so interesting 'cause I feel like we all really wanna dive in because we're like, wow, we actually really like the craft, and we're really liking the acting side of things, and then all of a sudden we're like, like you said, auditioning for short films in the area and like, maybe I should get an agent, and, like, the business we kind of stumble into.

And I've seen people I feel like have sometimes a hard time balancing their love of the craft and, like, what they need to do to maintain, like, adding more tools to their toolbox and staying in class and staying competitive and, like, stretching themselves and growing as an artist with also, like, the demands of the business that are so different.

Like, it's almost like these two things that don't sometimes sit well together, but they're necessary to, I guess, like, really build a professional career.

So how has that been like for you, being able to look at the last 10 years or so and balance the responsibilities of your craft and the responsibilities that you have as, like, Ruchi the professional actor to the business side of things?

I mean, just like you said, Maddie, it, it is really tough because as someone who also has another career and mainly, like, full-time job, it's hard to juggle.

Like, there'll be seasons where I'm like, "Okay, well, for the next month or so, I need to just focus on building my website or planning for my next headshot shoot," you know, whatever.

Or I'll say, "I need to take a step back from marketing materials like that and just focus on class." I'm such an Aries.

I always have a hard time putting my focus [laughs] in one area.

I feel like I have, like, a bajillion side quests, and then I just get myself overwhelmed, but over time I've had to really be more, I would say, diligent about saying that, "Okay, like, I need to just focus on maybe two things for the next, like, two months, and then we'll put a back burner on other stuff." But it is really challenging, and then also just obviously this career and endeavor is not cheap.

So you also have to be careful about where you put your money and your resources.

Like, really asking yourself, "Is this a time where I wanna put more money in my coaching and training?" Or, you know, "I feel good there, and I wanna put some time in maybe finding someone who can look at my materials and give me feedback." It's a constant juggle because sometimes, you know, I'll find I get myself too stuck in, like, the materials and the marketing, and then you're like, "Wait, when was the last time I, [laughs] I actually was acting or taking a class?" Because that's something that many of us, I know, struggle with, is that you feel like you're not...

Sometimes, I don't know, at least I feel this way, you can feel like you're not an actor if you're not on set, and the reality is most of us are not gonna be on set all that often.

So how do you kind of keep that creative energy and skill alive and well when you're not on set? It's definitely a juggling act.

That was so beautifully said too, Ruchi, 'cause I feel like you really were able to encompass the fact that...

And I think it's, like, we learn this probably from feeling burned out at certain points of trying to do it all at once, of, like, taking classes and getting feedback on your materials and getting the new headshots, and it, it, one, like you said, it's so incredibly expensive.

And then two, energetically it's like you're pulled in all of these different ways, and it's so much feedback also too.

It's like we're getting feedback on our crafts in class.

We're getting feedback on our materials and the business side of things.

So I almost love your seasonal approach of like, okay, in this season, here are, like, the two things of where I'm gonna put my focus on, and I'm gonna, like, commit to those things for two months, three months, and then I'll see how I feel and, like, re-pivot instead of trying to do all the things all at once, which is impossible, honestly, with, like, having a job and having a life and, [laughs] like, also just being yourself and trying to maintain mental health.

But yeah, it's a total balancing act, and I just love, I think, normalizing the fact that that is okay to almost have two, like, pivots of, like, this is my business quarter, where this three months I'm really gonna focus on the business side of things, and then the next three months it's all about my craft.

And you also mentioned too, sorry, like, you made me think about so many things, like how to keep your creativity alive, and I think that's something sometimes when we're so business-focused, we feel that departure within ourselves of like, oh my God, when was the last time I was even- ... acting.