Tell us about yourself. Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Caity Simpson. I am a performance artist living in Northampton, MA. I perform with the band The Greys, my poetry/music project Dirty Words, and I am a co-director of the arts-based non-profit Dwellings Arts.
Why did you decide to become an artist?
I was actually a pretty shy kid at first. The first time I had a solo was in 7th grade for a chorus concert and at that point my family didn’t even know I sang. Discovering music, and at the time theatre, helped me to completely open up. It’s given me a way to communicate and share that I never had before. Performing is probably the most “me” I feel and once I started I never stopped.
Tell us about some projects you have worked on. Which one was your favorite and why?
Oh wow, that’s hard. I think Dirty Words is the most personal project I’ve worked on. It’s all my music and poetry, and I speak openly about mental illness, coming to understand my identity as a biracial woman who grew up with a white family, and complicated formative relationships throughout my past 28 years of living. It feels like the project that is never finished- It’s presented as a fluid piece, and I find that I’ve been able to write new pieces that completely reshape the story every few months. The Greys is equally as emotional though, and I think creating the music we do in The Greys can hopefully connect to many people regardless of specific experiences- I think Dirty Words is much more specific to me and that with The Greys we are able to attempt to make more people see themselves in our music, which is powerful in a different way.
What other art or artists have been inspirational to you in your work?
I’m really lucky that I have been surrounded by some really incredible and motivating artists for the past 10-15 years. A lot of the people who motivate me in terms of drive are some of my close friends. I think in terms of musicians a few that I know I’ve been directly influenced by are Stevie Nicks, Rachael Price, and The Civil Wars. Even more than any individual artist- performance art and theatre is the backbone of what raised me to be the artist I am. That’s where my heart grew. In the past 9 years I’ve largely stepped away from theatre, but it still largely informs the art I create and consume. I also love interior design and plants - I think the way we create our environment and the spaces we choose to inhabit is easily translated to the way we create an environment with our work and the way we exist with the art that is around us.
Which habits help or hinder your creativity?
I mean, I don’t think this particularly qualifies as a ‘habit’. Being an artistic person who also deals with anxiety and depression isn’t something that I imagine is particularly rare, and I find that being someone who experiences this both feeds and starves my art. There are weeks at a time where I feel like I might just always remain stagnant and low- where I’m fighting against myself- but that feeling eventually morphs into something else and I think making sure that I am LIVING creatively and openly is something that allows me to feel like I am being authentic, and that almost always leads to creative work and actions.
What does your typical workday look like?
I work a few hours a day for Signature Sounds and a few hours a day for The International Language Institute doing Digital Marketing work. Other than that, Mara Penatzer (Dwellings co-director) and I may have a meeting or planning session for Dwellings- though things have admittedly calmed down during quarantine. I may also be working a livestream performance for Signature Sounds or Dwellings at night. When I’m not doing that, the rest of my typical work looks like organizing upcoming events for Dwellings or one of my projects and writing and workshopping new pieces for Dirty Words.
Tell us about some other jobs you have had other than being an artist.
I’ve been working in digital marketing for various entertainment and community organizations for about 2 and a half years now. It’s something that honestly came out of the work I had to do for my own creative ventures, and it allows me to be surrounded by arts and community based organizations. Other than that, I was a barista for 4 years- which I loved. I also worked as a server in a restaurant- and I was horrible at it!
What are some memorable responses you have had to your work?
I had the privilege of opening up for a poet I really admire, Neil Hilborn, at the beginning of 2019. He watched my whole set and mentioned it during his performance afterward. That was a really big deal for me. Other than that, the friends and connections with strangers that I’ve made with people through sharing some of my more personal pieces has meant a lot with me. I think having a platform to share all of the things that make me who I am, and having people really try to understand is a privilege.
How has the COVID-19 outbreak and quarantine affected your process/creating/teaching? Has anything surprised you about adjusting to this quarantine?
Ya know, I think going into quarantine I put a lot of pressure on myself to be hyper-productive, and that just isn’t realistic- at least not for me. This pandemic, along with a lot of other world events currently happening, have really taken a toll emotionally on a lot of people- myself included. I think it’s unfair to put an added pressure of expecting this to be the ultimate creative lockdown of our dreams. If anything, this time has taught me to be patient and nurturing with myself and my process. I will say, I’ve never gone this long without performing in front of an audience, and I feel that and miss that deeply.
Favorite or most inspirational place in the Valley?
I don’t write a lot outside, but I find myself being renewed and inspired a lot through my experiences outdoors. I think Robinson Park in Agawam was pretty inspirational to me growing up, then The Granville Gorge was extremely meaningful to me in my early 20s, and lately I’ve been finding myself very drawn to certain water and nature spots in Leeds.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
I think one really practical piece of advice that I was given in college by a professor that has stayed with me was to never listen to or watch my own performances until at least a week has passed. I’m super emotionally invested in my work, but I think we all have a tendency of judging ourselves if our ego or pride is tied up in something immediately after sharing it with the world.
What are you currently working on?
The Greys are about a year behind on our upcoming album, but we’re almost done writing it. The pandemic obviously set us farther back than we intended, but I am really really looking forward to when we are ready to get this album out to the world. I’ve also been personally working on a poetry chapbook for a while now.
Where can we find your work?
You can watch The Valley Advocate Sessions Dirty Words performance here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkHU_zFsWac
You can listen to Rabbit Hole by The Greys here:
https://thegreysofficial.bandcamp.com/releases
You can learn more about Dwellings arts at dwellingsarts.com.
What superpower would you have and why?
I would love to be able to teleport. I have family that lives far away that I’d love to be able to see and I love the idea of being able to zap myself into any music festival or show that I wanted to!
Anything else you'd like to mention that we didn't ask?
I’m a BIG BIG fan of Northampton Center For The Arts. I’m really grateful it exists so close to my home!