Things Worth Sharing with Katie Prentiss

I love second acts. I devour stories of folks who have discovered something new about themselves in midlife. I love people who experiment and play and keep growing forever and ever and always. Katie Prentiss is one of those people.

Katie was the caretaker for her mother who wrestled with frontotemporal dementia for years before she passed away. She was also in the thick of parenting four kids at the same time. After her mother passed and her kids made their way off to college she seems to have opened up this beautiful new chapter in her life. She started acting and writing and discovering new parts of herself. Katie has been doing a lot of work that she makes look like play. It is beautiful and inspiring to watch.

My husband knows Katie and her husband Brian IRL from their Alabama days. I know her from following her journey online and I have been so inspired by this wildly beautiful second act.

I’ve watched her from a distance write a screenplay about her experience being a caregiver to her mother called Wake Up Maggie and slowly and diligently bringing this project to life. I’ve watched her IMDB credentials grow as she challenges herself with new acting roles. And I will always watch the videos she posts of her and her daughter doing goofy Tik Tok dances or going to tap class. I’m so excited to introduce her to you and some of her things worth sharing.

If you want to hear Katie’s whole story her podcast Sunshine Soul is a great listen. She is a really gifted storyteller.

Katie’s Things Worth Sharing

Fave movies this year:

Sorry Baby | Eva Victor

High praise for this writer, director, actor- who’s comedy and pacing brilliantly tells this painful story (tw: SA). I’m a fan. I’ll hold this movie as a top favorite for a long time.

Train Dreams | Clint Bentley

A beautiful, historic picture of the PNW. It’s a quieter story than most, but so captivating. This movie should be watched on a big screen!

Sinners | Ryan Coogler

I found this film to be groundbreaking in so many ways, but omg the dance scene!!!

Hamnet | Chloe Zhao

This movie gutted me and connected me to our depths as humans. (listen to Chloe Zhao (director) talk about grief!) “When we sanitize grief, we sanitize the love.”

In another interview, Chloe Zhao also talks about intuition and connecting to our bodies in storytelling and I find it truly captivating as a filmmaker.

I haven’t watched Sentimental Value yet, but I’m assuming this one will be on my list too. Joachim Trier made one of my other favorites, The Worst Person in the World, so I’ll just assume I’ll love this one too.

Funnies

There’s a creator and film director named Sergio Cilli that does these auditions with AI actors that I just love. It’s comforting to laugh at AI while it threatens our creative careers. ;)

Here’s the first one that’s so funny.

Bunko & Gerth (start here) I found Kara Morgan and Andres Prada on instagram probably because of my training with Groundlings. (BTW- bless the comedians in the world right now- can I get an “amen?”) They created this series as a married couple, Bunko and Gerth, who are trying to do “new things” in life- so they start a band! I think they’re improv geniuses and so awkward, I truly love them.

Books worth Sharing for Creativity and Second Act Inspo

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

You are a Badass by Jen Sincero

I re-read all of these as needed.

Learning to play with watercolor:

following Andrea Nelson Art & Sarah Martinez on IG

I’ll share a few of mine so far so that you’ll feel permission to not be good at something too! :)

One of my goals this year is to make all of my own cards for friends and family. I’ve already failed and bought a birthday card, but I’m still going to try!

Here’s two cards I’ve made so far. One for my youngest who’s traveling through Europe until June and one for my oldest child’s birthday.

Food

1. Ground Up nut butter. It’s not often that food I’m obsessed with also has a mission in the world I love. Ground Up is owned by two women who want to uplift women. Read more here. And seriously, their nut butters make me drool. My favorite is the “honey cardamom” with “snickerdoodle” coming in at a close second.

2. I wouldn’t be a very good Portlander if I didn’t recommend some good coffee- we have so many amazing roasters here, but our favorite these days is Heart. Also, we’re highly addicted to coffee and very spoiled with quality at our fingertips!

3. Asian cucumber salad- I’m obsessed! You can’t really mess this up and you definitely need to adjust the amounts of ingredients to your preference.

• 5 Persian cucumbers

• 1/2 tbsp sesame oil

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tbsp rice vinegar

• 1 tbsp chili oil

• 1/2 tbsp sesame seeds

• 1/2 tbsp minced garlic

• option to add peanuts if you want some crunch or honey if you need it a little sweeter

  • Rinse and slice cucumbers into circles. Add to a bowl/container and sprinkle 1/2 tsp of salt. Mix that well and let rest at least 20 minutes to draw out the water. Drain water from cucumbers. Add sesame oil, light soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili oil, sesame seeds, and garlic. Stir until well combined- adjust anything to taste!

I’ll share one more random favorite thing, because it introduces y’all to more of my favorites and shows just how connected it all can be!

I just bought this tote from Mychal Threets (everyone’s favorite IG librarian) Library Joy collection designed by another favorite artist, Devon Blow. I find both of them to be lights in this world and they bring me joy and inspiration. I bought the tote because I’m currently working on a truly beautiful play called, Dorothy’s Dictionary by E M Lewis where I play Dorothy who is a “temporarily displaced” librarian. I want to use the tote to carry a few special props to our stage performances and to carry a deeper connection to the circumstances of this story.

I will always find joy in how creativity and art inspires more creativity and art. We’re all so connected, really.

Thanks for sharing Katie!

Here are some ways you can follow Katie Prentiss:

Tik Tok | Instagram | Podcast | Website

*all amazon links are affiliate links