Meet Jane Alien | Musician & Actor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jane Alien and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jane, what’s your definition for success?
Success to me is the ability to find playfulness within our rigid structure. Whether we release our tense bodies through dance or wear flamboyant clothes within a monotonous society, it is about re-establishing ourselves truthfully. Every second, we are thrust into a new experience; the movement of time propelling us into unknown discoveries. Each of these moments are an opportunity to re-create ourselves and the world we’re apart of. A lot of our feelings of failure stem from structures that tell us there is only one way to do things, a structure which looks down on kindness, patience, and self-expression. The freedom to explore the world and make mistakes is success. To love passionately and learn humbly from all parts of life is success. Ultimately, living while being alive is success.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My first love is Acting. I started acting in my local community theatre when I was in elementary school. That’s where I fell in love with the collaboration, the freedom of expression, and the magic that came along with rehearsing and performing a play. My favorite play was The Phantom Tollbooth, where I got to play Tock, the sidekick to the leading man, in a magical Willy Wonka style imaginary land. I’m on the search to find another character that made me feel as creative as that one.

As for music, that also began in elementary school when I would spend my free time in my basement shredding on a plastic electric guitar to Guitar Hero’s digital display of, “Killer Queen.” However, it wasn’t until college that I bought my first electric guitar. I had been writing lyrics most of my life, and doodled around with the ukulele, but I felt intimidated to learn electric guitar. I had only seen a handful of women who played guitar and had never imagined myself doing anything other than acting. I learned that it’s never too late to try something new.

With that mindset, I am now trying to learn sound engineering and producing. There’s a whole world of analog synthesizers, DAW’s, and pedals that I am eager to learn about. While I love Alternative Rock music, production of techno pop is slowly becoming a source of energy and excitement. I am nervous to explore these new genres because I still feel like an outsider in music, yet even when I try to give up on music, it keeps coming back to me.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My favorite breakfast place is Egg Harbor Cafe. They have the BEST Gluten-free cinnamon rolls. I had one for my birthday this year and they kindly brought me a stack of gluten-free pancakes with sprinkles and a candle too. As for lunch, I like the energy of Folk Art. The location near Little Five Points is full of cool art pieces and funky old metal signs. If it’s the weekend, I’d highly recommend going to The Plaza Theatre to support Atlanta’s oldest movie theatre and watch a classic film. If you want to take it extra old-school, I’d drive to the Starlight Drive-In Theatre down the road and watch a film in the comforts of my car.
Even though Atlanta is a big city, there are so many beautiful nature spots to check out too. There is the Doll’s Head Trail and a great place to bike is the Silver Comet Trail.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
When I was in high school, my brother gifted the book, The Wisdom of Insecurity, written by Alan Watts. Alan Watts was a philosopher who interpreted works of Eastern thought, such as Taoism and Zen Buddhism, into modern Western understanding. His lectures helped me find inward compassion and a stronger connection between myself and others, which made it easier to believe in my creative pursuits.

Instagram: @thejanealien

Other: IMDB: @ SarahJane Wardlaw

Image Credits
Gazpacho