GenX Adulting Podcast - Episode 52 - GenX Speaks Series: Artist Coco Mase

Name: GenX Adulting Podcast - Episode 52 - GenX Speaks Series: Artist Coco Mase
Uploaded: 2025-11-04T00:00:00-05:00
Duration: 4 h 11 min 9 s
Description: In Episode 52 of the GenX Speaks Series, artist Coco Mase shares her journey from childhood in Illinois to her artistic career in New York City. She discusses her family background, the challenges of balancing motherhood with her passion for art, and the impact of personal tragedies on her creative expression.

Episode Summary

In Episode 52 of the GenX Speaks Series, artist Coco Mase shares her journey from childhood in Illinois to her artistic career in New York City. She discusses her family background, the challenges of balancing motherhood with her passion for art, and the impact of personal tragedies on her creative expression.

Key Takeaways

Coco Mase was born in 1972 in Streeter, Illinois.
She grew up in a musically rich environment, influenced by her parents' artistic backgrounds.
Coco pursued dance and visual arts throughout her education, eventually attending NYU for set design.
After facing personal loss, Coco found her way back to performing and art, emphasizing the importance of creativity in her life.
She navigated the challenges of motherhood while trying to maintain her artistic identity.
Coco's experiences highlight the struggles many Gen X women face in balancing family and career.

Frequently Asked Questions

What inspired Coco Mase to pursue a career in the arts?

Coco was inspired by her family's musical background and her early exposure to various art forms, including dance and visual arts.

How did Coco Mase cope with the loss of her brother?

Coco coped with her brother's loss by focusing on her family and artistic pursuits, navigating the emotional challenges while supporting her parents.

What challenges did Coco face as a mother and artist?

Coco faced the challenge of balancing motherhood with her artistic career, often feeling isolated and struggling to maintain her creative identity.

Part of these Topics: Grief & Loss

Featured guests: Artist Coco Mase

Read the full transcript →

Description

In this episode we welcome artist Coco Mase. Coco shares about her upbringing in northwest New Jersey, where she was surrounded by all forms of art from a very early age. Years of dance through her formative years exposed Coco to life in New York City, which offered her a balance to her life in the suburbs. We discuss the differences and similarities between classical and competitive dance, and her eventual shift away from dance at the end of high school in order to pursue other artistic interests. Acceptance into NYU came with its pros and cons, and a pivot to attending University of the Arts in Philadelphia ended up being a perfect fit. Coco reflects on her journey through various art mediums and how always being open to saying yes to new opportunities guided her growth as an artist. We cover Coco’s involvement in the fashion industry in New York City post-college, and the transition into marriage and starting a family in the suburbs. Coco graciously shares her grief journey of losing her younger brother when he was 21, and Nicole and Brian in turn share some of their own experiences in grief from losing their fathers. Returning to performing became part of Coco’s healing journey, all while balancing being a mother to three young children. Not surprisingly, her next chapter was becoming an art teacher, something she still does to this day. We loved hearing about Coco’s perspective and experiences as a teacher. Her love for her students shines through, and it’s obvious that she is a gift to her school community. Coco shares her life changing directorial debut of Cabaret, and how she has immersed herself in her art studio. Whether it’s menopause or aging or plastic surgery or grey hair, we cover many of the challenges GenX women are facing midlife. Finally, we learn about Coco’s upcoming one woman show, which is a photo essay based on the story “Anonymous Girl”. We were incredibly mesmerized and touched by Coco’s interpretation of this precious girl’s story, and we know it will resonate and touch the hearts of anyone who is lucky enough to attend the show. We absolutely loved our time with Coco and truly enjoyed going on the journey of her story. We hope to attend one of her shows in person in the future!

Chapters

00:00 Intro

00:30 Family Background

07:02 A Childhood of Art, Dance and Music

11:42 High School and Dance Journey

14:09 Comparing Classical Dance vs Competitive Dance

23:01 Living in a Rural Suburb But Given Access to New York City and Urban Areas

30:16 Shifting Away From Dance End of High School

35:25 Getting Into NYU

41:39 The Drive for Achievement: A Gen X Perspective

46:01 Navigating the Parental Experience of Youth Sports

52:55 Life at NYU

01:04:55 Attending University of the Arts in Philadelphia

01:09:49 The Journey Through Various Art Mediums

01:13:37 Life in New York City After College

01:17:08 Meeting and Marrying Husband

01:34:33 GenX Embracing and Thriving in Midlife

01:38:07 Gen Z Women Being a Beautiful Mirror for GenX Women

01:40:19 The Transition From Living in New York City to Settling in the Suburbs

01:48:11 Losing a Sibling

01:56:55 Coping with Grief and the Aftermath

02:17:53 Faith and Belief: Perspectives on Life After Death

02:24:00 Returning to Performing

02:30:59 Pivoting Into Teaching

02:48:18 AI and the Pendulum Swing Back to Old School Life

02:56:28 Immersing Back Into The Art Studio and The Life Changing Experience of Directing Cabaret

03:03:26 Aging as a Woman and Plastic Surgery

03:11:23 Perimenopause and Menopause

03:22:57 Changing the Narrative Around the Menstrual Cycle

03:32:25 One Woman Show: Photo Essay On the Story "Anonymous Girl"

03:46:44 Source of Creativity

03:58:12 Space to Fail and Learning to Be Instead of Always Doing

04:03:31 5 Year Vision

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