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!
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
Check Us Out Here:
https://www.genxadultingpodcast.com/
#art #artist #dance #dancer #photography #photographer #teacher #college #nyu #philadelphia #menopause #aging #motherhood #mother #family #fashion #music #growth #loss #grief #healing #youthsports #faith #ai #newyorkcity #nyc #performing #theater