Cleo Anderson

I was 11 years old and not particularly artistic...

I was “the smart kid” in school, I had never acted and the extent of my art experience consisted of school art projects. Nine years later, thanks in large part to Inside Out, I can call myself an actor, a songwriter and a poet. But more than the artistic limits to which Inside Out has pushed me, it’s the personal ones that I remember the most. Inside Out gave me my first job, which taught me responsibility, how to be on time and be prepared. As a Youth Artist Leader and Mentor I’ve learned to walk the line between being a kid and an Artist. As a Trainee working on site, I’ve learned to be part of a team, shift modes in a pinch, and how to play off others.

But for all the good things Inside Out has done for me personally, those aren’t the reasons that I have stayed involved all these years. It’s the change that I see take place in the kids who go through the program. I have watched kids go from wild, angry and undirected to stars in their plays. I’ve watched kids go from painfully shy and unsure of themselves to singing in front of a room full of strangers. Inside Out’s ability to change not only a child’s outlook, but their life, is what keeps me coming back. And I truly love the fact that Inside Out provides a way for students to stay involved and “pay it forward” to other kids.

Cleo Anderson