Dear Alexia,

This is a very multi-layered question for me because “being an artist” can mean many things to many people.

I think everyone in a way is an artist, but you may not even know it: painting something, having an image in your head on how to decorate a place, the possibilities are endless.

But for me, being an artist means sharing empathy with another human being or experience.

Being an actor with a disability, I already have such an open-minded view of how the world is, both good and bad, and can be quite sensitive to a lot of the issues that we face day to day.

But what I mean by empathy, is that acting in a way is an empathetic process. How can I, as an artist, stroke the multiple layers of human emotion that a character is going through, and how do I do it in a way that is authentic to the human body experience.

Being an artist means opening yourself up to other people’s experiences, to help bring your artistic expression to the forefront of human connection.

With love,
George Alevizos

About George
George Alevizos (he/him) is a professional actor living in Toronto. A graduate of the University of Toronto/Sheridan College, Theatre and Drama Studies program, he has gone to work on multiple on-camera projects including the new Gen V show with Amazon Prime, a recurring role on the new CBC Gem TV show You’re My Hero,  a guest starring role on Hudson and Rex (CityTV) and being featured on Star Trek: Discovery, among a lot of commercial work. He’s also worked with multiple live theatre companies in Ontario including Drayton Entertainment, Cahoots Theatre, LemonTree Creations, Shakespeare in the Ruff, EveryBODY on Stage, and the acclaimed queer theatre director Sky Gilbert.

The Disability Files is a monthly issue featuring letters written by members of the disability community that respond to honest questions about disability, art, and access.

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