About me
Hi there!
I’m Leslie, and I’m an author, performer, and podcaster.
Over the course of my career I’ve played top theatrical roles in shows like Evita, Cabaret, A Chorus Line, and many others. On the writing side of things, my work has appeared in a variety of publications, including The Washington Post, Jim Henson Co., and McSweeney’s. You can find some of it here.
For me, art is more than just a passion- it’s who I am!
If you’re the same way, you might enjoy my podcast, Creative Jumpstart. I interview writers, entrepreneurs, and creatives of all stripes. They share their stories, wisdom, and insight. You come away with motivation and inspiration for your own creative work or business, and keep making amazing stuff. Listen and subscribe here.
And don’t miss my companion blog for even more creative inspiration, prompts, and tips. Sign up here to get the latest posts delivered to your inbox, and you’ll receive a free download of my 50 Low-Key Artist Date Ideas!
Want to know more about my journey as a creative? Read on!
All the world's a stage (to me)
My first performance was at the age of five, when I was chosen to have my feet washed as part of a ritual during chapel. Even at that age, I knew an audience when I saw one, and I was not missing my opportunity to shine in front of the whole school.
I milked my time on stage- er, at the altar- taking my time as I put my shoes back on and smiled at everyone. The pastor actually had to pause the service because I was taking so long.
It was heaven.
I started taking ballet soon after, and I was hooked from day one. At 7, I had my first performance on an actual stage. At 12, I told my math teacher mom I was done with algebra because all I’d need to know as a grown-up was how to sign autographs.
By college, I was ready to branch out and try other performance types. My dance training had given me a lot, (discipline, precision, funky toes), but it had also instilled a nearly-crippling sense of perfectionism in me. After all, in ballet a few degrees difference in positioning is the difference between doing a step correctly or not.
Exploring musical theatre, where I often got to improvise dialogue and sing bawdy songs, helped me start to loosen the strings that bound me. I began to see the value in embracing the moment, rather than trying to craft it.
Years later I would go further, taking a jackhammer to my perfectionism by studying and performing improv. It’s a skill that transformed me not only as a performer, but as a writer.
Performing continues to be a huge part of my life. I’ve been lucky enough to work with and receive instruction from everyone from Broadway performers to American Ballet Theatre dancers to world-renowned singers.
I’ve performed on stage as well as on film and in print campaigns. Along the way, I’ve played top roles in shows like Evita, Cabaret, A Chorus Line, and many others.
I’m a long way from that little girl hamming it up in chapel, but I still thrill every time I’m in front of an audience. The stage will always feel like home to me.
Writing for laughs
Writing has also been a part of my life since a young age. Whether I was scribbling my grievances into a journal or taking notes on my unsuspecting neighbors as I played undercover detective, I frequently turned to writing for comfort and entertainment.
At sixteen, I wrote an article for my school newspaper detailing my misadventures as a grocery sacker, including the time I grabbed a badly-closed bottle of cleaner and squirted bleach all over my jacket.
A visiting college professor praised my work, saying it was the best feature of the year. Classmates stopped me in the hall to tell me I was funny- something that had never happened before. For the first time I saw how humor could help me deal with life’s assorted bleach catastrophes. It’s still what drives me to write humor.
Years later, after my youngest was born, I started blogging with the idea that I would write about very serious, important topics. And then I started writing, and what came out was much closer to that grocery sacking essay from years before than the think pieces I’d hoped for.
Because, as it turns out, when you have 5-year-old twins and a newborn, you need lots of therapy in the form of laughing at the ridiculous.
Before long, I had accumulated a following with readers from all over the world, like some super-sized version of all those classmates high fiving me in the hall! I gained confidence and started submitting to publications and was thrilled to have a piece accepted almost immediately by the parenting website juggernaut, Scary Mommy.
More than 10 years later, my writing has appeared in The Washington Post, Jim Henson Co., McSweeney’s, BuzzFeed, Huffington Post, and in You Do You, a book in the New York Times bestselling I Just Want To Pee Alone series, among other places.
Podcasting
I launched my first podcast, My Effing Desk, in 2020 after feeling frustrated by the creative advice I was hearing. Much of it was not geared towards moms and felt completely impractical and tone deaf. (Saying you should write every day is one thing. Actually trying to do it with a carpet of Legos and Goldfish dust between you and the computer is quite another.)
I wanted to hear from women creatives who were actually making it work, who had found their effing desk- a place of their own where they could devote time to their passions.
A couple of years later, a friend from high school approached me about starting a new podcast with him- or more accurately, his drag persona, Candi Shell. Leslie and the Drag Queen launched as a limited series in 2022, and it still remains one of the best times I’ve had on a project! Not only did LATDQ give me the chance to talk about one of my favorite topics- creativity- it brought an old friend back into my life. We even wrote some songs together for the show! You can check out episodes here.
And now, here we are! In 2024, I rebranded My Effing Desk to Creative Jumpstart, launching a companion blog alongside my podcast. (I do like to stay busy!) Creative Jumpstart continues the work of My Effing Desk, offering inspiration, motivation, and tips for writers, artists, and creatives of all stripes.
In Creative Jumpstart, we explore what it means to live a creative life and learn how all kinds of creators are making it work doing what they love. Whether you’re a writer, artist, photographer, performer, entrepreneur, or just need some motivation to get back to your passion, Creative Jumpstart is for you. New episodes come out every other Wednesday, so be sure to subscribe here or on your favorite podcatcher!
Need more goodies in between episodes? The Creative Jumpstart blog is a great place to find even more inspiration, exercises, prompts, and more. Sign up here to get the latest posts delivered to your inbox, and you’ll receive a free download of my 50 Low-Key Artist Date Ideas. (See? I told you I’m all about practicality!)
No matter what brought you here, I’m so glad you made it! Here’s to feeling inspired, empowered, and motivated to do the damn thing!
