Today we’d like to introduce you to Tess Clarkson.
Tess, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I grew up in Overland, Missouri, moved to Chicago for college, and relocated to New York City for law school. In the middle of my first year of legal studies, I got an unexpected offer to join “Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance.” As a competitive Irish dancer who’d trained between two to six hours a day, that invitation was a dream opportunity! I left school and toured North America and London as an Irish dancer with Flately’s productions. After returning to Manhattan and restarting my studies, “Riverdance” opened on Broadway, which was only a short walk from my dorm. While going to law school, I performed in its chorus and in promotional events. After graduating with my J.D., I worked as a lawyer and spent the bulk of my career in financial regulation. The deaths of my friend and mom shifted my relationship with the end-of-life and showed me what type of service to pursue. So outside of work, I trained as an end-of-life doula and volunteered for a hospice, doing social visits and vigils. These dying strangers, who allowed me to serve them, helped me reflect on my life path and choices on a profound level. Life then took me back to Missouri to care for my 86-year-old father suffering from dementia. Once there, I had another unexpected event – I met my future husband. After permanently relocating to my home state, I stopped practicing law and pursued my passions.
Now, I’m a writer, death doula, and life optimizer, helping people tap into their inner guru and tackle taboos. After years of serving the dying and learning to confront my own mortality through the deaths of loved ones, I got certified as an end-of-life doula, yoga teacher, astrologer, and Reiki master. Through my community workshops, corporate trainings, and private clients, I now teach yoga and meditation, and I also create space for people to reflect, plan, and grieve – whether it’s the death of a beloved person, a cherished pet, or a life transition. I am a firm believer that we should give our loved ones the gift of planning and prepare for the end-of-life today, not tomorrow.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s been a bumpy road with twists and turns but also gifts. My worst moments, like when my friend died onboard Air France 447 when the plane crashed in the Atlantic Ocean between Rio and Paris in 2009, and when my mom received a terminal cancer diagnosis in 2011, showed me how each day truly is a gift. Heartache pushed me to seek out my very first astrology reading, which opened my eyes to a fresh way of seeing myself and understanding the world. My mom’s hospice team inspired me to serve others at the end of life. My many failures in dance before my big break taught me to keep trying, even when others say “give up.” The countless rejections my creative writing has received pushed me to delve deeper into my storytelling and even my “why.” And my friend’s early death at age 28 taught me to embrace every moment.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
When I was an Irish dancer, I thought of myself as an athlete, and when hip and ankle pain forced me to retire in my late twenties, I felt the best time of my life was over. A friend then gave me Julian Cameron’s book, THE ARTIST’S WAY, which helps unblock creativity. I thanked my friend and threw the book on a shelf, silently telling myself, “You’re not creative.” My friend called and asked, “Have you started the book.” I replied, “No.” He called again and again, asking if I started the book. I finally told him, “No, I’m not creative.” He said, “Do the book!” Finally, to stop him from pestering me, I opened the book, and my life was never the same, in a very good way! Because of Cameron’s book, I attended my first writing workshop, and during it, the teacher gave an in-class assignment to draft an essay. When I read my raw story aloud to the group, I got the same thrill I used to get on stage, and I was hooked! I took many more writing courses, earned a certificate in creative nonfiction at the City University of New York, and gained incredible friends through my workshops. After moving back to Missouri, I sold my first essay. Since then, I have taken more writing workshops, sold more essays, and lead workshops on using creative expression as a way to help with grief. It turns out I was creative after all. We all are! And feeding our creativity can be a wonderful way to process painful times and find joy.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
When I debated where to attend law school, my final decision was between a school in St. Louis and one in New York. My mom encouraged me to return home, promising to do my laundry, make my lunch, and even drive me to school. With that, I made my choice. I left the Midwest for the Big Apple – a painfully shy and awkward 22-year-old who didn’t know a soul in the city. I was overwhelmed and in debt but not afraid to work hard — and work hard, I did! I also got rewards I didn’t anticipate; doors opened that I couldn’t foresee. I think that’s often the case in life: We can make plans and what we prepare to do doesn’t materialize, but other things, which are even better can. Working hard is a key part of things turning out better than expected. Being kind is a huge part of that, too. That doesn’t mean it’s always a smooth path (and often it’s not). But when I look back now on my life and the risks I took (e.g., moving to New York, leaving school to dance, exploring esoteric wisdom, serving dying strangers, quitting a long-term secure and lucrative job and moving across country to take a chance on love), the happiest moments along the way outweigh the ones full of pain, fear, and tears.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://tessclarkson.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetessclarkson/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetessclarkson
- Other: https://substack.com/@tessclarkson
