2018 Modesto Bee 20 Under 40 Honoree | Chelsea Foy

FAVORITE QUOTE OR SAYING, WHY?

“Be as you are.”

The older I get, the more comfortable I am with myself and the person that I am. I think if we were all a little more comfortable being as we are, the world would be a better place.

COMMUNITY OR PROFESSIONAL HIGHLIGHTS:

• Former Director, Thomas Downey High School Choirs
• Performer at Radio City Music Hall, New York City
• Performer at Shanghai Grand Theater, China
• National Theatrical Tours throughout U.S. and Canada
• Founder and Editor of Lovely Indeed Blog
• Instagram Spotlight Featured Artist
• Modesto Breakfast Club Steering Committee
• Downtown Modesto Promotions Committee
• Soroptimist of the Year, Soroptimist International of Modesto North Chapter
• Downtown Modesto Love Notes Art Installations
• Upcoming TEDx Modesto Speaker

YOUR LIFE CHANGED WHEN:

My life changed when I decided to make a very unexpected move from Modesto to New York City. At the time, I held the choral director position in the music department at Downey High, and a move had definitely not been part of my long-term plan. But it was something that I felt pulled to do, and I knew that it was a “now or never” type of thing. So I moved to NYC to pursue a career in musical theater performance, leaving behind a job, a home, friends, and family. It was the bravest thing I’ve ever done, and luckily for me it panned out. I had a successful run in musical theater, where I met my husband. I started my blog there, which then took off and is now my career. We joyfully made our way back to Modesto to raise our family, and it all came full circle. I ended up right back where I started, but with so much more than when I left.

WHAT DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW MOST ABOUT YOU?

I want people to know that I believe in the power of the arts. Throughout my adult life, creativity and the arts has always been at the center of whatever it is that I do, even through career shifts. I started as a high school choral director, where I saw the way that music can shape and change a young person’s life. Then I was a stage performer, and I witnessed the power of theater and storytelling and the way that it can bring people together. My current work is more focused on visual and hands-on arts like photography and crafting, and I see every day through my blog the way that creativity and inspiration can invigorate a community. The arts are a crucial part of our human experience, and I believe that every child and adult needs access to express their creativity.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT LIVING HERE?

When we moved back to Modesto, my husband and I made ourselves a promise that we would be part of the solution to making this town a place where people want to be, not just where people exist. And I’m so grateful to be part of a rising tide of community members who feel the same way. There’s an energy that’s contagious right now, with people invested and engaged in making Modesto wonderful. That’s an exciting thing to be a part of. It’s just so clear that people care about being here, and I don’t think you can say that for every city that you come across.

WHY IS COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IMPORTANT

A community is a living thing, and when the people in a community are involved in its well-being, it thrives. Conversely, when people aren’t involved, a community withers. It’s simple to see a problem and wish that it was fixed, but it’s a different thing to jump in and do the fixing. What we as community members need to internalize is that we are the fixers. Use your strengths. Find the way that you can help to make your community what you want it to be.

This story was originally published August 23, 2018 at 8:05 AM.