My name is Cayley Catherine Cyrena Costello.
I am an artist with a strong background in theatre and performance. In May 2020, I received my MFA from the California Institute of the Arts in Acting.
Ironically, in my last year of grad school, I took a personal filmmaking class that would change my life. After receiving each new assignment, I was desperate to go home and start ideating - a quality I possessed as a kid, but lost somewhere amongst the societal ideal that people can only do and be one thing (especially women). Behind the camera, I felt, for the first time in years, completely alive and full of purpose. I felt like myself.
I am currently exploring my artistic process and hope to always strive for truth in my work, no matter the course it takes. I am unlearning the idea that life has to follow one narrow path, and am finding inspiration in quiet joys and trying new mediums. I am constantly moved by real people and the experiences that have shaped them as well as art that focuses on themes of spirituality and sexuality. Through my writing, I develop complex female protagonists who defy the status quo. More than anything in the world, I love simple pleasures and collaborating with my friends.
Growing up in an unstable household, the arts singlehandedly saved my life. I hope to one day foster opportunities for womxn-identifying and adolescent artists to create in safe spaces. Everyone deserves to make art - the world could not breathe without it.