Robey Stothart is a paralegal, writer, musician, and teaching artist based in Calgary. He previously collaborated with Pamela on a mentoring project that paired artists with students to create and respond to poetry for a joint art show. He’s competed on the world slam poetry stage, taught arts-based education programs across Canada and Europe, and currently balances legal work with ongoing creative projects.

Robey’s Children’s Book:

https://books.friesenpress.com/store/title/119734000179663947/Robey-S.-Stothart-Just-A-Position

The Beginning

1. What did you imagine doing “when you grew up”?

• When I was very little, I wanted to be a dragon. When I was in elementary school, I wanted to be a ninja. It was the 80s, ninjas were very popular. As I got to my teenage years, I wanted to be either an actor or some type of successful businessman. I even went to college to get a Bachelor of Commerce degree. That was a mistake, but no regrets.

2. What were your early interests, strengths, or influences?

• I enjoyed playing sports with my friends, mostly basketball. I also enjoyed cross-country running. I was quite good at both.
•  I was influenced by my Dad. He was a teacher at the Alberta School for the Deaf and a great athlete. He’s in the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame. He was very earnest in everything he did and had a gift for making people feel seen. 
• I also enjoyed music and became fascinated by writing at an early age, especially storytelling, fables and song lyrics. I was a sponge, soaking up everything around me. I spoke fast, I thought fast, and I ran fast. 
• Specific influences on me were guys like Bruce Lee, Magic Johnson, Buddy Holly, Eddie Murphy, Chuck D,  Gordon Korman, Charlie Chaplin, Chi Pig, Dennis Lyxzen, Leonard Cohen, George Carlin, Carl Jung, Tom Robbins, Statler and Waldorf. 

3. What did you love and enjoy playing with when you were little, especially when you were on your own?

• I loved Backgammon at an early age. My grandfather taught me how to play when I was 5 years old. Also, when I was very young, I played Dungeons and Dragons with my brother, Perry. He would let me be the Dungeon Master for him and his friends. When I was alone, I would create new D&D role-playing games, drawing out new dungeons on graph paper given to me by my brother. 
• My first job was a paper route. I grew up in small town Alberta, where you played outside til the streetlights came on. I would save all the quarters from my route and bike down to the Red Rooster convenience store. In the back, they had three, now classic, arcade games. I spent hours alone playing Altered Beast, Golden Axe and Double Dragon. 
• Always loved playing records when I was on my own. I remember finding a stack of vinyl records that belonged to my grandfather. We had an antique record player that I didn’t know existed because it was hidden under old newspapers for years. Everything was a treasure hunt when I was growing up. Now everything is given, and I’m not sure if that’s a good thing. 

Education & Exploration

1. What was your academic journey like? Did you follow a clear path, or did it evolve over time?

• My journey was not a clear path. I was on a warrior’s path and feel like I still am. Resilience is a gift. 
• I’ve been lucky to be able to make money from my hobbies and passions. My children’s book was a bestseller, I have songs in different movies, and I still sing in a band. 
• Back in the day, I was a Slam Poet and competed at the World Individual Poet Slam in 2007, one of only 6 Canadians to do so. Shortly after, I got interested in becoming a Teaching Artist and started doing workshops for Unity Charity, Globalfest, Boys & Girls Club and Hull Services. This work turned into a full-time job with Hull Services, working as a fine arts teacher in the Music Department for two years before being headhunted by the Royal Conservatory of Music, learning through the arts program, where I worked for 6 years up until the pandemic. 

2. Were there any pivotal courses, teachers, or experiences that helped shape your direction?

• My pivotal moment with Teaching Artistry and Aesthetic Education was through my discovery of Maxine Greene and reading her collection of essays titled “Variations on a Blue Guitar”. This eventually led to my attending the Lincoln Center Summer Lab for Teaching Artists in New York. Learning from some of the world’s top teaching artists, like Eric Booth and Chris Emden shaped my direction in arts-based education and teaching artistry

Turning Points

1. What key moments, decisions, or detours shaped your career journey?

• The Pandemic was a key moment. My arts education program folded due to school boards cutting budgets for teacher professional development. It was frustrating to watch the Education system struggle with online learning and keeping kids engaged. Especially because this was exactly what I was teaching for years before the Pandemic. I decided to pivot and went back to college to get my Legal Assistant Diploma, and I currently work as a Paralegal for a downtown Calgary law firm. 

2. Were there times when things didn’t go as planned? How did you respond?

• With gratitude, mistakes are blessings in the broader lessons of life. I’ve made art. I’ve made case files. I’ve made meaning. None of it followed a straight line. All of it was in service.
• Tribulations in our lives are to help rectify the past lives of angels. Every test we get in life is a chance to serve spirit. We grant blessings to angels. Angels are not for us. We are for the angels.

Current Chapter

1. What are you doing now, and what do you enjoy about it?

• I’m still an active musician and published author. Music and writing are therapy for me. I enjoy creating art. I think art is the highest evolution of humanity. 

2. How does your current work reflect (or differ from) what you once envisioned?

• After high school, I went to College to get my Bachelor’s of Commerce. Currently, I work as a Paralegal. Not what I envisioned, but I love being of service to people, especially when they need help the most. 

Lessons & Reflections

1. What have you learned along the way—about work, life, or yourself? 

• The more I know, the less I understand it. Embracing ambiguity has been the real gathering of any wisdom I claim to have. Your pulse has a rhythm in tune with the sea. All streams lead to ocean; it’s best not to swim against the current. Follow your flow. 

2. Are there any myths about careers or success you’d like to dispel?

• There are many definitions of a rich life. Don’t be obsessed with only the money-making aspects of success. 

3. Consider any volunteer work / causes / experiences/ values attached to your work or beyond your work that you want to comment on or advocate for and/or advertise.

• Reconciliation is an ongoing process that needs to be honoured. We are treaty people. I see the seven sacred teachings of First Nations people as guiding principles for all cultures. Depending on your place in shared history, one must decolonize the mind. Be aware of the influence queen mothers tongue has on the building of a trapped door society. 

Advice for Others

1. What would you say to someone just starting out, or to your younger self?  

• Don’t lend out books or hoodies. 
• Don’t chase after what you gave away.
• Don’t make your reactions worse than their actions.
• Don’t forget joy comes from the heart, not the mind. 

2. Any quotes, philosophies, or stories that helped you stay grounded or inspired?

• “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” -Dr. Suess
•  “Pressure makes diamonds” – Thomas Carlyle  
• “Just do it” – Nike

Looking Ahead

1. What are your hopes, dreams, or goals for the future—personally or professionally?

• Deep down, I’m still after dragon alchemy. I hope to slow dance with the divine feminine. 

2. Are there new directions you’re curious about exploring?

• Any Which Way

3. How do you see your career (or sense of purpose) evolving in the years to come? 

• I know I’ll be a lifelong learner. I want to stay open to the idea that anything is possible. Anything…is…possible…
• My career or sense of purpose is directly linked to the power of imagination. I hope to see bigger dreams, expansive ideas and wonderous anomalies.
• I don’t need a gluttonous life, I wish for health, security and enough money to fund any grandiose idea that comes to mind. Think big, live big and travel light.