Artists Helping was created by Meg Ruddy as an answer to the growing list of families reaching out in need of support, and a realization that babysitting, home, and pet care helped not only pay her bills, (and pricey improv classes) but also her many artist friends navigating this new entertainment landscape.

The idea began in June of 2025 after quitting yet another lousy, restaurant job as most actor stories begin. With no job prospects and no recognizable tv or movie credits to her name, Meg was grasping at straws, and the only real silver lining was a text from a friend of a friend, “Hey Meg, I got your number from __ regarding babysitting. Are you available to chat?” While the reference was nice, it also felt like a step backward. But then one babysitting job led to a house sitting job and then a dog sitting job and nannying role, and so on, she realized something might have landed at her feet.

She was already connecting families with artists all over LA, and was happy to do it free, but pulling over on the side of the road in busy, LA traffic to connect parents who got her number from a friend of theirs who needed a babysitter tonight (in two hours) was probably worth more than she was giving herself credit for.

And the unprompted, glowing reviews of all of her artist friends sparked a thought…what if this could be something more than “just a babysitting job”, but was instead something that could help working parents feel like their kids are in the hands of someone they trust, and that they could invest their hard earned money back into the place we all call home by hiring local artists in the community? And what if an artist wouldn’t feel bad showing up to another awful serving shift, and instead had the opportunity to use their innate empathic spirit to care for overworked professionals wanting to bring that creative spark back into their life? And that’s where this all began.

Caring for people, places, and pets comes naturally to Meg as her parents have always instilled in her the importance of serving the needs of others. Meg’s father was the Director of Emergency Medicine at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital for over 30 years, and her mom was a nurse turned education program manager for a non-profit called Keep Cincinnati Beautiful, which focuses on empowering residents to create cleaner, community-driven public spaces.

Meg has a background working in Montessori preschools, and even worked in the same Montessori preschool she attended as a preschooler herself with a few of the same teachers who taught her!

Years later, as a result of the Covid-19 Pandemic, she returned to the Montessori Method when she was hired by 6 families to teach their children 5 days a week out of one family’s beautiful home in Angelino Heights.

Meg created a detailed curriculum each week, homemade activities, and a positive learning environment in which families could find joy and comfort during the most stressful time in their lives.

Through this experience, Meg learned she has a deep passion and natural ability for thoughtfully maintaining home health for the complex lives of LA professionals.

“Meg makes leaving our home feel effortless.” — L.A. Client

When she’s not caring for clients’ homes, Meg enjoys acting on stage, and in front of the camera. Her husband, James, actually recently launched The Shared Experience Studio, a new improv theatre and school in East Hollywood. Meg performs on the all women team, Hotel Lobby, every other Thursday! She is excited about the new kids improv program she has helped create with talented instructors, Karen Vaughn and Molly Doan!

Check out the summer offerings and the show calendar on our website! We would love to see you there!

https://www.thesharedexperiencestudio.com