Cultivate Your Journey

I adore Gina Rodriguez. Not just as an actress, but as a woman and a storyteller. She moves through the entertainment industry and this crazy social media world in a way we should all aspire to — in a pure, honest, empowering, grateful way.

I’ve listened to her interview on the In the Envelope podcast twice now, and each time I’ve been wowed by how much inspiration is packed into 45 minutes. Gina talks about how art should reflect life, the tricky balance between saying yes and no in your career, what it means to truly support other women, having patience, knowing your self worth, playing the long game, and planting seeds in your garden so that they have room to grow.

The message I needed to hear most right now, that I’ve had in my mind for over a week now was this:

“We are given this idea of what the industry is and how we have to change in order to fit inside of it. That is a myth. You do not have to change the phenomenal being that makes you shine and glow and grow to fit into something else that is actually just dying to have that. The industry really wants authentic, beautiful, artistic voices. As much as it seems like it doesn’t, it does. And especially in the way the current climate of our culture is progressing, individuality is finally being recognized, uplifted, and admired. That’s a very freeing thought as an artist. There is nothing you have to do to change. Today you are enough.”

So I’m keeping that in mind and following another piece of her advice. “I was cultivating my journey. My journey doesn’t have to look like anybody else’s. Nor does that mean that I’m putting anybody else’s journey down. Because what’s good for one person is good for them, and maybe not good for the rest of us. We have to choose our journeys, and do it with integrity.”

This industry is tough. Chasing a dream is tough. But it’s a little easier with this kind of motivation ringing in my ears.