If Covid has taught me anything it's that you are the obstacle standing between you and your purpose. I'm not going to lie, the first month of the lockdown truly had me on a mental & physical rollercoaster. One week I was strong and ready to conquer the world and the next week I struggled to get out of bed. My anxiety was extremely high and not seeing an end to the madness was taking a toll on my mental stability. And being single in isolation is an absolute nightmare. Don't get me wrong, it is therapeutic to spend time alone healing and giving yourself the self love you deserve but after you've done the work you'd like to reap some reward. But due to the shutdown and no good safety measures in place my life and career was flipped upside down. Being unemployed left my career in limbo and my future in question.
What would be my next step(s)? Well, thanks to my desire to hone some closeted skills, I decided to use this time to really dive into another passion of mine, teaching. I've taught in the school system before and as rewarding as it can be I just didn't find it edifying. I would come home exhausted, unfulfilled, and unmotivated. And more importantly, I didn't want to be bogged down by a schedule and curriculum that I didn't believe in. But since Covid, I was challenged to create my own acting curriculum for the graduating acting students at the University of Minnesota. I couldn't let this opportunity pass because it's not often that you're afforded the opportunity to work in the collegiate level. So, I jumped at the chance to grow as an arts educator. I'm not going to lie, I was nervous. Doubt crept in my mind and questions emerged like was I qualified enough or was my acting experience valid enough? Who did I think I was to be telling other artists what to do? But once I did it I was completely empowered. I realized I did have the skills and knowledge to share with the masses. But more importantly, I realized I am really passionate about educating people. This opportunity only strengthened my desire to educate the next generation of artists. Since then I have taught four other workshops and have several more scheduled at some reputable universities and arts institutions, in the Fall.
Covid has truly opened doors for me that I would have never imagined. Had I stayed in a negative mental state I would've never fully realized my dream of being an arts curriculum creator/educator. I would probably be sitting in this house losing my mind about what my next step would be or where my next opportunity would come from. So, I want to challenge you to step out on faith and start that business you've been dreaming about or change your job into a career you are passionate about or just try something NEW. Life is too short to operate in doubt and fear. Ignite your desire to become the person you've always dreamt of being. It's never too late to start something new but don't put off what could be your Devine purpose because your purpose is the pathway to personal freedom!!! So free yourself...And as always, remember to DATEYOURSELFGIRL!!!