What is your unique gift? – Do you believe in it enough to invest everything you have in it?
My unique gift is my ability to connect with others through theatre and music. Whether this is through performance, or networking, I believe that I am good at leaving a lasting impression on people. I believe in it, and I will invest everything I have in it. Not in a reckless way though- I’m not gonna be a starving artist.
What difference are you trying to make in the world? – How passionate are you about doing this?
I want to be an advocate for other artists. I want to be able to produce their plays and music (as well as my own works). I’m extremely passionate about this.
How do you define success for yourself? – What challenges do you face in order to create success?
Success for me would be being able to financially support myself off of my art, and being satisfied with the work that I do, meaning that I’m not just working church gigs, or odd theatre and singing jobs that I hate, success to me means I get to spend every day singing or acting or producing or writing about things that I’m passionate about. Some challenges I face: there are a lot of actresses/singers/writers who are better than me and have more connections than I do. Living in Atlanta is expensive, how will I be able to feed myself and pay rent while auditioning?
Not very many people know me there, how will I book auditions/ get work?
What is career vision and a mission?
Career vision is where you see yourself, a mission consists of the steps you’d take to get there.
Can you innovate and create value and successfully communicate that value to intended audiences?
I think so! I am confident about this ability in my singing and sometimes acting, but as I venture out into new areas like songwriting and playwriting, I am less confident about my abilities. I try not to let that stop me from pursuing my new goals.
Do you have a positive attitude?
Yes! I try to go into everything with a good attitude.
Have you set your goals? What is your road map to success? Can you set inspiring and realistic goals?
I have a lot of goals! Here are two of them and how I plan to achieve them
- Become a professional actress
- Audition at theatre conferences (FTC, SETC, Atlanta/NYC/Chicago unifieds, etc)
- Audition for apprenticeships at theatre companies (mostly ATL)
- Get your play produced
- Private reading at the 5 and Dime in March
- Short selection at the summer one act festival
- Fully produced in 2020
I used to think my goals were unrealistic, but I spent the past summer in Atlanta making lots of connections and quickly came to the realization that not only were my goals realistic, but I was already taking steps to achieve those goals.
Do you have and/or acquire the necessary expertise to actualize your vision?
Yes! Once I finish my degree, I will have the qualifications necessary for an apprenticeship in 2020 I’m applying for. As for all my other goals, I think once I graduate I’ll be ready.
What are your priorities? Can you set priorities?
Setting priorities is something I could definitely improve upon. Sometimes I start out with a list of goals and get overwhelmed and just start focusing on the things that I enjoy rather than getting more arduous tasks out of the way. Right now, my priorities are staying on top of my schoolwork and preparing for the Irene Ryan competition.
What opportunities are you looking for? What opportunities are you creating or intend to create?
I’m looking for any opportunity to network and expand my knowledge on the world of theatre and music. Recently I’ve been looking at different workshops and theatre festivals around the country that I can attend to possibly make new connections. I’m currently creating an opportunity to have my play produced.
How comfortable are you with uncertainty? What risks are you willing to take?
Uncertainty scares me, but it’s not unfamiliar to me. I’ve tried to take some steps to make my future feel less uncertain and more stable, but it doesn’t mean that I’m not still willing to step out of my comfort zone. I’m willing to risk a lot! Honestly if I got a really great opportunity I would drop everything and move to another country if needed.
When facing challenges, do you persevere or do you walk away?
I usually persevere, unless it’s some bullshit. Whether it’s a challenging role or task, I usually step up and put in the work. But if the challenge is to deal with pettiness, tomfoolery, divas, or challenging personalities, I’ll put up with it, but I’m likely not to return to the situation.
What experience have you learned the most from?
After auditioning for 3 universities back to back, I returned to Jacksonville to compete in a Shakespeare competition. I had memorized the monologue months prior, but I memorized the poem the night before on the plane. When it came time to perform in front of the judges, I blanked on the last couplet of my sonnet, and called for line. What I didn’t know, was that disqualified me from the competition.
I sobbed on the car ride home, because honestly, I thought I did great, better than all the other people in the room (17 year old Isabella was kind of full of herself, she’s been humbled since then). In an effort to prepare for my college auditions, I had forgotten about this competition and showed up underprepared. I missed out on the opportunity to perform in New York City on the Lincoln Center stage. That day I learned two things:
- Always show up prepared.
- Don’t take on more than you can handle.
What actions are you taking to realize your vision? Are you consistently taking action?
I am continuing in my studies, maintaining my connections in community and professional theatre here in Jacksonville and in Atlanta, and attending theatre conferences to further expand my training and connections.
What is your plan to continually grow and evolve? How have you grown or evolved in the past year or three?
My plan is to keep trying to expand my talents. I started college as a singer and actress, and in the past year I’ve produced some music, filmed a couple of music videos, and began writing a play. I’m not saying I’m an expert in any of these fields, but I definitely think that venturing into different aspects of theatre/music will make me overall a better artist.
How easy is it for you to reach out to others to ask for support and to offer help?
I think I offer help a lot more than I ask for it. I’m trying to reach out to people more. I have a few big projects coming up that are going to require me reaching out to others for help.
How are you inspiring others to join and/or support your mission in order to create a financially sustainable enterprise that allows you to live your gift and contribute something valuable to society? – If you aren’t currently, how do you intend to?
I’m not currently doing this, but I do hope to create something like that. I got accepted to an apprenticeship at Teatro Aurora which is a subsect of the Aurora Theatre. Hopefully in my time there I can help expand programming enough to get shows onto the mainstage (instead of the black box where they currently reside).
Nicely done! A little work on Vision and Mission is needed but you’re not alone.