Please introduce yourself. What do you do? Why? What do you want people to know about you?
Hey there, I’m Vanessa! Everything I do involves creatively helping our the audience to discover a deeper emotional connection with themselves, not feel alone, heal from their pain, and feel inspired to make change through various forms of storytelling. This includes acting, writing music, owning a fitness studio, stress and anxiety hacks on my YouTube Channel, writing, producing and more!
What qualities make you different and unique from everyone else in the industry?
My life’s journey involves walking and fighting through the necessary healing process of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but I don’t allow it to hold me back from my goals. I’m open about my PTSD, but it’s not my identity and it’s not going to destroy me.
There’s no book on how to be an actress with this, so here I am, writing it myself through my actions. I PROVE in all of my successes that it is POSSIBLE to live your life in victory despite what’s trying to hold you back. YOU CAN DO IT, too! It’s hard, but keep kicking and confidentially customize all you do to work together and along your sustainable needs. You’re not alone.
Describe THAT moment when you realized you’re doing what you were born to do.
Oh gosh. Performing and creating through the vessel of storytelling has helped me survive as an outlet of finding emotional safety, myself and a symbiotic healing connection with others. Growing up in a clashing environment where neglect was common but safer than being noticed also meant that being seen and unseen were both good and bad.
It was hard for me to balance and know myself. Acting in theatre helped me to feel both, safely; I was seen, but in the veil of someone else where I could process all emotion and escape reality, bringing joy to others. Once I felt it all come together, I was addicted.
What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve had to go through and how did you grow through it?
Believing I DESERVE IT. So many who have fought to survive trauma often feel held back, but don’t know why. You’re doing EVERYTHING you can to achieve your goals, so what’s the issue?! It’s AGONIZING and FRUSTRATING and you feel perpetually defeated.
I was so focused my whole life on surviving, I didn’t realize how the trauma had molded the my self respect and love. It took me over half of a century to figure out that a major problem I’ve always had was that, although I believed in myself, I didn’t believe I deserved success.
I was actually AFRAID of it. It felt wrong. Now, that I’ve recognized it, I work daily to show myself it’s safe to accomplish goals and it’s actually IMPORTANT to feel great about achieving those goals.
Who are the TOP 3 people you’d want to meet that could elevate your career or business? Why these specific individuals?
Top person: Burn Gorman, absolutely. His work is stunning. The experiences he lives on screen are so transformative, I can’t help but feel I know every inner working thought and emotion of his characters moment to moment. He inspires me to keep believing in my own personal process of connecting with the audience. I would LOVE to ask him about his approach to the craft and how he navigates his struggles and boundaries in our industry.
Robin Wright- I want to thank her for her performance in Forrest Gump and let her know how incredibly helpful it was to witness her exploration of Jenny’s existence. I’d also like to discuss pointers on my screenplay with her based on my journey.
Taboo! He’s an amazing artist with a platform for change. I’d love to discuss achieving my goal (that I will feel GREAT about lol) of producing and finishing my first in-studio song. I believe he can help me to help others heal through my music.
Thank you for this opportunity. Great questions!
Drop your social media links.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vanessa.meadows/
@TheCrownedSurvivalist (my stress hacks on YouTube)
@vanessa.meadows (acting & life)
www.beCauseParties.org (my nonprofit)