DTH Mag Vol 5 - Flipbook - Page 25
Looking back on your career, what has been your
most valuable lesson?
One of the most valuable lessons I've learned in
this industry is that my value doesn9t come from
what I can produce. And that's a tough thing for
me. I'm a hard worker and very proud of what I
do. I can't put all my value into what I can
produce because I'm way more than that. I'm
learning to rest, and those things go hand in
hand. Because sometimes, when I'm resting, I feel
like I should be working. Then I feel guilty
because I'm resting or even when I'm in a dry
spell. But I can9t let that affect my self-esteem or
feel like I'm no longer talented, wanted, or
irrelevant. Because this world will make you feel
like if they don't see you on TV every five
minutes, you're irrelevant no matter what you've
done. You're only as good as the last thing that
you've done. So, it just shows you how amazing
those accolades are, but sometimes how
meaningless they are. It all depends on how you
feel about yourself, honestly.
Can you walk me through your thought process,
though, that when you have those down moments,
how do you reground yourself?
The thoughts are going to come. People's
opinions can affect you, but they're not the end
all be all for me. No one else can write my book
or chapter or create my character for me - I'm the
author of my own life, and whatever it is that I
say goes. I did deal with that after Glee. Many
people don't know that I was let go in season
four. I had to come back to season five after
Cory [Monteith] passed away. They had called
me and told me they wouldn't need me the
following season, and I was fired. But I ended up
coming back to season five anyway. I didn't
know who I was if I wasn't interviewing. It's
hurtful around award seasons to not be there and
not be invited. I was used to being invited - it
wasn't a second thought that I would attend the
Golden Globes or the SAG Awards.
But now it's like those things you let validate
you have become your personality or your
markers of success. But when that changes,
what happens? What do you have?
And the person that I am in this industry? Yes,
I always try to remain the same person I am.
But the person I am in this industry, who I am
to my core, is reserved for those who love me.
That's how I get back to not feeling well when I
have those low spots. I utilize the love of my
friends, my family, and those that are that are
closest to me. If I need encouragement, I know I
can call them. I pray, and I meditate. And I
watch how I talk about myself, too. I am my
own best friend. It's creating your environment,
it's fostering your environment, and creating a
certain language in the way that you talk about
yourself. That just gets you back to reality
because Hollywood is not real.
What is real is how you’ve embraced your natural
hair through the years. You’ve inspired many to
embrace their textures, kinks, and coils. What
has your journey been like, and how do you
navigate the industry’s beauty standards?
DEEPER THAN HAIR | 25