"Wanting to be better is different than not feeling like enough."
- Elisabeth Donaldson, Actor, Comedian, Artist
Elisabeth Donaldson is a creator. It's what she does. It's what she was born to do. She's an actor, comedian, art director, stylist, photographer, and an all around creative. When we had her on the MAKE IT podcast she kept it real with us when it comes how she manages relationships to help keep the creative juices flowing. In her world, there's no room for anyone who doesn't allow her to pursue her higher self.
She told us that she would never settle for a relationship with anyone (romantic or otherwise) who distracted her from what she is truly meant to do. Though she wouldn't mind being in a relationship with someone who makes her want to be better, she would never want to be in a relationship where someone made her feel like she wasn't enough. But how do you draw the line between the two?
Well, the desire for self-improvement can be driven from two distinct places. One, from a place of self-acceptance with a desire to become a greater version of yourself and two, from a place of inadequacy with a desire to become someone else's version of who you should be. This place of inadequacy is where Elisabeth refuses to live and I agree with her 100%. So many of us spend so much time and effort trying to be what others want us to be that we lose sight of who we are altogether. Elisabeth herself has found that being an artist is the best way that she can give back to her community. This is because she is giving her best self in everything that she does and her community gets to reap the benefits of her creativity. She flatly refuses to let someone else dim her light and the world is that much better for it.
This perspective is so important for creatives in film and any other industry because success as a creative is dependent upon the unwavering pursuit of your own creative goals. Chasing someone else's vision of who you should be will only help you fulfill their dreams, not yours. Let's face it: being a creative is hard. There's no beaten path, there are no absolutes, and there is no rulebook. But hard doesn't matter when there's passion in your perseverance and dedication to your dreams. The first step is accepting who and what you are and owning your purpose as a creative. From there, you can strive to be a better version of yourself while never feeling like you're not enough.
I have to thank Elisabeth for this wonderful reminder that she shared with our indie filmmaking community. Our creative pursuits are greatly impacted by how we treat ourselves and how we allow others to treat us. It's important that we don't lose sight of that so that we always have the freedom to Be Better, Be Creative, and Be Engaged.
You can check out all of Elisabeth's amazing artistry at https://www.elisabethdonaldsoncreative.com.
And, once again,
Be Better. Be Creative. Be Engaged. (This is the way.)
