We recently connected with Elisabeth Sloan and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Elisabeth, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
Starting Musical Theater at age 4, it was installed in me solely for the sake of keeping up with the other adult actors in cast with me. I understood that there would be no hand-holding to learn my lines, blocking, choreography, music numbers and character development, and if I slack off, there would be no other obvious culprit as clear as day than myself as I stood on stage. It was a philosophy of, “work hard to be good, or look terrible by not trying.”
By the time I had joined a Musical Theater School, an International Indoor Drumline, Improv Comedy Group, UIL Competitive Theater and any Music/Theater Fall/Spring shows my freshman year of high school, these same philosophies remained with me and challenged my ability to maintain these groups along with my regular PreAP/AP courses. What sustained the resilience was honored by the reward of completing a successful show, winning best actress, or leveling up in WGI Drumline Competitions. It was certainly exhausting, but the joy of the reward always made the hours of emotional, physical and mental push worth it every single time. Outside of school activities, I worked three jobs to help me pay for my college tuition, and although this only added to my exhaustion in many ways, the reward was that I was able to continue my education, which has bore me more fruit than I can fully grasp as I write this.
During my full-time undergraduate degree in Historical Studies, where I focused on Ancient Civilizations and the Fine Arts / Cultural Anthropology, I founded The Philosopher’s Society with the University of Texas at Dallas, and ran that for four years while I also performing lead roles, and eventually Directing, in the University Theater, all while also having a couple jobs. I understood that the work I put in now would only multiply as every year passed, and I was determined to know just how much I was capable of.
Now that I’m working on my Masters/PhD fast-track program in Natural & Integrative Medicine, this same philosophy has carried me through the discipline necessary if I wanted to reach my goals, as I knew everyone had their own dreams, and would not get me where I wanted if I didn’t embrace the heat and do it myself. While maintaining a steady flow of artwork commissions, publishing my first experimental album on iTunes and Spotify, beginning the production of my first high-fantasy novel with a publishing company, and establishing my inclusive clothing/artwork/come decor business on Etsy (Wisdom Candy), I would say the biggest aid in strengthening my resilience was the use of time blocking. Time blocking, since I was young, has always been a source of organization that allowed me to visually break down my daily, weekly and monthly tasks. After dedicating myself to this kind of system, your mind and body start to work together and will naturally switch your mental/physical mode that aligns with what you’re accomplishing during that timeblock. For example, the first task after my time to pray, meditate, and work through myself in the early morning is my school work, so my mind has accustomed to switching from one mind state to another. Confronting what skills are gauged towards that subject becomes muscle memory, if you stick with it.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Currently, my main focus is further developing my visibility Creative Production platform which integrates my Writing (i.e., Scripts for TEDx, Masterclasses, Entrepreneurial Proposals, Books), Artwork (Commission, Gallery) Music, (Nationally Certified) Health Coaching, my Etsy Products (WisdomCandy) and Cultural Anthropological / Natural & Integrative Medicine Education services by finding sources to promote myself and my intentions for my businesses. Whether that be through social media platforms, marketing and SEO research, or articles like this, which I am so grateful for the opportunity to share.
What’s truly exciting about these products and projects is that they all sync together in one way or another. For example, my Musical Theater experience brought me to understand “the human condition” to better embody the character and story. This led me to studying Ancient History and Philosophy, which led to writing my own stories, both high-fantasy and children’s books, as well as learning how cultures from our earliest available documentation established their communities via their unique culture, as well as how they healed their communities. This, then, led me to Natural and Integrative Medicine. My projects and products all pull from these sources that not only unite varying ideas of thought, but to inspire any age to recognize the significance of their individual life, right where they are, and how they are a crucial piece to a much larger picture.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The first quality is to believe in yourself against all odds. There will always be nay-sayers, unbelievers, or even just sabotaging individuals who will, either knowingly or unknowingly, do not wish you to succeed more than them. At the end of the day, these kinds of projections on you, your work and your goals hold absolutely no weight. You have those interests embedded in your heart for a reason, and it is always worth exploring, no matter your circumstance. You never know what can become of your passion if you feed it healthily. Among your success, you will experience failure, which are only lessons to you to try again. Failure only sticks if you leave it there. Keep going. Like a seed, all good things start small; Believe in yourself, even in humble beginnings.
The second quality would be to finish what you start. Everyone has great ideas, but only a few do what it takes to see it through. Procrastination comes from an internal state of self-sabotage. Again, believe in yourself, and create a time-blocking schedule to organize your day, week, month and keep yourself accountable. No one else will keep you accountable. This is YOUR life, and YOUR dreams. Do not wait for someone to open the door for you. There are keys everywhere for those who look for them.
Thirdly, learn when to say, “no.” Your time and energy are your most valuable resources in your life. Social Circles, Events, Projects, Habits, People, even our internal dialogue / thoughts that do not encourage and empower you or your goals, need to politely leave your life. There are too many good people, events, projects, habits and people who will support you correctly, naturally and easily – but they will need the space in your life wherever you are entertaining whatever shouldn’t be there. You can still love and care for those old things, people, events, etc., but there is only one you in one life, so, choose your space wisely. You and your life are a collection of what you allow into it.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I’m always looking for new clientele for my Writing, Music, and Artwork Commissions, as well as anyone who would like support through my Health Coaching, where we work one-on-one to discuss what areas they’re ready to upgrade in their life and we build a system to accomplish that goal. Business wise, I’m also always looking for collaboration in Creative Production (Acting, Modeling, Writing, Directing, Music), History, Healing, and Podcasts.
If you’re interested in learning more about any of these aspects, feel free to reach me at SloanElisabethJobs@gmail.com; be sure I would love to hear from you!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.agape-estates-studios.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agapisms/?hl=en
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sloanelisabeth
- Other: Spotify & iTunes – JOSTARIA
Image Credits
Model Joy Vanichkul / Photographer Amat Nimitpark (TEDx Promotion) Photographer Eden Beaupain (Water Nymph Vibes) All Artwork is Elisabeth Sloan (me).
