We recently connected with Fredericka Meek and have shared our conversation below.
Fredericka, thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?
Oh wow ok. I suppose my parents instilled a lot of that in me. They raised me to believe I could do absolutely anything I wanted. There’s a caveat here, though. I also was very optimistic because there were so many instances where I thought my parents weren’t. Stay with me here. My parents are baby boomers, and were very active during the civil rights movement. I grew up with “you can do anything”, but one of our coffee table books was a picture book called “A History of Lynching in America.” You can imagine the conversations that spurred. We didn’t have many people over for dinner :). They tried to instill in me a thorough knowledge of history as it relates to being Black in America and also say, “We went through this so you can thrive.” Sometimes the message was a bit muddy, and as a child I sometimes received it as my parents being negative/ stuck in the past. so I would go out of my way to show them how good people were. I remember the first time I read The Diary of Anne Frank, when she said “In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.” It became my motto. As I’ve grown up, I’ve had to spruce a big dose of reality into my optimism, but it just feels better to be this way. I accept that bad things will happen, but I go through it and release it, knowing that God willing, the sun will rise and this too shall pass. Now that I have a daughter, I see so many things through her unfiltered and optimistic eyes. It’s been tested A LOT recently, but I’m trying to hold on to it.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am an artist. A multi-hyphenate artist…an actor/writer/singer/producer. Born to two musician/academia parents, I had the creative bug before I was even aware. My dad had a radio show in Chicago and I bugged him to let me talk. He gave me a segment called “Children’s Corner” and it was on and poppin! I went on to do public speaking events with The NAACP, The Jay-Cees, IBM, and other companies who wanted a kid’s view on the world. I received my undergraduate degree from Hampton Institute, where I was. a member of the Terpsichorean Dance Company as well as the gospel choir, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Phi Beta Kappa Sorority, The Big Brother/Big Sister Program and a Student Leader. Since graduation, I’ve been immersed in the entertainment business. I started as a dancer, doing tours across the USA and Japan. I was the lead female singer in an amazing show called CelticFusion, which told a beautiful history of Celtic dance. CelticFusion toured the United States, Canada and Chile. I was also a “Coquette” with Conan O’Brien on his “Legally prohibited from Being Funny on Television” Tour. Upon returning, I co-created two all female sketch comedy groups which had sold out shows in Los Angeles and produced 2 seasons of an award-winning web-series. Currently, I am beginning the festival circuit on a passion project-a film I wrote and produced called “Always”. This film highlights the beauty of father-daughter relationships. It is a tribute to my late father, and the first in a. series of films I aim to complete highlighting his amazing life.
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?
Confidence, Humility and Grace. Confidence is a trait that is challenging to maintain with consistency in this industry that is full of rejection. To know that you’re doing your best and rejection isn’t personal is tough. You have to know that what’s for you can’t be taken by anyone else. By that same token, having humility means living in a state of gratitude. Gratitude for your gift, for being able to do what you love, for being alive to do what you love.
And grace is something so important in our world of instant gratification. We want what we want now. giving yourself grace is not beating yourself up when something goes awry, not having impatience with life’s stressors, but knowing that this, to, shall pass. And loving yourself through the pain and trauma that life sometimes brings. All of what I said is a constant practice, easier said than done…but we are all works in progress, right?
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
When I am overwhelmed, which seems to happen a lot more these days lol ( as a parent, partner, performer, friend, etc…). I write, I do yoga, I try to read, go for a walk. I’ve discovered deep breathing techniques as well. Different strategies will work for different people, but I do think it’s important to take a bit of time away from a stressful situation if at all possible. Meditation may work as well! Find the technique that clears your head and brings your thought back to happy.
Contact Info:
- Website: FrederickaMeek.com
- Instagram: @FrederickaPatricia
- Facebook: Fredericka Patricia Meek
- SoundCloud: Fredericka
- Other: Tik Tok-Fredericka Patricia
Image Credits
Zach Mendez, photos 3 and 4
