We recently had the chance to connect with Hope Smashey and have shared our conversation below.
Hope, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
I have a soft spot in my heart for British literature. My bachelor’s degree was in English, so I adore reading the classics and watching miniseries of those same books. One series that I just recently watched was BBC’s Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle. Cozying up on the couch and getting lost in a period piece is one of my favorite ways to relax outside of work.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
For those who have followed me along my journey thus far, storyteller is the title I truly love going by because I love writing fiction stories, but I also love sharing stories through my singing and acting. Recently, I finished writing the first draft of my adventure/suspense novel, and I’m currently in the editing process. I also have two short stories and a novelette that I’ve completed within the past two years. Another exciting piece of news is that I recently had my first in-person audition. The evening was a lovely experience; I had so much fun singing and dancing in the audition room! While I didn’t get the role I auditioned for, I still learned so much through the process, and I look forward to continuing to audition for other roles in the future!
In addition to my writing, musical, and acting interests, I’m a librarian. In a few short months, I’ll be graduating with my Masters in Library and Information Science with an Archival Certificate. Over the summer of 2025, I interned at the Gilcrease Museum in their archive at the Helmerich Center for American Research. I helped rehouse various collections including: The Gold Rush Diary, John Trumbull Collection, Knox-Willett Letters, Sir Frederick Haldimand Papers, Charles Joseph Latrobe Papers, Civil War Papers, WWII Collection, and some of the Gilcrease Map Collection. Besides rehousing, I also added metadata to the Archive Space database. Interning at the Gilcrease Museum was a wonderful experience. Currently, they are in the process of rebuilding, so hearing the conversations about the upcoming changes also gave me greater insight into the inner workings of a museum during a major period of transition.
Needless to say, I keep very busy!
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I’ve always been an adventurous, fun-loving individual. A little-known fact, when I was growing up, especially around 6-8 years old, I loved watching musicals. I tried so hard to dance and sing along with the actors on the VHS tapes—especially Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music. I didn’t care who was watching. The whole living room was my stage, and I just loved singing and dancing.
Honestly, in some ways I’m still that seven-year-old. The desires are very similar—to sing, dance, and tell stories. The difference is now I understand the hard work that goes into doing the things I love, and I understand the fear that comes along with putting myself out there. It’s scary walking into the audition room or submitting a short story for possible publication.
In general, I’m very grateful that I’ve never really had the pressure of being who the world wants me to be. Sure, some people think pursuing artistic dreams is crazy, but most people are encouraging. Truthfully, passionate people have such an excitement about what they are doing; the zeal can be contagious. We are all searching for that thing that makes us feel happy, fulfilled, and accomplished. The thing we were put on earth to do. I remember the joy my piano teacher had as she opened her door for each student, the joy one of the local librarians displayed as she helped me find a needed book for a school project, and the joy my voice teacher shows each time he addresses a student or our community choir. All of these individuals found what they were put on earth to do. Sometimes it takes years of discovery, but other times, we only need to look deep in our hearts to see what we truly are passionate about. What hobbies or interests light an inner fire within our hearts. Then, we need to discover how we can use those gifts to contribute to society. We share our gifts with others in the hope that they will be encouraged to share their gifts as well.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Welcome to being part of the human race. Let’s see…how many times have I wanted to give up? So many I stopped counting. We all have days we want to give up. The journey of becoming isn’t easy. Life isn’t easy. There are days we feel strong and know we can overcome any obstacle that falls in our way. Then, there are other days we face a setback and doubt whether we’ll ever succeed.
Have you ever felt like the period when you most want to give up is during a season of waiting? I know this is true for me. I have yet to meet a person who loves being patient. Patience is a virtue, but patience isn’t something humans enjoy. We don’t know how long it might take to see our dreams come true. What’s the answer? Each person will probably have to come to a conclusion about that question on their own. For me, the answer I’ve been learning—especially within the past two years—is have faith and enjoy the journey. All I can do is prepare myself so when opportunity comes, I’m ready. I try to take a step every day in pursuing my dreams and building the kind of life I want. I vocalize as close to daily as I can so that my voice is stretched and my songs well-rehearsed. Currently, I’ve been trying to edit a little bit everyday so that I can continue moving forward with the publication of my novel; then, I’ll be ready to start brainstorming the next book. Each day we have to make a decision to set a high priority on the time it will take to practice the skills we want to develop. After we have done all that we can do, the future is out of our hands. For me, after I’ve done all I can do, I leave the rest to God. My belief is that my future is in the hands of my Heavenly Father. He’ll open the doors of opportunity as He sees fit. Life is a journey. I can rest in the knowledge that God has a plan for my life. He created me for a purpose. As I seek Him and prepare myself, He’ll lead me down the path that I’m destined to go. I pray this truth for each person reading. Don’t be discouraged or weary. Don’t give up on your dreams. Believe, have faith, and enjoy each day.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
I hope my friends would say Hope values: relationships, her faith, and enjoying life. I love spending time with my friends and having conversations with them. Life isn’t all about work. We must set aside time to enjoy life with those we love—our family and friends. Humans were made to be relational-beings. We need time with others to share, laugh, love, and cry. We learn so much by listening to each other. I love this quote by L. M. Montgomery, “Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It’s splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world” (Anne of Green Gables).
Another area I would love to pursue more thoroughly is taking time to get out into nature. We take nature for granted. The strength of a tall tree, the peace of a rollicking stream, the magnificence of a mountain. When we actually take the time to stop and consider that nature is here for us to enjoy—that nature is a gift to be treasured and valued—I think we’ll view our surroundings with a more grateful heart. I’m guilty of taking nature for granted. I want to get out more and explore God’s beautiful handiwork.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. How do you know when you’re out of your depth?
Great question. Usually when I’m out of my depth, I feel nervous, fidgety, or overwhelmed. Being out of one’s depth can be kind of tricky though. Sometimes we need to take a step forward into the unknown, and with that, there will always be a certain level of fear involved. The unknown is scary. In high school, I read Robert Frost’s poem The Road Not Taken for the first time, and that poem has stuck with me ever since. There’s a part where the narrator says:
“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;”
This poem opens up with a narrator who is pondering which path he should take. He wanted to travel down both roads. So, he did what each one of us would do. He stopped. He paused and looked at both paths very carefully. He tried to see as far as he could in the distance where each path led. The problem was, as he peered down one of the paths, he couldn’t see beyond a certain point because the path merged into an overgrown part of the trail. The narrator continues though by saying:
“Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,”
He tried the path that he couldn’t see past a certain point. He was going to take a risk. He was probably going to be out of his depth. However, though he may have felt unsure at first because the path he chose was overgrown with grass for lack of previous travelers, the narrator realizes as he steps out and begins walking along this path that he’s not the first. He can see the path more clearly as he begins walking. Finally, he says:
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
Because he took a step out into the unknown, he faced his fears, and as he took one step and then another, he discovered the joy that came from going beyond what he could have imagined. The reward of pursuing his dreams even though the uncertainties were looming large along the path. May each one of us also discover our path and find such a reward in our decision.
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