Meet Drey Nelson

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Drey Nelson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Drey , we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?

Before getting into the performing arts, basketball was my safe haven. Being on the court made me feel like I was worth something. It confirmed that I existed. When that was taken away, I felt like a complete failure. Basketball was the only thing that never rejected me. Rejection will humble you. It took a while, but then I realized that God was using basketball to prepare me for what was next, which turned out to be my journey as an actor and artist.

Constant failure and rejection. As much as they hurt, those two factors have played an intricate part in my personal and professional development. Sometimes I even need to remind myself of a bad experience, so I can strategically plan my approach and response the next time I’m in that situation, or one similar. I’ve been told “no” so many times, I decided to say yes to myself. I stopped comparing myself and locked in on creating myself. When I started to become more comfortable with what I saw in the mirror and began working on my spiritual strength, my gratitude for the little things started to grow. I began to have a better understanding of things and people. It’s a daily practice.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

As much as I love acting, what comes with it can be a gift and a curse. It’s a constant process of evolution. Your patience is tested. It can be very challenging to find the mental and emotional strength to bring a character to life, To proceed with a project. To believe in what you are doing. Often, what’s going on in your personal life can affect that. We all want to be believable. But it starts with you. You have to believe in who and what you are first. Once that is solidified, then you grow from there. For me, playing make-believe is the perfect escape. Whatever your reality is, you get a break from it. It’s like you’re a blank canvas and you get to create whatever picture you want. Even if you’re coloring outside the lines, being happy with what you see matters most.

Right now, I’m in the process of publishing my first book – The Upside of Anxiety: Development In Darkness, and producing my episodic project – “The Nature of Sin”. It’s been a journey, but it will be worth the wait. It’s an amazing story., and I’m looking forward to sharing it with the world.

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?

1. Refrain from being a people pleaser. You must be mindful of who you share your vision with and who you allow to work on it with you. I have made that mistake way too many times. Having the wrong people involved will cause you to lose focus and make bad judgment calls. Then you subconsciously get off track trying to give everyone what they want. You risk jeopardizing everything, and I’m here to tell you, it’s not worth it. Your dreams and visions were given to you exclusively for a reason. Put in the work and let it speak for itself. You don’t have to broadcast your every move. There’s a reason why most behind-the-scenes footage is not released until something is completed.

2. Always be willing to listen. Regardless of how much you may know. never think that listening is beneath you. I’ve learned a lot simply by remaining quiet and observing. Even if I was being told things I already knew. Surround yourself with open-minded people. Those are the ones that want to see you evolve. People with a limited perspective will limit your growth, and when you allow someone to limit your growth, you give them the power to change what could have been a life-changing experience into a five-minute high.

3. Remember why you started, and trust God’s timing. Pursuing a passion comes with consequences. You won’t always have the funds you need to make something happen. People are going to betray you. People are going to disappoint you. There will be constant rejection. Promises are going to be broken. All of that comes with the territory. My godmother taught me this – “When people don’t know sh*t about you, they will make sh*t up.” And in this era, people prefer a convenient lie over the raw, uncut truth. Whatever works for, or sounds good to us, right or wrong, that’s what we go with. We want everything right now. Nobody wants to properly prepare for anything anymore. It’s a microwave society. Instant gratification. Those pleasures are short-term. I’m all about longevity.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

Reading is essential and therapeutic for me.

Aside from the most important book to me, The Bible, which is the ultimate and most powerful guideline to righteous living, one of my favorite books of all time is Atomic Habits by James Clear.

My line of work requires a lot of strategic planning, time management, patience, and perseverance. It can be very overwhelming, especially when you have multiple deadlines.

The book has a framework called the Four Laws of Behavior Change: Cue, Craving, Reward, and Response. These laws intend to help you create good habits and break bad ones.

One minute I’m working on my own script while trying to prep for a shoot. Then I’m working on completing an audition while contemplating if my most current headshots will suffice. At the same time, you’re wondering if you’re going to get a callback from the last audition, and before you know it, you have a form of anxiety that’s eating away at the concentration you need to execute your current tasks.

I used to be one to panic under pressure, but over the years, I have found ways to break bigger tasks down into smaller steps, and it has allowed me to get things done at a more convenient pace and has reduced my stress level. A sound mind will always prevail over a cluttered one.

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