We recently connected with Erin Braxton and have shared our conversation below.
Erin, sincerely appreciate your selflessness in agreeing to discuss your mental health journey and how you overcame and persisted despite the challenges. Please share with our readers how you overcame. For readers, please note this is not medical advice, we are not doctors, you should always consult professionals for advice and that this is merely one person sharing their story and experience.
The stigma surrounding mental health is decreasing and becoming discussed more openly. Stress and high performance made me realize the importance of self-care. It still stings to slow down and take breaks because you feel you miss out on things and the opportunities won’t come again, but I look in the mirror and remind myself that is a lack of mentality. I operate from an abundant mindset that there will be a next time and a time after that. Sometimes, our goals can become so important to us that we forget to take care of ourselves, and it costs us. Ultimately, it’s me making a decision to take care of myself. Because of my experience, I advocate for myself and my peers to incorporate self-care in our diets, exercise, and meditation.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Hi, I am Erin Braxton an American actress born and raised in Alabama for most of my life. I grew up a small-town girl until my family relocated up north and I learned life in a big city. I began working behind the scenes in television and film as an executive assistant. At the same time, I was finishing my degree at The University of Alabama. I was very fortunate to find a job before graduating. Many didn’t have that experience post-covid. After two years of working in film production, my career transpired into doing independent feature and short films. I began to branch out more focusing on my niche, acting. The most exciting part of my job is the discovery. I love to discover life through the character’s lens and go on a journey with the character to tell the story. My passion for acting came at a very young age. I would tell my family, “I’m going to the lights.” To this day, I have this deep-seated passion for lights and the hustle and bustle of a larger city. Eventually, we did we moved to Pittsburgh, PA my first year of middle school, and that is where I found my love for performance. I have taken the craft seriously ever since. I am grateful for moments like these where I get to reflect and show gratitude for my life’s purpose and appreciate where I am today on my journey.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Three qualities that have been most impactful on my journey would be #1 curiosity. I am not a woman who claims to have all of the answers, but I know being “little” in big spaces pays off. It is good to be curious because you have more room to absorb information on what you would like to be successful at. I try to be a sponge in every room I enter listening more than I speak and letting the words permeate me. After I reflect, I go back to the drawing board and do some research to better understand the information I am learning and make it applicable to my life. #2 hard work. Again, don’t be afraid to be “little” in big spaces. I love to have a foot in the door doing something, anything. It is inspiring to serve. As I move through life, I see the higher you’re ranking the more responsibility you have to serve. My greatest lesson was being an office production assistant on film sets. Your position is to serve and sometimes not in the most glamourous ways. Cry if you need to, but do it anyway with a smile even on the hard days. Finally, #3 belief. Find your affirmation to carry you. My affirmation is, “Dreams do come true.” I have a firm foundation in my faith, and it is what carries me through my darkest days. I realize that my success is not about me, but who I was put here to serve, and this ties together my entire skillset on the journey to success.
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
Bonnie Gillispie’s Self-Management for Actors has had lasting effects on my development as an actress, The book guides you through your career as an actor from beginning to end. Secondly, Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way. Both are tools I can reflect on as an artist to manage my career, develop my gifts, and refine my ability to create and better understand the many changes we go through as artists.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erinbraxton_
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinbraxtonlimitedco/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Erinbraxton_
Image Credits
Hollywood Headshots
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