Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to FINA. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
FINA, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
Resilience for me is this massive oak tree that grows inside of me. It’s been planted at my birth and has been growing its roots and branches ever since, continuously shaping with every challenge and hardship I am overcoming. Facing whatever life throws at you, finding the courage and strength to battle the doubts, fears and pain is what determines the direction and time of its growth. A never ending overcoming of obstacles, like the tree is surrendering to mother nature’s forces… I learn so much from observing nature, connecting to it physically in the outside world (if it’s just walking down Riverside Park, putting my feet in the Hudson River, watching the seagulls…) and spiritually with myself inside is what I think the source of my resilience. You can probably tell I grew up on the country side, but enough of that!
Let me take you on a quick excursion: The first time I actually heard about the concept of “resilience” was at university when I studied the human mind and body (health science). I wrote my thesis about the practice of mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) and its impact on awareness and resilience. This was a rather analytical approach but I started incorporating some practices and ideas. I created a morning routine for myself – inspired by different courses (from university to self help courses to acting classes), lots of books – some more spiritual, others more scientific. I found that at the core they all have the same messages, you just have to find what works for you, what speaks to you.
The various exercises and techniques I practice create and balance a clear mind, body and spirit. From journaling, working through emotions, setting goals, to breath and energy work, meditating, running, swimming, dancing etc. The list is long and I choose and adjust according to my needs. In my commitment to this daily ritual, no matter how I feel or what day it is, I am growing awareness of myself and build mental and physical strength – nurturing resilience, my oak tree inside.
And here’s a little reminder I received the other day on a phone call with my mom. It speaks very much to my idea of a resilient mind: Appreciate yourself for how far you’ve come, everything you’ve overcome, everything you want to become – it’s not about your success or failure. It is all the work that you did that brought you to where you are. It is the awareness of your own abundance that you carry within and that no thing, no body can take away from you. Trust that it will guide you through life.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My name is FINA and I’m a bilingual actor, dancer and multidisciplinary performance artist. Born and raised on the country side of southern Germany, I was originally named Anna Sophie Hirschberger. Once I decided to follow my artistic yearnings, which meant deciding against working in a multigenerational family business in agriculture and real estate, not following a master’s degree in health science at university – it felt like the right thing to start this new chapter, in a new country with a new name (probably also anticipating hearing the various pronunciations of my name). I took the end of my both names anNA and soPHIE, switched them around and adjusted the first sounding letter: FINA, there we go. It was just the beginning of the pandemic, I had time to reflect and sit with myself and I simply couldn’t deny the voice inside any longer – a deep urge that wants to create. I wanted to do everything, be anything and thought that in acting I can find ways to bring my various interests and skills to life. Fast forward from an acting workshop in Munich (Germany) to a one year acting program in Copenhagen (Denmark) to a two year professional actor training in New York (USA) to my life here in NYC: I just finished organizing and performing at the American Dance Guild’s Festival “Leaps beyond Bounds” at the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater and co-created a short dance piece for Spoke The Hub’s Winter Follies Event. Currently I’m working on my own project called “Awakening”. The last years have been immensely transforming for me. It feels like an eye opening/ awakening to myself, really seeing and feeling myself and the world around me. I’ve documented this process through my journaling, finding expression through poetry, music, dance, photography, painting…I find a deep connection between these universal languages and believe in its power to change and open some more eyes.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
First thing that comes to my mind is OPENNESS. Being open to everything around you and staying open despite the pain you suffered. We’ve all been hurt, experienced betrayal or loss and naturally we close off, shut down to protect ourselves – the dimension doesn’t matter. I had to learn (well, I still am!) how to develop these sensors to my surroundings, knowing when I feel safe to open up, share myself or when it’s better to protect myself and my energy. With an open, curious growth mindset I was able to receive all these opportunities, places, people that came my way, to really ride the rollercoaster with all its ups and downs. Being open also means being vulnerable, to allow life to penetrate and pass through you. It’s exhausting yes, and harder to achieve the more life experienced you get. That’s why observing babies can remind us of its essential quality, and so much more… Now AWARENESS comes along. I believe the biggest shift for me, this “awakening” I was talking about could only come from becoming aware of myself, understanding my thoughts and feelings. “To thine own self be true” and ask yourself: What am I feeling? WHY am I feeling it? What is it that I want? Now that for example ties back to an actor’s work in creating a character. I use a lot of that for myself. What’s my objective? What’s my obstacle? What are my strategies? And that knowledge then comes with the responsibility to take action.
Now that you’ve allowed yourself to be open to fully experience life in its fullness, riding the rollercoaster, aware of yourself, it’s also time to LET GO. Letting go of feelings, expectations, control, people or places etc…and you will be free. Taking the free fall, trusting that you will be ok and as long as you’re committed to doing the work and have clear intentions you will be guided. I like to refer to it as synchronicities. I can’t tell you about all the crazy things that happened ever since I’ve been taking the first steps towards my dreams.
I never planned to become an actress, certainly not to live in New York. But one thing led to another: I was just living in a car, cooking pasta on a camping stove in the Black Forest of Germany when I found an older message from a friend: he had shared some links of acting programs with me. I decided to take a look and instantly felt really drawn to one specific school. I found out that auditions are being held two weeks later, so I got on a flight to Denmark and there was my next chapter. My life is full of these stories, synchronicities, right place/right time moments.
Random thing I love to do: Trust falls – physically and mentally challenging fears, letting myself go, free falling. If it’s simply asking a friend to catch you while you close your eyes and lean back, taking a trapeze class or jumping off a cliff/diving platform. It’s a risk, but courage always gets rewarded.
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
RESISTANCE. I’ve been fighting this battle and it will probably never get fully defeated and that’s ok. I realized that once I pursued something that I give my whole heart to, there naturally will be fears that create resistance. In a way it’s good they are there because it shows how important something is to you and that growth lies on the mountaintop. It’s not about becoming fearless, but about how to use it for yourself rather than getting stuck. The hardest part for me is taking the first steps, I have to force myself sometimes to sit down and do the work. Very soon it’s clearing up and the unattainable mountaintop seems more and more achievable. Talking about your challenges, getting different perspectives or even help from the outside, from mentors can be so beneficial and is something I am learning to ask for. And most of all continuously finding inspiration around me.
I don’t know if it’s harder or easier in these times of information overflow. I am constantly overwhelmed when I don’t know what I’m asking for or how to filter through. Julia Cameron’s “The Artists Way”, Stephen Pressfield’s “The War of Art” and Rick Rubin’s “The creative Act” are like a bible through my artistic process. They all came to me in very unusual ways, exactly when I needed them. In sharing these books I hope they will hold some wisdom for you too!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.artfinatra.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fina___8
- Other: https://vimeo.com/fina8
Image Credits
Maki Suzuki Julie Lemberger Vibecke Dahle C Tang Manuel Andre
