We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kerry Wee a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Kerry, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?
I’ve learned the hard way that confidence isn’t a destination, it’s more like an odyssey. No one is confident all the time and for me, sometimes it feels solid, like will never leave and then out of nowhere it’s like sand that slips through your fingers.
When I was working as a commercial dancer and had a lot of my biggest gigs behind me, it’s like the floor fell out from underneath me and I couldn’t remember choreography. Instead of feeling like I “was killing it,” I wanted to hide on stage. I had so much more experience than the new dancers around me, but I felt inferior and like I was always on the verge of a making mistake. Instead of feeling larger than life and projecting outwards, I shrunk under my insecurities and became fearful. It took me more than a year to get out from underneath that big cloud.
I learned that my confidence had not yet been fully tested. Little did I know that my growth as an artist had only just begun. This process is harsh and painful, but the beauty is that you end up acquiring tenacity. You learn that confidence isn’t built through success alone but failure as well.
Today I have a humble & grounded confidence that shines through even brighter than my flashy version. It’s what allows me to pour into my students without hesitation or jealousy and set my rates high because my time is worth a lot. It’s quiet, powerful and well worth the wait.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I was a full-time commercial dancer for almost twenty years. I danced at a time where it was possible to dance for a living. I’ve been represented by Bloc Talent Agency throughout and still go out for commercials from time to time. Currently, I’m an aerialist and instructor at Womack & Bowman The LOFT here in Los Angeles. My online platform is Wrap Your Head Around Silks where I teach students everywhere in the world with digital courses and also have a super niche podcast The Expecting Aerialist where we discuss motherhood, aerial and how to do both at the same time.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. Talent is only 25% of the equation, to all of our luck and detriment. The rest is the WORK. It’s the hours you put into your craft, how you market yourself, how you navigate the slow periods and ride the wave of success.
2. The world doesn’t revolve around you. No one is really paying attention to you, not like you are to yourself. And if they are, it’s short-lived, so act accordingly. Take the success, let it float until it comes down then move on to the next thing. You can be on top of the world one minute and in the ditch the next, it should have little to do with your self-worth. Equally, brush off the embarrassments and disasters because people have a short memory.
3. Create a monthly and weekly structure for yourself and stick to it. A freelance lifestyle is beautiful but secretly really hard for a lot of people. We must be self-motivated simply because we are on our own without a boss. Figure out a system that helps you get the work done, set alarms and be on-time for yourself.
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?
Currently, my biggest challenge is balancing being a toddler mom and devoting enough time to my business. Both need more attention than you could ever give them and everyday is a calculation in getting the mix right.
I’m a list-maker and it’s the tool that best serves my efficiency. I write down the tasks in order of absolute need to maybe could be pushed off until tomorrow and I just work that list until eventually everything gets checked off for the day. Sometimes the top line is “write next week’s blog” and other times it’s “remember to put show-and-tell toys in the backpack for preschool.”
I also give myself passes all the time and will cancel and reschedule an entire day if I need to without hesitation or guilt.
Contact Info:
- Website: wrapyourheadaroundsilks.com
- Instagram: @kerrywee1
Image Credits
JC Argetsinger Photos Scripter Films
