We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Timneisha Greene Kim a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Timneisha, 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?
Truthfully told, I have always felt a sense of self-love within, even with being bullied growing up. Words genuinely used to hurt my feelings often because I would always wonder why I would get teased when I did not feel those things about myself. I never felt inferior on the inside, but whenever someone would muster up harmful words towards me, I tended to cry because I never felt I deserved it, and it genuinely confused me. I often wondered what I could do to get people to look at me in the same light that I saw myself. It took a while to break the emotional trauma that stemmed from being bullied, but over the years, my self-confidence and self-esteem developed in such a remarkable and positive way because I listened to my own voice. It was such an overwhelming feeling to hear myself, to listen to my inner voice. I had to take accountability and create boundaries, and in doing so, I realized that nobody ever deserved to have my power, so I decided never to give it away.
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 Timneisha (Greene) Kim. I am a writer and storyteller. Most of what I write are dramas based on my viewpoints of having lived at the intersections of being Black, woman, and lesbian and all that comes with those identities collectively and individually. Currently, I am emerging myself in the world of film and have found screenwriting to be my absolute favorite sector of writing thus far. There is something phenomenal about seeing your words on paper and the next minute, seeing it come to life on film! As of now, I have written multiple scripts that I am aiming to produce within this year or the next. I am always up to something, whether that is actually writing, applying to writing programs, or extending my network… and I do not plan on stopping here.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
There are three qualities that got me to the point I am now and have been the most impactful on my journey, which are being practical, passionate, and persistent. I strongly believe that when someone has a purpose, it will reflect in their drive to put things into actions and not just through their words – this practice will one day open doors. Having passion is also important on the journey; One must eat, sleep, breathe this thing called purpose. Passion is the feeling of having an almost uncontrollable strong desire and is the spark that will keep one going. Lastly, being persistent, which is the ability to continue working at something even when rejections and closed doors may cause roadblocks on the journey. It is important to keep going and keep working hard until one is satisfied with the results.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
The most impactful thing my parents did for me was allowing me to be free. In doing so, I believe this allowed me to be curious and by being curious, I learned who I was and who I was not, what I liked and did not like, and that ultimately shaped my identity. This sense of personal agency gave me resilience during those times when I would get bullied, it made me remember I was in the driver’s seat of my own life, my own thoughts, my own actions, my own beliefs. Thanks, parents, for letting me be free even if you were not aware that is what you were doing. RIP to my father, by the way.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @timneishawrites
