Meet Timothy Morris Lane

 

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Timothy Morris Lane a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Timothy Morris, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?

Like a lot of people, I grew up with very humble beginnings. I have a big family with 5 other siblings and while my parents tried to provide us with the best life possible, I would be lying if I said I didn’t wish we grew up with more. There were so many times that I can remember when I was just mad at my life. I think that it instilled in me a desire to become someone who could provide for my future family as well as all of my nieces and nephews. I also want to show them that if you chase your dreams, you can accomplish anything that you want. Today, this gives me an incredible drive to work and probably manifests in so many ways like the fact that I do so many creative jobs. Honestly, I love to work and create.

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

I am originally from Cleveland, OH, and now I’m residing in Atlanta, GA. Before relocating here, I spent a few years in Los Angeles, and NYC. My goal was to experience all of the major entertainment markets to learn all that I could about what it would take to make it as a successful entertainer. I made awesome contacts that I still communicate with today. When I started, I was strictly a singer, but then I started to model, and after a runway show, I got an offer to audition for an independent film. This ended up being my first role in a film called, Misconception.

I believe that it’s important to not only do things but to do them well, so after a while, I decided to study acting at the New York Film Academy. I learned so much and I would highly recommend studying your craft, whatever that may be. Today, I work professionally as a singer, actor, and host. Especially in today’s climate, it’s important to diversify because it can help when one area is not flourishing and allow you to stay afloat and grow. For example, during the SAG actor’s strike this past year, I really got to focus on working and releasing new music, which I appreciated because it allowed me to still create during such a stressful time in the film industry. I also finished my first full feature script that I will be pitching this year (wish me luck!). I also have a podcast with my partner, K Nicole, called 10th & Northside, where we interview creatives of all kinds (singers, actors, directors, producers, writers, etc.). I love this because we get to talk to so many different kinds of creatives and hear about their journeys, which I feel inspires our listeners to understand that no one’s path is the same and that we shouldn’t compare ourselves to others, but be inspired to trust our own unique walks.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

The three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in my journey would be:

Faith
Skill work
Perseverance

Faith – is very important because there are going to be times when you feel like you are not meant to do what you are doing. For me, having so many challenges along the way to becoming a self-sufficient entertainer had me, at times, believing that “this isn’t what I’m meant to do,” or that “just because it happened for others doesn’t mean it’ll happen for me.” These kinds of negative thoughts are detrimental to your self-belief and faith. I had to talk to God a lot because I was so frustrated that it wasn’t happening fast enough. The crazy thing is, I KNEW, without a shadow of a doubt, that I was made to create through music, film, etc. because it’s all that I can think about. That’s the key. I believe that everyone knows what they are meant to do in their hearts because you won’t be able to stop thinking about it.

Skill work – is super important because as I said earlier, it’s not just about doing the thing, but doing it well. Spend time working on your craft. I love being around people who are excellent at what they do. That doesn’t deter me, but that fires me up to always strive for excellence in my craft. That could be taking an acting class, or vocal lessons, or learning a new martial art. All of these helped me become a better actor and singer. Study the greats. Study those who came before you. Study those who are excelling at what you want to do now.

Perseverance – for me, this is extremely important. It’s not just about not giving up, but it’s about working every day toward your dream in reachable, attainable goals and I believe you’ll wake up and not even realize how much further you’ve gone.

Simply put, keep your head down, ignore the haters, and keep moving.

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?

I love this question. I love to read and right now I’m reading a book about not being too nice and being honest about what you want, and think, etc. However, the book that really had an impact on me that comes to mind is, Eckhart Tolle’s, The Power of Now. I used to have really bad anxiety from high school, through college, basically until I read this book. I can remember it like it was yesterday. I was on the subway in NYC and I was on Chapter 2. The Power of Now is all about being present and once I had grasped what that meant, my anxiety went away. Simply put, a lot of the worry and anxiety that we face is due to thoughts about the past (something that happened), or the future (something that will happen). When you are present and truly present, you understand that are where you are, and you have what you have, and you can only do what can at that moment, so why worry about anything else? That helped me face the uncertainties that are bound to come in the career of an entertainer. Chasing your dreams won’t always be easy, but it’s always worth it.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Nodojiman The World
Tyler Perry Studios
Joshua D Photography
Victor Vidal
Home Is Where The Heart Is Production
The AD Campaign Production

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