We recently connected with Tina Rojas and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Tina, 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?
Maintaining confidence and self-esteem is an art of balance, knowledge, putting yourself out there and maturity. Before I had sustainable confidence and self-esteem I needed to truly understand and know myself. To be honest this is one of my greatest strengths and weaknesses – finding a balance with confidence and humility amidst truly defining and knowing who I am, what works for me and what I want in life. I spent most of my twenties soul searching and making a lot of messy choices. I am specific with my wording because these were not mistakes. These messy moments built the foundations of knowledge and strength that define for me who I am today. I had to experiment with myself and understand what worked and what didn’t, what passions would stick, what type of partner I want in life, who I want to be and who I don’t want to be etc. My confidence and self-esteem really developed when I recognized three key mantras: (1) not everyone will like you, (2) happiness is a choice and (3) I always reserve the right to change my mind.
Until about the age of 25 I was an unidentified perfectionist and people pleaser that really struggled with rejection and irrational abandonment fears that took my happiness from me. I didn’t realize then that my OCD and self-neglect was combating with my sustainable joy and confidence. I now know that accepting this was a struggle of mine and step one is letting go of being accepted and loved by all people. That just isn’t reality. In fact it is a really a good thing to not be liked by some people because it means you stand out as your own genuine and authentic self. The most expressive and true to self humans are both greatly loved and greatly rejected. Frida Kahlo, Anne Frank, Harriet Tubman, Greta Gerwig, Rosa Parks, Lady Gaga, Gretchen Carlson, etc. Most women are disliked when they are misunderstood, bold and use their voice. I would never compare myself to these women but rather I am ever inspired by their efforts and ways of life.
In addition it is important to note that rejection and hate from others does not have the power to take away your self love and the solid love that others have for you. Maturity and knowledge is my strength. Recognizing that life will never serve happiness on a silver platter is a valuable and empowering truth. We are not owed happiness but we can always chose it. I can be sad and happy in the same day for different reasons. I do not have to be one or the other because happiness really is a choice. Some days I am better at choosing it than others and some days I do not have to be happy but I do need to try and make efforts to do what is best for Tina on a daily basis. When I forget myself I forget what motivates me and thus forget my happiness. That is when my confidence and self-esteem get shook. I do not have to be perfect but knowing this helps me sustain my confidence on difficult days or rough experiences.
Lastly, knowing that I always reserve the right to change my mind is a constant reminder that everything I am doing and the status of my life is another choice. I do not have to be here but rather I want to be here because I am choosing this life, who I am, who I love, how I spend my time, how I manage my efforts, who I work for, etc. Anytime my confidence begins to fade I remind myself that this life is a privilege and a choice and at any moment I could completely change the trajectory of my story; and that to me is more empowering than anything,
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 currently am a full-time artistic entrepreneur that works most closely with a company called Quixotic where we create imaginative and immersive experiences and productions all over the world and in our local community of Kansas City. Being a full-time artist means my schedule is very random, fluid and full. At Quixotic my title is Project Manger and Performer Lead but in reality we all wear many hats. I manage many elements from work visas to performing as a flow artist and dancer. I am constantly working on the production side of events managing castings, styling, choreography, client communications, artist management, etc. all meanwhile maintaining my physical and performance shape with yoga, ballet, flow training, taking and teaching commercial dance classes, etc. I love to work hard and exhaust myself.
My favorite part of what I do is that I consistently get to work with inspiring and professional artists and companies. In the last year I had the opportunity to work with Space X, Kindle, Mayor Quinton Lucas, Nelly, Scottsdale Arts Museum, The Nelson, Populous, Faena Hotel and more. I had the opportunity to experience creating and performing in a show at Baha Mar in Nassau, Bahamas. I’ve worked closely with Woodside, Crossroads Hotel KC, Hotel Kansas City, Powell Gardens, Overland Park Arboretum, J. Rieger, Rino District of Denver Colorado, Boulevardia and Weinberger Art Gallery to put on unforgettable annual events and experiences. I’ve had the opportunity to work with The Devil Wears Prada, RW2 Productions, Kansas City’s most loved annual event the Plaza Lighting. It is so cool to be actively involved in providing and reminding others of the value in live performance. The last thing I really love about what I do is the ability to create with my greatest passions: dance, fashion, music and technology. It is truly magical and teamwork at it’s finest. I love what I do and even when things get really difficult and I am working way too many hours I get to remind myself how much joy this creative world brings me.
The last thing I want to say is the creative world needs more vocal and bold leaders that are willing to speak up for artists and performers in order to sustain what we do with quality and efficiency. If we let the integrity of our creative industry slide we may not be able to sustain these amazing opportunities. If we do cool shit but artists are being mistreated or undervalued then we are just perpetuating another evil. I am happy to be one of those leaders to maintain the integrity, safety and success of performance artists and their work. I strive to sustain healthier creative environments, intentionality, diversity, mindfulness, organization and boundaries amidst the production and performance world. I have an unapologetic and ambitious creative spirit that doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. I hope to someday push my efforts towards a full-time creative directing position. I am open-minded for what this life might bring my way and am always willing to push my limits and abilities to see something new and expand on who I am as an artist and professional.
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?
Confidence, hard work and balance. As I discussed before, confidence is a major component of knowing yourself and what you want thus bringing you true and sustainable joy. If you know yourself you can make wise and impactful decisions that will help you manage a life of impact and authentic expression. If you love yourself you can inspire others and make a bolder impact on the world in whatever you do. Hard work is another quality that has gotten me very far. I just did the thing, went to the class, worked the difficult jobs, trained the long hours, etc. I SHOWED UP and WORKED HARD. You could be the most talented human in the room but if you drop the ball on showing up and working hard there is another guy right behind you waiting for that position. Am I talented, yes, but my hard work got me further and I still need to train to do what I do. Lastly, finding a balance is a major component of professionalism and happiness. I could not manage this life without a balance and rest is always calling. Knowing when to put my head down and get work done versus when I need to take a night off for my mental health and wellbeing is major. Defining and clearly communicating my boundaries is an imperative component of protecting my balance. Educating myself with podcasts, therapy and books is a powerful way to provide my brain with the skills, tactics and tools people need in this life to maintain success and joy.
I encourage young aspiring and ambitious individuals to arm yourself with consistency, knowledge, good people, self love and hard work. These are the tools and focus elements that got me to where I am today.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
I have recently reached a moment of panic when I realized I don’t want to be working a million jobs the rest of my life. It is really hard to be an active entrepreneur and self-employed individual; not to mention an artist and creative leader. Amidst this lesson I keep reminding myself to be patient and grateful. I don’t have to have everything figured out. I have been reading a book that has been very helpful in this time “The Upside of Stress” which discusses the realities and necessities of stress. It is okay, normal and even healthy to be stressed. In fact the most dangerous part of being stressed is simply stressing about your stress. Now isn’t that silly but so real. That has brought me a lot of peace in my patience and gratitude battles. I am grateful, I am patient, and I believe that someday that mindful energy will bring me joy in something new, perfect for me and consistent.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.tinajanerojas.com
- Instagram: @tinajanerojas
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tinajanerojas
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/tina-rojas-7159a8198
Image Credits
Jeff Evrard (photographer)
