We were lucky to catch up with Elisha Belden recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Elisha, appreciate you sitting with us today. Maybe we can start with a topic that we care deeply about because it’s something we’ve found really sets folks apart and can make all the difference in whether someone reaches their goals. Self discipline seems to have an outsized impact on how someone’s life plays out and so we’d love to hear about how you developed yours?
I definitely have to say that my self-discipline comes from working in the arts. To succeed in this industry, you have to be dedicated and disciplined. Working in theater and dance, in particular, your career depends on it. If you’re not disciplined, you won’t get the next job or the next job.
As a business owner and executive director of a non-profit, I continue to encourage the youth around me to participate in theater or music, or some form of the arts, as it sets you up to be successful, dedicated, driven adult. Even if they opt not to move forward with a career in the arts, having exposure to it during their developmental years will help set them up in the future career as they’ll have an incredible work ethic and a drive like non-other.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I’ve been in the performing and visual arts in one way or another for over 20 years. I’ve been a dancer, a choreographer, an actor, a singer, a set designer, makeup artist, costumer, and more. My husband is a trained digital artist and a professional tattoo artist who has worked in so many different facets of visual arts. When we launched our tattoo and art studio in 2017, we had a lot of feedback about how there was no money in the arts and that we were making a mistake.
Realizing that the starving artist myth was alive and well in our community, we decided to launch the Twistid Arts Initiative to help encourage, educate, and support other young visual and performing artists in our community. While a nonprofit was not in our current wheelhouse, we knew our passion and skill sets would help us accomplish what we needed to do. We’ve only been in operation for roughly about seven months and we already have a partnership with two city governments in our community, as well as the county and a state park. We’ve been making waves and really pushing the arts into the forefront of the community — and we’re so excited to see the changes that have been occurring in the young visual and performing artists in our area.
Now, we own and operate a highly successful tattoo studio with four artists, as well as a blossoming new non-profit. For me, personally, being able to work with theater professionals/amateurs, dancers, and artists all in one avenue is amazing. It’s fulfilling in a way I didn’t think it could be – and helping to expose the community’s youth to these forms of visual and performing arts, helping to shape their skillsets and careers, is priceless.
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?
Learning self-discipline was perhaps the most important skillset I’ve picked up. Working for busy theater directors, you learn quickly to react accordingly, think on your feet, and take initiative as they’re often too busy to stay on top of you. Performances rely on so many different factors, so you have to learn to be self-disciplined in order to not hold up anyone else or accidentally sabotage a process. I’ve met many people over the years that need to have a to-do list or a detailed directive and in fast-paced environments, they just don’t cut it. Being self-disciplined, getting the job done without being micromanaged or told what to do 24/7 makes you so much more valuable as an employee – in any industry.
The second most important skill I believe I’ve picked up over the years, goes hand in hand with the self-discipline. It’s being able to figure things out for myself. If I don’t know how to do something, I learn. I’ll do the research, I’ll take the online courses, I’ll read as many books as I can, or I’ll find someone that I can consult with – and I’ll learn. I’m always open to adapting my skill set and I’m always eager to expand my knowledge.
The third skill I think is extremely important is communication. I’ve spent countless days studying about the different communication styles and I’ve learned how to adapt my coaching, teaching, managing, and leading styles to each individual person. It has led to me always having a strong and loyal team, and I’ve always been able to communicate with any entity or individual easily and without conflict.
All of these are skills that can be learned – especially if you focus on being self-disciplined first. Find a way to encourage yourself, if you’re not already self-disciplined, and train yourself (bribery helps!!) to do what needs to be done, to accomplish a goal. After a few times of bribing yourself to do it, it will become more of a habit and be easier. Bribing yourself could include food, watching a tv show or movie, or giving yourself a small present at the end of the goal achievement.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
We’re always looking for new organizations or individuals to collaborate with as the non-profit. We’re especially seeking donors and sponsors, as we’re a new non-profit and currently self-funded. We’ve got some amazing opportunities coming up for sponsors and the information can all be found on our website. As a former Director of Marketing for a multimillion dollar, international business, I’ve worked advertising aspects into all of our sponsorship packages, making it well-worth the business or organization’s time and money.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.twistidartsinitiative.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/twistidartsinitiative/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/twistidartsinitiative
