We asked folks a question that led to many surprising answers – some sad, some thought-provoking and some funny. We’ve highlighted a cross section of those responses below.
Jim Cooney
I used to believe success was all about how many shows you did, awards you won, money you made, etc. Now I believe success is having the freedom to live the life you want. I do way fewer projects than I used to, but I only work with the people I want and on projects that excite me. Read more>>
Rodahina Pasteurin
As a child, I believed that I had to please people to be worthy and valuable. I thought I had to earn appreciation by constantly being of service to others, even when it came at my own expense. Now, as a recovering people-pleaser, I’ve learned that my worth isn’t something I have to prove, it’s something I already have. Read more>>
Elizabeth Blake Thomas
I’m too sensitive’ and ‘I’m not good enough’, ‘I’m different and I don’t fit in’. These were just a few. The crazy thing that I’ve learned is that these are all correct. Except, being sensitive is a positive thing. It’s wonderful that I have double empathy and can connect with so many people on so many levels. Read more>>
Christine Klahn
As an only child, I didn’t have siblings to play with. So whenever I was around other people, I would talk anyone’s ear off that would listen. Since kids were supposed to be seen and not heard, I thought I was too much, too chatty, too inquisitive about the world. Read more>>
Lisa Ziegerhofer
I believe many artists search for a core truth about themselves, and mine involved grappling with the sense of a childhood self that felt fundamentally unreal. Read more>>
Alisa McRonald
As a kid, I thought being “weird” and “awkward” meant something was wrong with me—that I had to somehow fit in or smooth out my edges. Now I see that those parts of me are exactly where my power lives. Embracing my queerness and my quirks has given me my voice, my creativity, and the freedom to live authentically. Read more>>
Fran Krause
I am secretly a robot, and everyone around me is too nice to tell me the truth. Read more>>
Hill Werth
When I was a kid, I was diagnosed with multiple learning disabilities, and that label shaped how I saw myself for a long time. Being told I was “different” made me feel like I wasn’t smart, and I carried a lot of shame around that. Read more>>
Tacha Fletcher
Growing up, I didn’t always believe that I could make a difference in the world. From an early age, I enjoyed helping others—whether it was friends, family members, or even random strangers. Although this brought me great satisfaction, I didn’t fully understand the value and impact of being a compassionate person. Read more>>
Jill Kushner Bishop
I used to think of myself as shy. As a child and young adult, the word ‘introvert’ wasn’t part of everyday vocabulary, so I didn’t have language for the way I experienced the world. It wasn’t until later in life that I began to understand myself less as shy and more as introverted. Read more>>
Traci Combs
I learned a lot of good things as a child and I am truly grateful for each of those virtues and qualities that were nurtured early on. But I would have to say that one unhelpful thing I learned and believed was that I did not have a voice and that it did not have value. Read more>>
Angela Ledyard
As a child, I believed that being successful meant having a high-paying job, a great husband, a kid or two, and a big house. That picture of success was everywhere — in my family, in my community, in the media — and I grew up thinking that if I checked all those boxes, I’d “make it.” For many years, I pursued that version of success. Read more>>
DTM Harris
I was the quiet child and the youngest of three children. I kept to myself and had very few friends. As time passed and I went beyond the classroom, opportunities began to present themselves. I had a solid education and learned early on, to trust my instincts and to always work for a solution. Read more>>
Anne Smith-Nochasak
As a child I knew I was a writer. I would start stories that I believed were truly amazing. I imitated the writers I heard in bedtime stories; I also loved dogs and planned and discarded several beginnings involving different breeds, according to my latest interest. The key word is “began.” Each was set aside and then discarded. Read more>>
