We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Amelia Meyers. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Amelia below.

Amelia, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

There are so many meaningful projects I have been fortunate to be a part of as an artist. One of the most meaningful was shooting a music video for the song “Never Enough” when I was pregnant with my daughter, Lilah. The song took on an entirely new and deep meaning once the lyrics became about her. Having a video immortalizing that special time is something I will be able to share with her forever. When my second daughter, Helena, was born, I shot another music video to “Your Song” for them. There are home videos of us sprinkled throughout making it even more special. It’s projects like these that are so personal, momentous, and memorable.

I also became Mrs. Maryland Petite USA 2023 and I am honored to be taking on the title of Mrs. East Coast Petite 2024! This has been an unexpected adventure. I like to refer to myself as the accidental Beauty Queen, but it has launched the most meaningful project of my life. I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease when I was 17 years old. After years of trial and error with different medications, I nearly lost my life to the disease in 2012. That is when I decided to help as many people with Crohn’s disease as possible. Through the vehicle of being Mrs. Maryland Petite I launched Kickin’ Crohn’s, a weekly online support group where those affected by Crohn’s disease can come to a safe, non-judgemental place and receive the support and community they deserve. As Mrs. East Coast Petite 2024, I will take Kickin’ Crohn’s up and down the east coast this next year as I prepare for Nationals next summer. I will continue to be an advocate for as many patients and individuals who are experiencing this illness as possible and raise awareness for this disease in an arena where this is not openly talked about, changing the landscape of this disease and normalizing discussing one’s health in all aspects. I never could have imaged that Kickin’ Crohn’s would have gotten its true initial push through pageantry, but what a ride it has been. I could not be more grateful, and I am excited to see how far it can reach.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I was bitten by the bug early. After acting in a regional commercial when I was 5 years old, I knew this was it for me. I grew up playing piano, writing music, dancing ballet, and acting in as many school plays as possible. I was lucky enough to perform in “The Nutcracker” with the Russian Moscow State Ballet when they came stateside for 4 years. I studied at the British American Drama Academy Midsummer in Oxford program, interned in Los Angeles the summer between sophomore and junior year of college, and after graduating from American University with the BA in Musical Theatre, out to LA I came. I was fortunate enough to book the soap opera “General Hospital”(ABC) a few months after arriving and had that recurring job for 11 years. I also got to play on “Days of our Lives”(NBC) and “All My Children”(ABC). I received a Best Supporting Actress nomination at the Milan International Film Festival for the movie “Show Business” (Amazon Prime), won the Best Actress Scorpius Award for the film “I Will Not Take Care of You”, and I have acted in a slew of web series and independent films. But believe me, this is a business, and you need to be smart, prepared, surround yourself with incredible people and work harder than you ever have. You must be the CEO of your own small business and follow through. If you are here for the fame and the money, this is not the career for you. But when it consumes you, and you can feel with every fiber of your being that you are an artist, you follow that path no matter what and never give up. There are going to be hard times, a million no’s before a big yes. Even another million no’s after a huge yes. There is no straight path or a roadmap to success. These last few years especially, between a global pandemic and union strikes, we have had to be extra creative in order to survive. Nothing is more important to me than my family. I want to show my girls that you can do and be anything you want to be in this world, but that it takes dedication, hard work, mistakes, love, and everything in between.

Every artist needs a day job. At one point I had 6 part time jobs, including being a nanny, a piano teacher, selling jewelry and more. My favorite day job became teaching singing. As a vocal coach, I work with my clients to find their true unique voice and make the songs personal by working with them on a series of exercises I have curated over the years, both for vocal technicality, but even more so on the emotional artistic side. I have always said that my voice lessons are half singing and half therapy, we dig deep. My sessions are a safe space and whatever is shared during that time always stays between us. I am now a certified arts therapist and I incorporate even more of that work with my clients. I absolutely love being able to help and watch clients achieve breakthrough moments, both personally and artistically. The growth my clients achieve, and myself being a part of it, is something I truly treasure.

I also own the business Dance-N-Romance, where I choreograph original first dances for weddings. We were featured on “The Best Of Southern California”, and that work is such a joy. I love getting to know my couples and share such an intimate and special part of their big day with them. I work very hard, but I also love what I do. Having day jobs that are also creative feeds the soul and motivates you to keep on pushing forward. That is some of the best advice I can give to an aspiring artist. Find a day job that fills you, as that will be your main job for quite a while. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean find a job that replaces what your ultimate goals are, but find or create something that supports it.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Being able to explore humanity through the arts is fascinating. I love diving into a role and creating a new world in there. There is never a dull moment, whether you are in a high or a low of your career, it can all change so fast. But staying true to who you are is paramount. Beyond that, using the arts to affect change, connection with people, reaching someone who feels alone. Being able to tell stories that are evocative, multidimensional, complicated, and beautiful. These are such rewarding aspects to being an artist. Plus, you get to entertain people and make them smile. Now more than ever, people need an escape. The arts are an escape, but also heals. That is the most rewarding of all.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I think for a lot of those outside the industry, the term success is viewed incredibly differently. Unless you are gracing the cover of Vogue or Vanity Fair, and starring in the #1 box office movie, you have not “made it”. They say, “hey, you gave it shot, time to change your career path and be sensible”. Now on the one hand, there is merit to that, especially once you have children you need to provide for, you do look at things differently. On the other hand, when you enter a life of being an artist, it is not a hobby but rather your lifelong career. When the pay is not steady, when the jobs can be few and far between, you are questioned. You are not understood. Yes, you need to find a way to support yourself, but success comes in so many different ways. In the industry, if you have made it through every round of auditions from initial audition, to call backs, to chemistry reads, producers sessions, network tests and it’s down to between you and someone else and you don’t get it, obviously that is soul crushing, but also a huge success! It does get hard when you have nothing to show for it per say, but your inner circle and the industry take note. When you get called into the same show 14 times over 3 years to audition (yes, this happened to me) and still didn’t book the show, that’s a win. But again, nothing to show for it and people simply do not understand. That is why it is so important to surround yourself with incredible, optimistic, like-minded individuals and artists to be your creative family. I am extremely fortunate to have the support of my family as well, and not everyone is so lucky. The ups and downs, the twists and turns, they can scar you, but as long as your creative fire still burns, feed it.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ameliameyers.com, www.kickincrohns.com, www.dancenromance.com
• Instagram: @ameliameyersofficial
• Facebook: Amelia Meyers
• Youtube: Amelia Meyers, @AmeliaMeyers, www.youtube.com/@AmeliaMeyers

Image Credits
Matt Boyd Matty Jacobsen