We were lucky to catch up with Janezia Thomas recently and have shared our conversation below.

Janezia, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about the best boss, mentor, or leader you’ve ever worked with.

Tyris Carnell Robertson was one of my best mentors EVER! He saw talent in me even though I had counted myself out. He believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself. He pushed me harder and further than anyone else has. He selflessly invested his time and money to make sure that his dancers got all of what they deserved. His leadership was on and off the dance floor. He was not only a big brother to me but to so many of his students and mentees. There were so many times where he saved me from doing business with the wrong people and even more times where he fought for people to raise my rates. I wouldn’t be where I am without his support. He was the definition of a true leader and was loved everywhere he went.

Janezia, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I have always been a dancer but after shooting with Justin Pulley and Electric Tongues in 2019; I started my journey to explore being an all-around creative. I mostly do lifestyle and self-help content creation on Instagram. However, I occasionally will produce dance visuals, modeling visuals, and I have had the honor to creative direct various projects for my colleagues and friends. In May I founded a mental health support group called MaySpace. My goal is to unite and educate the community about all things involving personal development in a safe space. The past two years for me (and many others) brought a lot of change and heart break. My life was in shambles, and I had to quickly change my focus completely to get myself back on track. Bettering yourself is a journey that never ends but you do not have to experience it alone. My platform is a safe space and through my content I want to bring joy and fresh air to any who come across me. If I can do it, so can you.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn the “grind don’t stop” mentality. This is the mentality that almost pushed me to my breaking point in 2021. Coming out of 2020, I felt like I had something to prove. The world was shut down, we weren’t able to create in the ways we wanted to, and many opportunities were lost. In December I remember telling myself that I was going to work hard no matter what but, on NYE I sustained a very serious neck and back injury. I was devastated. I took about two to three weeks off before I was pushing myself to get back into the dance studio. I didn’t stop taking gigs, I didn’t rest, I didn’t stop training, and I didn’t tell anyone no. I felt that if I took a break right during the time where everyone was getting back on their grind that I would be left behind. Inevitably, my injury got worse. It got so bad that I was unable to do anything at all and I was completely shut down. I was forced to start taking care of myself and I ended up being out for the majority of the year. During my healing process I learned that had I have just stopped and took a break at the top of the year I probably wouldn’t have experienced so much pain. I learned how important my mental health is and how if I put it on the back burner that I would only get worse overtime. And most importantly I learned how important it is to say NO. There is no gig that is worth you risking your mental health over. There is no opportunity that is worth you risking your physical health over. Take care of yourself and say NO. The grind not gone be able to grind if you’re not okay. Be Okay.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

The arts have always been a safe space for me. Even as a child I remember watching certain movies, listening to certain songs, and wearing certain clothes and it brought me joy and comfort. When you monetize your favorite hobby, it can be hard to remember why you loved that thing in the first place. I was at a very low point in my life last year and I had one of my first experiences with burnout. My dear friend and mentor Tyris Robertson came to my rescue with words of encouragement that I will never forget. He reminded me of my why. I started my journey as a way to make myself happy but as I grew and begin to share my passions, I realized what it does for me it does for others also. My mission has always been to bring others joy and healing through my art and my drive is my community. As I pour into and love my art, I watch it love and pour back into me and anyone who experiences it.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: instagram.com/janeziaa

Image Credits
tlc yellow, cloud blue, and cowboy collab with elaysia (@elaysialea)- Shot by Justin Pulley @duhmarr Brown top/white background, cowboy hat-Shot by danielle j @bydvniellej black chair and white collab with jasmine davis (@planet,jazzy) – shot by tommy bedford @tommybedfordphotography