Today we’d like to introduce you to Hope Smashey.
Hi Hope , please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
As far back as I can remember, I have always loved stories: reading books, watching movies, and listening to music. Stories can be shared through such diverse mediums. The power of storytelling has mesmerized me because stories can encourage us during difficult times, make us laugh when we need it most, and even bring tears to our eyes at a shared emotion. Stories can transport us somewhere else when we need to get away from our own world, but the beauty of a great story is while we are “visiting” that fictional world, we can gain insight into our own lives. Yet, the real-world question for all storytellers is: how do I make my dream and passion a reality? Can I make a living pursuing my craft? I believe the answer is yes, but it takes time and hard work. Dreaming and being passionate about something is not enough. We have to be willing to put in the hours of hard work to develop our skills, and equally as much time, trying to market our work, skillset, and talents. The first step is getting training. For the past couple years, specifically, I have been more focused on training: taking creative writing courses, voice lessons, and acting workshops. These are areas I pursued during junior high, high school, and college, but now, I’m digging deeper by taking more intensive classes from individuals who are actually working in the fields I’m interested in. As I’m pursuing my storytelling aspirations, I’m working at a library which helps fuel my passion for research (a skill all storytellers will need). To help cultivate my skills in research, I’m just about to complete my Masters in Library and Information Studies. (Yes, I keep very busy, but when you have my personality type and a multitude of interests, keeping busy is a good thing!) What can be so difficult for those of us who love the creative realm is finding a day job that helps provide for our needs, but that we also get enjoyment and fulfillment from. For me, I’ve tried various day jobs, and the library has been the best fit. I can enjoy what I do at work, which in turn allows me to go home without feeling stressed, and then, focus on developing my other skills: writing, singing, and acting.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not always been a smooth road. Balancing a day job with the necessary time it takes to develop creative skills is hard. Some people call this beginning stage the hustle stage. I love that description because it is accurate. Basically, we have to ask ourselves the question: are we willing to make the necessary investment? The investment will cost us time and money, but how bad do we want to see our dreams become a reality? Spending a little time each day working on our craft is a small price to pay because the joy of doing the craft is such a precious reward. I don’t feel fulfilled unless I’m writing, singing, and acting. Those areas are gifts I’ve been given. We must use the gifts and talents we’ve been blessed with. Not everyone can do what you do and in the way you do it. You are special. You have a purpose. Use your talents and skills to make the world a better place.
The second challenge is fear of the unknown. New things are scary. As we progress on our journey, there will eventually come a time when preparation meets opportunity. Opportunity means stepping out into the unknown. What makes this phase a little challenging, is the mixture of emotions. Joy, excitement, and hope are all present but so are fear and doubt. When I send out my short stories for possible publication, there is an anticipation, but there is also a fear of what the editor will think. The same thing happens when I share my voice recordings: there is an excitement in sharing, but also, a fear of others’ opinions. Naturally, acting falls into this category too. The lesson I have learned (and I’m still learning) is fear and doubt will always be there, but we have to know deep down in our hearts that we have prepared to the best of our abilities. We have put in time on the project. Once we know we have prepared, we have to take the courageous step and start sharing our work. It is scary and difficult. However, if we never share our work and never try, we’ll never know what our full potential could be. So be encouraged to prepare, and when preparation meets opportunity, take the risk: share your story, your song, or your demo reel. Sharing provides the chance for others to give feedback, and feedback is necessary to continue developing.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As I mentioned earlier, in addition to my creative aspirations, I work in an academic library. I assist patrons with reference questions, and I also help assist the library team with special projects. During my time in the library field, I’ve worked in an academic archive, assisted with a library move, and have participated in a 24/7 chat co-op. My strong written and verbal communication skills have been beneficial in my professional life as has been my attention to detail. It has been a blessing to find a professional field that utilizes my skill-set while also helping me to develop new skills that can be useful in my creative work.
How do you think about luck?
Luck is tricky. There’s an old saying: “The harder I work, the luckier I get.” In my mind, I probably associate luck with timing. When the time is right, I believe the door of opportunity will open–if it is meant to be. My faith also plays an important part in my philosophy regarding luck. I use to get stressed out about whether or not things would work out. For example, if I had a job interview, I would be stressing over whether they would like me or whether I would get the job. Then, I realized that’s not the right perspective. My peace isn’t attributed to whether or not something happens. Instead, my peace is found in my faith. I believe there is someone greater than myself who is interested in my life. If something doesn’t happen the way I thought it should, there could be a reason. Maybe what I wanted wasn’t the right fit. Thus, I find peace trusting that there is a God who cares about me so much that He will lead me through my circumstances. Not only that, I trust God has a plan. He is already orchestrating my life’s path. When the time is right, the door of opportunity will open. This mentality helps give me peace when the decisions of life are overwhelming.
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