We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Julie Dawson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Julie below.
Alright, Julie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
I realized I had a passion for entertaining people when I was 2 years old and started performing in dance. As a kid, I wanted to do anything I possibly could to make people happy, laugh, and put on a show. I then became involved in school & church plays growing up, which lead to on-camera acting in commercials, TV shows, and feature films. The first time I set foot on a movie set it just felt like magic to me. I was about 16 years old and was cast as an extra in the film “Dan In Real Life,” starring Steve Carell, whom I got to briefly meet on set. I was fascinated by all of the cast & crew working together to create something special for others. When I am on set, I feel at home, and I especially enjoy working with other creative, like-minded people. For me, pursuing a career in acting felt very natural to me and it was something I have always been passionate about. I’m a firm believer that following your passion will always lead to success, and if you have a natural talent for certain things you are passionate about, to me, those are hints from the Universe that this part of your soul’s purpose in this lifetime and to follow that pathway-a pathway that brings you the most joy.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I grew up in the smallest town, in the smallest state in the US, North Providence, Rhode Island. Although I grew up in the smallest town, growing up in New England (just an hour away from Boston, and about four hours from New York City), I commuted all over the East Coast seeking opportunities in modeling, film, TV, and commercials. Most people don’t know that sometimes I would book an audition in New York City and I would drive about four hours to the City, then drive straight to Boston from the City, work a gig there, and drive back to Rhode Island – all in the same day! Growing up in Rhode Island at the time was a great place to build my resume since the state had a film tax incentive, which enabled many films and TV shows to film around the state and New England. I signed up with my first talent agency when I turned 18, but it wasn’t until after I graduated college that I took my acting career more seriously, and moved to New York City, where I gained more experience for two years before eventually making the move to Los Angeles, which is where I always dreamed about living as a kid!
As an award-winning professional athlete with 10 years of competitive cheerleading, gymnastics, martial arts, and pro-wrestling training, my athletic training translated into booking roles in action, sci-fi, and thriller films. I joined SAG-AFTRA after moving to Los Angeles in 2016, and have been collectively working as a professional actor, model, and on-camera host for about 15 years. Since moving to Los Angeles, I’ve had the opportunity to work on several films, and TV shows, and learn Krav Maga under renowned Krav Maga Master, Roy Elghanayan, where I’m currently training for my blue belt.
No one can deny the amount of dedication I have and the amount of work I am willing to put into something for success. To support my dreams, I have worked multiple jobs at a single time in addition to running my own business. Things have definitely been incredibly tough at times, and there have been times when I felt completely burnt out. I developed TMJ (lockjaw) because of this stress, which ended up launching me on an unexpected spiritual journey! I received a series of Reiki treatments which ended up completely curing the TMJ. The treatments themselves were incredibly spiritual and gave me clarity on the next steps in my life. Long story short, I became a Reiki Master Teacher and opened my own healing business called Chakra To Ya in 2016. Learning Reiki healing allowed me to overcome so many fears, negative beliefs, and trauma (trigger warning with abuse), as a victim of domestic violence I received as a child. What I learned on this journey is there is a deep connection with spirituality/Reiki, being an actor, and martial artist. Blending the three (mind, body, spirit), has helped me form a much deeper connection with understanding myself, Source/the Universe, and others, and allows me to get in touch with my creative flow, which is also how I believe I channel the characters I portray when I am acting- because I feel tapped into something much greater than myself. Because of this, I feel much more grounded and present as well. I’ve overcome a lot of trauma and challenges in my life because of my faith. Not just my faith in myself & what I believe to be my soul’s purpose and mission in life, but the belief in something greater than myself, that there is always a divinely guided plan, and everything serves a purpose, even if you can’t see the reason for it yet. I hope that my journey will be a spark of light and inspiration for others that you can achieve anything you set your mind to, and to remind others how strong they really are to overcome challenges and achieve whatever it is they seek to achieve. When I’m not acting, I operate Chakra To Ya on the side, helping others on their spiritual journey by teaching Reiki, providing Reiki healing sessions, card readings, and home/business blessings, To date, Chakra To Ya has provided healing and guidance in 32 countries, and attuning on average 300 new Reiki practitioners annually around the world through the self-paced, online programs and workshops.
Despite the efforts I have put into training and securing opportunities in acting, one of the major lessons I have learned is when to let go and surrender to allow things to come to you. When it comes to manifesting your goals, I feel there is a unique balance between efforting and then letting go and allowing the Universe to step in to bring opportunities to you. Earlier this year, I had been frustrated because I wasn’t landing the opportunities I really wanted, and as soon as I fully surrendered, I got a call out of the blue to be the lead in a feature film called “The Last Prey!” It’s very interesting how serendipitous moments will just happen like that if you allow yourself to be open to them.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Circling back to what I was explaining earlier about commuting from Rhode Island to New York City, then Boston and back to Rhode Island in a day…I was driving on average 2K miles a month with my car to various gigs all over New England and NYC. I’ve always been passionate about being in the entertainment business and eventually drove myself into a state of burnout because of my eagerness to achieve success. This lesson really taught me how to weave in a work-life-self-care balance, and sent me on a spiritual journey and helping empower others through Reiki and spiritual coaching. When feeling the burnout, I had moments of self-doubt, but deep down I knew I was still on the right path and I kept pushing forward anyway. What I have found is just beyond your breaking point, there is always something positive that opens up for you- such as a new opportunity, a new connection, etc. Most people have no idea how close they really are to achieving their dreams, and this is why you must never give up.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
At the end of the day, we can’t control what other people think or believe about us, and people are going to judge you no matter what you do, so you might as well do what you want! I firmly believe we are born with certain passions, skills, and talents, which we are meant to use as part of our life purpose and to be of service in some way to helping others.
In the past, I have dealt with people who have been negative toward me about pursuing a creative career, and who projected their own fear and insecurities, but I continue to follow what gives me the most joy anyway.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.julieanndawson.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliedawson_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialJulieAnnDawson/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/juliejournalism89
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@juliedawson_?lang=en Chakra To Ya Information: https://www.chakratoya.com/ https://www.instagram.com/chakratoya/ https://www.tiktok.com/@chakratoya https://www.facebook.com/ChakraToYa/ https://www.yelp.com/biz/chakra-to-ya-los-angeles-5?start=20 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk0CqtjGSlCDtR4-Ht4EQIQ?view_as=subscriber
Image Credits
Miguel Quiles, Erik Valind, Frank Huttner, Bellezza Moda Photography, Harv Greenberg Photography