We recently connected with Tamryne Jefferson and have shared our conversation below.
Tamryne, appreciate you joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
We’ve all heard stories of people knowing what they want to do from when they were young. Well, I am one of those people but still unique in my story. As a kid, I was shy but I loved acting. I was in stage play after stage play and absolutely loved it to where my parents supported me in going the film industry route as well by putting me in classes, getting my headshots, etc. At the same time, I loved teaching. I began with teaching Sunday School for toddlers. It was so much fun and seeing the kids repeat the stories, I had taught them, to their parents. It was the highlight for me because I knew they understood what I was teaching them. With these two passions clearly evident, my parents encouraged me to take the more financially stable route – teaching. In addition, I was constantly writing stories from stage plays to radio shows to series and to books. That passion led me to being published as a child and earning some awards too. So as I grew up, I was under the impression that I could only do one thing at a time, which is what I did. That is, until… I grew into who I am today and believe me, I do it ALL! Every passion, I pursue because God has gifted me in those areas and they are gifts to be shared.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
What do I do? A little bit of this and that. You read that right, I do what I love! And I’m able to do that because I’m a wife with an AMAZING supportive husband! I love you Darneh!! I’m a mother to 6 with the oldest being 17 and my youngest being born June of this year (2022). I’m an improv actor who works with Dinner Detective, a murder mystery dinner theatre. I love doing improv with them! I’m an actor who has been on various stages performing, with the most recent performance being last year (when I found out I was pregnant… again). I performed in Fairburn at Southside Theatre Guild in a play called Geezers. I also like picking up a film extra role here and there. My most recent one went viral as it was with Nick Cannon on WildnOut. I’m a playwright and director as I have written and directed plays at my home church, Christian Life Center Worldwide (CLC) and other churches in the past. I’m a teacher as I have taught classes concerning acting, directing and playwrighting and also taught high school ESOL in the past with a brief time in the elementary and middle schools. In addition to that, I will pick up a substitute gig as I love pouring into students. I’m also an emerging entrepreneur working with my husband’s online store businesses. We are on store #3 now. I’ve handled uploading products, implementing SEO, creating training material for virtual assistants, and much more. I love handling the HR portion. Lastly, I’m a content creator as I have created my own brand – itsmetamryne in a way to encourage women across the world. With topics like my two miscarriages and an ectopic pregnancy along with weekly encouragement. So as you can see, I do what I love. I learned that you can do a little bit of this and a little bit of that with planning and support.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
My goals have changed throughout the years but one of the main ones has always been to learn something new everyday. I am a firm believer in being a life-long learner. I can and will learn something new whenever I open my mind to it. My mission, what I call my purpose, has stayed the same. I am here to help guide others to the truth of who they are, just like I was and am. Stick with me! So I thought I was living my best life and doing me. Then things started getting rocky. Regardless of the amount of planning, time, or effort I put in, things weren’t coming together. So… I went to God and he opened doors for me. He opened the doors in my mind. The ones that were blocked with fear, pride, depression, hurt, and pain. He showed me balance and showed me how to operate in those moments. Then I showed Him how serious I was and I went a step further and got therapy. And then as my mind began to grow stronger and things started coming to light, doors began to open in the form of opportunities. I was given the spotlight. I believe it is all for this purpose- to share my story of how I found out the truth of who I am and how you can do the same. So in everything I do, I give honor where honor is due. So I will always point back to the one who changed my life in a real way. This is what drives me!
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
Of course!! You know that question, “if you could go back in time and reset, would you?” I’ve said yes just to get to where I am now sooner. Learn my lessons quicker and hey maybe even take winning lotto numbers back with me :) But since that is not an option, I can share with those younger than me to help them skyrocket. And who knows, they might be able to teach me a thing or two too. One resource I definitely wished I knew about was the real casting agencies. When I was younger, we actually paid for classes that promised opportunities but kept requesting more money. When I finally moved to Georgia in 2018, I found the real ones! So that’s one of the reasons for giving back to the teens in my church. They are talented and I want them to learn the lessons in stage play, film, and writing that I learned after tons of experience and money waisted (at points). Another resource is realizing that those around us can teach us the most if we recognize, acknowledge and honor their gifts and talents. This is why my kids were the first trainees for my husband and my online businesses. They will learn how to be an entrepreneur and be given that option in addition to getting a 9-5 if they choose. This is also why I encourage women and share my story on @itsmetamryne because I have experienced many things from traveling to having miscarriages. I don’t claim to know it all but if you believe that you can learn from anyone (like I do) then you might gain something from my experiences,
Contact Info:
- Website: itsmetamryne.com
- Instagram: @itsmetamryne
- Facebook: Its Me Tamryne
- Youtube: Tamryne Productions
- Other: tamryneproductions.com Tiktok: itsmetamrynealways