We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Theresa Burleson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Theresa, appreciate you joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

I believe anyone who truly knows me, knows I’m a risk taker. My whole life I’ve never been afraid to go big and never quit. I told my parents at the age of 5 that I was gonna be an actress, and from that point on I never changed my mind. Nobody took me seriously at first until I auditioned for my first show in elementary school, Annie. I grew up in predominantly white areas my whole life, so I’m no stranger to discrimination and micro aggression. My music teacher was very discriminating towards me, and she was the one that I had to audition for. I was the only, and I do mean only kid not casted in the show. My heart was broken but my fire was lit, and so was my mom’s. My mom signed me up for acting lessons, and from there I joined a professional children’s theater called the Fox Theater. I was cast in my first show Alice and Wonderland as Daisy and spent the next few summers, which was most of my summer performing. This meant sacrificing camp, family traveling, and other things kids do, just so I could be in the theater. I continued on doing a few more shows such as Charlotte’s Web and moved up to doing more shows in my middle school and high school years as well such as Much Ado About Nothing, High School Musical, and others. I starred in my first industrial film at 13, playing a swimmer named Tori who was a victim to her coaches sexual abuse, and that there was when I made my first real paycheck of $600 dollars. This role helped me face my fear of swimming in water. Though I took years of swimming I was terrified of deep water beyond 5 feet and never trusted my ability. When they asked if I could swim and explained I’d be in the water for a good portion of the film, I didn’t hesitate to say I could. I continued performing and still never changed my mind about what I wanted to do and what I was gonna pursue. By the time college came rolling around, it was time to finally make that decision. I struggled with the desire to go to an HBCU or considering pursuing a degree in fashion since you don’t need a degree to act, but my heart couldn’t move away from it. I auditioned for around 40 schools at the North Texas Drama Auditions and received acceptance and even full ride scholarships, from 37 schools, yet my heart was set on one school. At one point it was Juilliard, for acting, but when I went to New York it wasn’t home, I didn’t want to live in New York permanently. It ended up being a school called AMDA College and Conservatory of the Performing Arts. I spent two weeks at their school for a high school summer conservatory and getting to learn different forms of acting. In my two weeks I worked with amazing teachers but one in particular left a huge impact by helping me dig deeper and fine tune my ability, Mr. James Bontempo. This was enough for me to put all my eggs in one basket. Though I got so many offers, really great ones, I only applied for one school, AMDA. No backup plans, no alternatives, I just knew that was where I was supposed to be. Once I got accepted, I moved to LA to start school two weeks after I graduated High School, and that was the hardest challenge yet. That summer I had to see what I was really made of, not as a performer which I mainly identified with, but as a person. The world was my oyster and the accountability was mine, I broke during that time, but in turn, Jesus found me. He healed me and made me whole, and I surrendered my path to Him and His Will. After graduating I needed a team who would support my yes and my no, a team that would never put me in a position where I would have to compromise. My managers first understood the vision that God placed in my heart and they brought me to my agents who also see it. I vocally advocated at my meetings with parts and characters and performance types that are my non-negotiables. I speak about my faith and the type of stories I want to tell and they’re so supportive. Since signing with them I’ve got to do amazing projects, got Taft-Hartley and I’m thriving by God’s grace. When I started acting it was about me, but it’s not anymore, it’s bigger than me, it’s about how God wants to use me in this, and who He has to mold me to be, first. I’m a teacher and public speaker now. I work with kids from as small as 7 to 18 year olds currently and seeing their brokenness has pushed me further into being a part of projects that heal and bring joy not romanticizes pain or leaves them hopeless. I’m writing stories and picking projects that I believe I can honor God with and bring children to Him so that they could experience the same healing, peace, and joy I received. To commit my life to something greater than myself has been so rewarding and so challenging, and to do it in my art is much the same. To conclude, my whole life I’ve never been afraid to dive in head first, and as I swim deeper with God to see all the depths of which he wants to take me, I can truly say I wouldn’t want to do it any other way.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Though I’ve been acting my whole life, I only got my start in the entertainment industry in 2020, 3 weeks before the pandemic.

Acting is not all I do, I’m an author, poet, and screenwriter. I published my first book which is an anthology that I was a collaborating author on called ‘Prayers That Break HER Through’, in this book I discuss my battle with anxiety and how God overcame it in my life and right now I’m working on my first novel which is young adult Christian fiction book coming soon.

I’m a teacher, mentor, and public speaker. I currently teach children how to read, understand, study, and apply the Bible to their lives along with building a relationship with God and using their gifts and talents for God.

I have a podcast where I do much of the same thing. I discuss with a community of believers multiple different topics that affect Millennials and Gen-Z called Kingdom Frame of Mind. I also have my own personal YouTube coming out this spring.

What sets me apart from everyone else is rather than separating faith and my work I include it in everything. They’re all facets of myself and my faith informs everything for me and about me. I also don’t do it for myself, I strive to always use my gifts and abilities for the Glory of Jesus Christ and for the betterment of others.

I’m most proud of the growth happening within me. I didn’t know myself before I used to confuse what I do with who I was, but over the past seven years I’ve become a student to the Most High and I’m learning who He created me to be and why. Each day I’m in awe of how far I’ve come, from who I was and it makes me excited to see who I’ll become.

Something I want people to know about me is I’m still young and still figuring it out (probably gonna be doing that the rest of my life). I’ve made and I’m making mistakes but I’m also learning from them and working to be better every time. My failures are not my weakness, they’re my stepping stones, and I hope they become yours too. I hope we can all have that grace for each other and I hope you join me or keep sticking around for this epic journey I’m on.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

Yes, I don’t work for money. Money is a resource not the source. Life is more than a paycheck and I never want to be defined by how much I’m making or not. My parents and their generation come from a time where dreams were put on hold for convention. Purpose is sacrificed for the practical, but life is too short to not be purposeful. Money isn’t everything and it doesn’t make the world go round but we buy into that lie because it keeps us comfortable. As money comes, be responsible with it of course, but to live for money is no life at all, it’s slavery. Most tried to discourage me from this past because it’s unpredictable, but if you ask me, life is unpredictable anyways, might as well do something you’re passionate about and love doing. Besides, being purposeful, especially when instructed by God, is never in vain and makes life so much more meaningful.

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

Yes! STOP BEING A PEOPLE PLEASER. I still struggle with this. People are so fickle and change their mind like they change their underwear, and you can’t please everyone. The less I worry about what people think of me the more inclined I am to live boldly and be myself. Besides, most people aren’t actually thinking that deeply about you because they’re too busy thinking about themselves. I’ve struggled with caring too much about others’ opinions and it kept me bound for so long. My yes is my yes and my no is my no. My backstory is the same as every other people pleaser; from the time we’re children, we’re taught to serve man. Do what would please your parents, teachers, coaches, friends; and I think it silences so many voices. I’ve struggled with perfectionism and I feared hurting people’s feelings or being rejected, but that’s not love. I’m not perfect, nobody is and people are bound to be offended by something at some point, that part is not my responsibility. My responsibility is to tell the truth and convey truth in love and gentleness, but people forget that truth more times than not, hurts. True love is telling people the truth and then how you respond to them after you’ve conveyed it. Sometimes I’d overthink a situation before it even happened and pre plan what I’d say if they said this but in those times when the person was well receptive, I felt foolish for wasting so much energy on a fight or problem that didn’t even happen. I have sacrificed my hurt feelings for others’ comfort which evolved into bitterness or resentment because I wasn’t advocating for myself. Now, I actively work to advocate for myself and others, so that I’m not bound by people’s assumptions, emotions, or offense. It’s very freeing and I highly recommend it, I’m still unlearning though and a work in progress.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/theresaburleson?fbclid=PAAab3vXsPDTBVsQZJgJyd-EJKOQOP2NZtj6D_NHx6TLhN_70EG0jq5zQyOYw
• Instagram: @theresabriannaburleson
• Linkedin: Theresa Burleson
• Youtube: Kingdom Frame of Mind- https://youtube.com/@kingdomframeofmind8992
• Other: Personal Blog; Coming soon on YouTube is Honey Wordz if the blog is out before the interview I’ll send you guys a link. Honey Wordz Market- https://honeywordzpurchases.company.site/

Image Credits
Makenzie McCloud- Red Dress Photos Timothy Chan- Teaching photos Tina Burleson- childhood photos Facebook was a screenshot.