Rough Draft- The Vision
“Journals are like mirrors, they reflect your inner ambitions, subconscious thoughts and history.” ~ Jarrell Hamilton, #SPARK
The intimate act of journaling in a lot of ways can become a personal mirror, mentor and accountability partner. There is a sacred text that says write the vision down and make it plain so that they who readeth may run with it. When you write down the vision for your day-to-day work week or even your 5-year goals, the journal reflects to you what you declared you set out to accomplish. Having a vision is not enough, WRITING IT DOWN is the first initial step. Go for it! Whatever the vision may be. The vision may change, the vision may stay the same, the first step is to write it down. Our vision and goals are worth nothing if we don’t write the vision down and make it plain to see and then put those words into action. In middle school and high school it was a requirement at my arts school to journal what we learned in all of our dance classes. At the time, I freaking hated it. In hindsight those journals were establishing a valuable ritual I still practice today. Thanks to Miguel Lopez and Jan Miller, journaling developed in me now in my adult life the intimate act of tracking the who, what, how(s) of my process in life and reflecting my progress.
The journal is not only a toolbox to show the ebbs and flows of one’s artistic process and progress, but I’m launching this blog as a way to mentor aspiring artist through their own process and progress. What I’ve found is that there are many young artists in New Orleans who wish to pursue this arts and entertainment industry, but many of the young artist aren’t privy to the mentors who have worked 20+ years outside of New Orleans with heavy hitters in the industry, or have accountability partners/friends who are encouraging them to hit their marks. Blessed be to the gods of dance and entertainment, I’ve had the P.H.W.A. (pure hard work advantage) to study under the industry’s best and I want to offer through the journal what I’ve learned thus far and continue to learn to aid you in being your best!
“What you are getting yourself into in this industry is a marathon, not a RACE!” ~ Terry McNeal Del Corral Talent Agency, #SPARK
Perhaps YOUR goal is to go on tour with Beyoncé, become a national and international performer, choreographer? Or maybe not? Maybe the tale of OUR journey takes an unexpected twist. The point of this journal is not whether you/me/we win or fail in this industry, but to keep pursuing, keep growing and level up for your own personal growth. # Issa choice! In the meantime…may all of our lights continue to shine. Until our paths cross again... Stay tuned!
Creative Corner:
Set 3 goals for the next 3 months, (September, October, November) At the end of the three months refer back to your journal and give yourself a gold star for what you accomplished. For the goal(s) you didn't complete, recaliberate or shift that goal to the next round of three month goals and KEEP GOING!
Example:
Goal # 1 Fine tune my technique and take class
Goal # 2 Find a mentor in my industry (in-person or online *SPARK*)
Goal # 3 Go to a networking event twice a month
*Sparkle Memory My ballet teacher once told me if you want to track your progress in dance class you have to track it in three (3) month increments. If you miss class, you have to add a week of makeup classes to make up for that one day, so don’t skip a day. It normally takes about 30 days to shift a bad habit most researchers say. In three months one can readily see if the what they set out to accomplish is working or if the method/goals need to change. The more I set goals the more meticulously I became about those goals. Be sure you're SMART goals are all aligned with my 5 year goals. Remember everything you set out to do should be in direct alignment with your mission and purpose in life. Stay focused. KEEP GOING! #SPARK
Jarrell is a local performing artist and choreographer
Follow Jarrell at www.jarrellhamilton.com
