Being a performer is hard. The day of competition, I went out and gave the best performance I had in me that day. I gave visuals, energy, and atheletism. But I still walked off stage in tears because I didn't execute every move as well as I hoped. I felt vulnerable, embarrassed, and disappointed that the thousands I spent on group and private lessons, the sweat I poured into weight training and mobility training, and the effort I put into costume design and choreography did not turn me into a pole dancing phenom in 6 months.

Dancing, acting, singing are arts that should not always be relegated to hobby status because they can take years of rigorous training to perfect, they require costly supplies, and we often need access to mentors and coaches. I'm honored to have had the opportunity to compete because it was a privilege to have the resources to do so and I primarily have one generous donor to thank for that.

I've since wiped my tears and continued to invest in improving my abilities as a dancer and other creative talents. Creating and entertaining is what I'm called to do, and when I shine on stage I know that those watching and enjoying see that too.

💙