7. Creating art for JOY, not just for money; Making room for rest, play, and failure with actor Gentry White

Hey Magic Makers! This episode starts with a few housekeeping updates:

Personal update: I’m (temporarily) moving to Santa Ynez, a town in Santa Barbara wine country. I’ll be there for a month to see if it’s somewhere I can see myself long term. I’m super nervous because I don’t know a single soul there, so if you have friends out there send ‘em my way!
Business update: I’ve decided to re-open my signature course, Copy Class! Many of you have been messaging me about it and I felt bad making you wait 6+ months for doors to open again. So, I decided to go ahead and make it possible for you to enroll- learn more at kelseyformost.com/copyclass
Podcast update: I want to be SUPER transparent & call this out rather than just sneaking it in...I’ve decided to start working with a couple VERY carefully selected podcast sponsors. You’ll now hear one or two ads from businesses who have personally helped me and made both my business and mental health journey easier.

THANK YOU FOR COMING TO MY TED TALK.

Now to the GOOD STUFF: here’s what to expect from this incredible conversation with one of my best friends in the whole world, Gentry White.

Gentry is an amazingly talented LA-based actor; he currently stars in ‘Jett’ on HBOMax, ‘The Shannara Chronicles’ on Netflix, ‘Unreal’ on Hulu, ‘TURN Washington Spies’ on Netflix, and the ‘Fast and Furious’ franchise.

We’re diving into how to approach your creative and entrepreneurial projects with a sense of play and childlike wonder. One of the ways to do that is to find a creative outlet that is JUST for joy; not putting pressure on making money on every single side project you do. Those passion projects pour into our cup and are just as important as the ones that brings us financial abundance.

Gentry does an amazing job balancing the creativity he brings to his work on set and making sure he has a creative outlet outside of work so he can continue to approach creative work with a sense of play.

During quarantine, Gentry decided to dive into the world of photography, specifically self-portrait photography. He began taking photos of himself and found that it helped with not only his artistic creativity but also his body dysmorphia. He wanted to express himself and his individuality, but having someone take photos of him terrified him. So, he just decided to do it himself. This boosted his confidence and made him realize that the way he saw himself in the mirror was so different than how the camera and others saw him.

Gentry and I also get very real about the vulnerability it takes to express yourself as an artist- not hiding behind a mask or a character but rather being brave enough to bring a deep truth to your work. When you’re open, you can foster lifelong connections and produce your best work because you’re being your most authentic self.

We also talk about Black representation in media and entertainment, a topic that truly needs to be addressed more frequently and with more accountability from the white community. Gentry was so generous to speak on the subject, sharing some of his eye-and-heart-opening stories about some roles he’s been offered in the past that didn’t align with the stories he wants to tell about the Black experience in America.

This episode is real, honest, raw, and positively dripping with MAGIC.

PS- Please take a moment to hit “subscribe” if you’re enjoying this content! It helps other people like you find this community. Deeply grateful for you!

CONNECT WITH GENTRY:
Gentry’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gentrywhite/
Gentry’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Gentrywhite
Watch Unreal on Hulu: https://www.hulu.com/series/unreal-dcd85133-0465-410f-8792-aeb94ebd5755
Watch Jett on HBO Max: https://www.hbomax.com/series/urn:hbo:series:GYNUd2AdaH5TCJwEAAAAK

Connect with Kelsey:

Kelsey’s Website: http://www.kelseyformost.com

Kelsey’s Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/keformost

Kelsey’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelsey.writes/

Kelsey’s Courses: https://kelseyformost.com/courses

Original Themesong composed by Jules Grant https://www.instagram.com/j.u.l.e.s.g.r.a.n.t/

Produced by Hayleigh Hayhurst http://www.espressopodcastproduction.com