Issa Rae will always be the mood board of our lives. When the multi-talented creative isn’t feeding us with relatable content or pursuing a new business venture, she steadily sprinkles gems whenever she speaks.
When the actress talks, Black women listen. Her commitment to creating safe and creative spaces for Black creatives is one of the many reasons why we admire the actress. Here are five times Rae provided the big sister advice that we may not always wanted to hear, but ultimately needed.
Breaking Into the Creative Industry
Entering into unfamiliar territory can be a daunting experience. Waiting for the right moment to start something new has the potential to slow down progress instead of moving forward. In a Forbes interview, the “Insecure” creator and actress addressed the power behind starting a project despite not having everything figured out.
“Tell the story that you’ve been brewing in your head for years,” she said. “If there hasn’t been something, something that you’re passionate about or something that you’re curious about, [then] you’ve just gotta start it.”
Financing Your Dreams
Putting in the effort to accomplish your goals and aspirations can be costly. As expenses add up, not having enough funds to go after your envisioned career or lifestyle can be discouraging. In WhoWhatWear’s interview with Rae, she revealed how she shared similar sentiments at the beginning of her journey. Instead of focusing on what she lacked, she focused on what resources were within her reach.
“Being in the brokest time of your life is when you’re the most creative,” she said. “After a while, I got tired of not doing it and was like, ‘Somebody else is going to do this idea before me.'”
Developing Confidence
Confidence is a developed quality that people are not naturally born with. At certain times, you have to be your biggest cheerleader and supporter. The actress has talked previously about how she learned to accept herself as the way she is.
“Embrace who you are and what makes you different,” Rae said. “If people don’t like you for who you are, then those people aren’t meant to be in your life. You don’t want them there anyway, so stop trying to impress people by being someone you’re not.”
Release Control
Building a team requires trusting in their capabilities. Rae spoke about collaborating with like-minded creatives and how it plays an essential role in progressing forward with any vision coming to fruition.
“You have to let people be good at their jobs,” she said. “You have to understand and trust people to know what they’re talking about in areas that you don’t, and your job is to just be confident in what you know and confident in the story that you’re telling, confident in your vision. But, just because you’re confident doesn’t mean that you need to control every single aspect of it.”
The Feeling of Running Out of Time
Comparing yourself to others is more harmful than helpful. Each person encounters success on their own timeline, making their journey unique to them. The multi-hyphenate shared how she had to teach herself to focus on her own journey.
“I would tell my younger self to chill,” she said. “Calm down and stop trying so hard. Just worry about your lane and yourself.”