We spent time with one of our Acceptd Ambassadors, Jasmine Smith, recently chatting about art, community, and that feeling of being accepted.
Acceptd: Tell us a little bit about you!
Jasmine: My name is Jasmine Michelle Smith. I’m a recent graduate of The Ohio State University, where I received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre. I have been involved with the arts since I was a kid. Growing up I was a flamenco dancer, but my involvement with theatre really took off in high school. I’m currently based in New York City where I’m working and auditioning as often as I can!
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Acceptd: Congrats on the big move to NYC! So, tell us, what first got you interested in the arts?
Jasmine: The first thing that got me interested in the arts was my parents. Both of my parents are professors of music at the Ohio State University, and they instilled in me this intense love for music and the arts from a very young age. As a kid I would always be singing around the house, playing instruments, and being generally dramatic. When I was a kid I was in church plays, and one community theatre production, but it wasn’t until my junior year of high school, when I was cast as Rosemary in How To Succeed…, that I really became involved with theatre.
Acceptd: Awesome! We know it takes inspiration to keep growing in the arts. What would you say inspires you?
Jasmine: The thing that inspires me is my passion for performing. If I wasn’t an actress, I don’t know what I would be doing, but I know I would hate it. Having this drive and passion for the arts, and being able to pursue things that truly feed my soul are the things that get me out of bed, especially on early audition days!
Acceptd: What does it mean to you to be accepted? Can you recall a time you recently felt this feeling?
Jasmine: I think to me what it means to be accepted is to be seen and heard. Whether it's a story or experience that you’re able to share with an audience or an idea that is presented to a group, I think the important part is that your experience is heard and empathized with. Most recently I feel like I was accepted when discussing “feeling stuck” as an actor. To share something that can be very emotional, and to have someone empathize with that feeling is a great way to feel accepted, especially in the actor community.
Acceptd: Thank you for sharing. What do you plan to do either in the arts or with your artistic talents in the future?
Jasmine: My plans for my future are to keep performing. I try to get to as many auditions as possible, with the hope that I can make a living out of performing.
Acceptd: What is one piece of advice you’d give aspiring creatives like yourself?
Jasmine: One piece of advice I would give to another aspiring creative is to put your all into what you pursue. Going into college I was nervous to not be in a BFA program. About halfway through college, I realized that what I got from my degree program was directly correlated to what I put into it. Your experiences are what you make of them. When you buckle down and put your all into the things you’re passionate about, the reward is incredible.
Acceptd: Alright, we are going to end with a deep one: What is “art" to you?
Jasmine: To me, art is being able to create an experience that speaks to someone else’s soul. Even if your art only speaks to one person, if you’ve made that person feel accepted, heard, and seen, then you’ve created some great art. Even if that person that your art speaks to is YOU, then you’ve created art.
