AGNF Fierce Female of the Month: Jacquelynne Faith

I met Jacquelynne Faith at a fantasy photo shoot in Washington last fall. I remember feeling absolutely intimidated by her when we first met. She was confident and completely comfortable in a world of professional hair and makeup -basically everything I  wasn’t.

In between shots and wardrobe changes we would chat and get to know each other. We discovered we both love fashion, we’re practically neighbors and have ties to The Sunshine State! After the shoot we all went to dinner and Jacquelynne opened up about her battle with Lyme Disease and the impact it has on her everyday life.

Jacquelynne and I have stayed in touch since the shoot and when I began planning this series, I knew immediately I wanted her to be apart of it. In the world of social media, it’s so easy to judge someone by a photo. That’s why I’m so excited for you to get to know Jacquelynne Faith, there’s a lot more to this lady than meets the eye.

Tell us about yourself

As a “Jacquie of All Trades”, this is one of the hardest questions to answer. I remember having to do an “elevator speech” as my first Public Speaking class assignment in college, and the concept of telling a stranger who I am concisely was more daunting than the whole speaking in front of people thing-which I actually love. To put it simply, I’m a professional writer, actress, and model-and after many years of putting “aspiring” in front of those or letting people know I was a server instead, I can finally say that with absolute confidence and excitement, and it’s awesome! Outside of that, I am enthusiastic about other arts, travel, science, nature and animals, medicine and natural healing, dance, music-the list goes on. All in all, I would say I am and strive to be even more of a modern renaissance person. I like to follow my curiosity and stay creative in as many ways as possible, from saying yes to strange random gigs for the story to pursuing a side career as a professional mermaid…yes, that’s a real thing.

How do you balance all of your projects and endeavors and still find time for yourself?

Truth be told, this is still a struggle for me. I think it’s part of why chronic illness has been a part of my experience here on Earth. I’ve always felt a need to move and a pressure to succeed. This is an awesome quality- until its not. I’ve had to actively teach myself to like…put on a candle and take a bath. Because I do have health issues, however, it’s become essential for me to take that time. I also look at time a bit differently because the notion of having less of it has been more prominent, so I would never say…decline an invitation for a potentially life changing trip because I booked a commercial. I used to be that person that felt very obligated to what are, in the grand scheme, trivial things. I have integrity and almost always follow through on my word and my bookings, but I’ve learned how to make decisions based on the bigger picture when I really have to. If that comes across as selfish…thank you. It took me a REALLY long time to do that as a recovering people pleaser. But you know, at a desk or on set for a prescription drug commercial, the truth is, I’m totally replaceable. My life is not.

What inspires you?

This has changed over the years, but currently, I’d have to say other artists that I connect with on a person level-people that are on their way up. These are the people who I can learn from the most. It’s easy to look up to celebrities whether they are actors, writers, models, or freakin’ house flippers-but the truth is, a lot of them aren’t in a place where they “show the work” anymore. I love to follow and speak to those who still do long division. Those on the cusp of their big break, the ones with many thousands of followers, but not quite a million-the ones who love to share their passions and all the behind the scenes efforts and mishaps. The ones who still answer messages from “little people”. They are proof that the magic is in the work as much as it is in the result. They show what it really takes and that people can go from doing nothing to SOMETHING-even if they weren’t thrust into the spotlight by their parents at 5 or Simon Cowell at 16.

What is your personal mission statement and how has your battle with Lyme Disease impacted it.

My personal mission statement would be something like:

“I will continuously evolve by way of choosing love over fear, saying yes to what calls to my heart and no to what doesn’t. I will continuously evolve by choosing to learn from those who are further down a parallel path, rather than choosing envy. I will remind myself that the best way to influence the world is to make sure my own light shines as often as possible, and should it dim, I will choose to be patient with myself and find the spark again and again. The choice is always mine.”

I honestly just made all that up now, but it feels true to how I try to live my life, even though I get off track sometimes. I think being honest about that and then moving forward anyway is a more efficient use of energy than struggling to keep up the appearance of having it all together, all the time. You might think having a chronic illness hindered all of the above, but it actually shaped it. Lyme is still teaching me lessons, and exams aren’t quite over, but I can say that I’m somewhere mid-semester of learning to to be as selfless as I can while still being kind to myself-all and all, to use my energy as wisely as possible, because I don’t have as much of it as many my age.

I’ve been in that place where I thought my days were numbered, and I really have to reassess all the time: If I don’t have that much time-whether it’s because I only have so many hours in a day before I feel to too sick to work or play, or because life itself is short-how will I spend what I do have? Lyme makes that question more important while also making it somewhat difficult to answer and created a catch-22, because I’ve decided a lot of what I love to do, but I don’t have the ability to do it as often. It’s also made me both hyper-aware of how many worthwhile causes there are to fight for, while also reminding me that I’m responsible for taking care of myself in order to get to a place to participate. It’s a blessing and a curse.

As a full time writer, actress and model; what advice would you give to someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?

Don’t get lyme disease before you choose to follow your passions, and thus-always wear organic tick repellent. But really, keep an eye on the people you admire, but never let it negatively influence your view of your own position. It’s somewhat natural to compare-to be upset you didn’t get started sooner, to be upset you don’t have the same connections or the same financial help-or in my case, the same health-but we have to turn it off. It just gets in the way. If you find paying attention to what others are doing is making you feel bad more than inspired, log off instagram for a month and focus on you. Comparison can be motivating or it can be devastating. I’ve had seasons of both-and that’s okay. Know how to recognize when something makes you feel contracted (fearful, anxious, small) or expanded (stimulated, excited, like miracles can happen) and act accordingly.

What amazing projects lined up for 2018???

I’m really moving forward on my personal blog (jacquieofalltrades.com) on living a creative lifestyle and finding a balance between positive thinking and reality. I want to give tips while being emotionally honest about my own struggles instead of coming at it from a “know-it-all” perspective. I’m also starting a poetry and prose instagram @jackiepaperandink to share the creative writing I hope to be published. I’m also working on that mermaid thing…no joke. Other than that, lots of fashion shoots to share and trips around the United States!

Thank you so much to Jacquelynne Faith for being the AGNF Fierce Female of the Month! You’re truly an inspiration.

Be sure to connect with Jacquelynne on Instagram @jacquelynnefaith