Jessica LItwak

I think that one is creativity and imagination. Being able to imagine when there's a lot of rejection that happens when you're in theater - it's part of the life, because you're constantly offering things, and they're either accepted or they're not, and it's your heart, it's your soul that you're putting out there. Just being able to be creative, to have an active imagination, to want to make things, and build things, and write things, and perform things, that saved my life many times, and that's made me feel like I'm not alone, because the creative force is with me. And then having a spiritual life - I have a spiritual practice. I'm not religious, but spiritual. I believe that there's more to the world than just what we see. And love, just loving the work, and loving the people I work with, and loving my kids, and just having that sense of love. That's what keeps me wanting to keep going and keep looking for the next thing, and not give up.

I would tell my younger self not to take things personally, and not to doubt herself and not to compare herself to others, and to just believe in the gifts that she was given. Not focus on what other people think, but focus on what she's here to give, and what benefit she can be, and just give her that love and that confidence. It's okay not to know. Sit in the not knowing for a while, until the answer reveals itself. There is a time and a place for wandering, for not - in our culture, something that I've heard called destination addiction, so we very much want to get to where we're going without necessarily taking time to wander the path that we're on. I've struggled with having to achieve things and make them publicly known instead of just saying, okay, well, it'll happen when it happens.

My life is really about healing, education, activism through theater. I believe it's really not taking ourselves so terribly seriously that we need answers immediately, sort of allowing ourselves to be in a state of wonder. It's really important to remember we're all part of this world, this natural world, and this universe. I believe that there's more to the world than just what we see. I also know that my life is about spiritual growth, and also about political awareness, and also about giving back. Success is just being able to live with love and with truth, and to do the work we're meant to do.