I’m Jeremiah. And I think the fear of what could be is what stops many of us from trying the things that pull at us.

We convince ourselves it’s too late, or we’re too “this” or too “that,” and before we know it, those excuses become true because we’ve accepted them. I’m proud I didn’t let that happen to me.

In 2020, I had just finished college and was working a sales job. It wasn’t what I wanted, but it was money and experience. On the side, I was building a website with one of my best friends. Even though we were just blogging and messing around, it became my entire creative outlet — and it lit a fire in me. After a while, we sold the website, and that’s when I realized I needed to hold myself accountable and find ways to express myself creatively.

Sure, parents and loved ones offer advice and try to guide you, but only you know what feels right. And figuring that out takes a level of introspection I think many people avoid.

Why is that?

Maybe it’s fear? Fear that what we discover might be exciting, even incredible, and we’ll feel embarrassed for having ignored it. Or fear that if we try it now, we won’t be good enough.

For me, that thing was acting.

I thought about it constantly as a kid.

In high school, watching friends in plays; in college, scrolling course catalogs and skipping over Theater 101 for Finance 322 (getting PTSD just writing that). But then I graduated. Got dropped into the real world. And I couldn’t shake the question:

Is this really all there is?

For some most people, the answer is yes, and that’s a beautiful thing. I’ve seen people thrive in that world, doing exactly what they were meant to do. But I knew that wasn’t me.

And I also knew it’s okay if you don’t feel that way. We all have responsibilities: rent, pets, family, friends, bills, relationships. It’s easy to point to all that and dismiss the idea of pursuing something else. But where does that leave you? I think that question is the scariest of all.

When I started acting, I promised myself one thing: I wouldn’t put pressure on myself. Not in a lazy way, but in a way that kept my focus on two things: enjoying myself and improving.

That’s what I’ve done since I’ve started. And it’s led to some of the most incredible experiences of my life.

I have no intention of stopping.