Meet Christina Danielle | Actress, Teaching Artist & Business Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Christina Danielle and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Christina, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
“It doesn’t matter if a million people tell you what you can’t do, or if ten million tell you no. If you get one yes from God that’s all you need.” – Tyler Perry

Let me tell you, I live my life by this one specific quote right here. Being an artist and entrepreneur is so hard in todays world, mostly because everyone is trying to do it. Everyone wants to “work for themselves” and if they don’t the world makes you feel bad for having a 9-5. The reason this quote means so much to me is because it is sooooo true. There is never a such thing as an over saturated market when God has called you to something. And on the days where my bank account was zero, where I hadn’t had a sale in weeks, when I hadn’t had an audition and didn’t know where my next gig was coming from, I would always come back to this quote to remind myself that God makes no mistakes when He gives you a yes. That yes may not come when or how you want it, but if God gave you the vision, you push through every no until you get to that yes.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Currently, I’m working with a Children’s Theater company, The Missoula Children’s Theater. Each week, we go to a different town and in one week (Monday-Friday, only rehearsing four hours a day) We teach the kids an entire show and perform it with them. We teach them music, dance, lines, blocking and all in five days. I. Love. It.

I have always loved working with kids, I’ve worked in daycare centers since I was about fifteen years old. I really found my calling when I realized that I could take the two things I love most, acting & kids and have them together. But I never wanted to be just a theater teacher (although there is nothing wrong with that) it just wasn’t for me. Lesson planning and eight hour work days was never the path I saw my life taking, and so I began coaching young kids on my own. Doing my own Summer camps and teaching private lessons to kids. It was a great way to hone my own skills while teaching them new ones.

I think the hardest part of the journey for me has really been just being okay with not knowing what’s going to happen next. You graduate college and for most people you get a job in your feild and you climb up that ladder until there’s nowhere else to climb. Even as a theater teacher, you get a job, get some tenure and you’re good for life. It’s completely different when you are a performing artist who can’t be happy off the stage. You’re constantly searching for new ventures and sometimes, it takes longer for you to find those ventures than others. So the hardest part for me has always been not knowing what the heck is coming next in ,y life, being okay with, as my girl Elsa said, going into the unknown.

I’m nowhere near where I want to be when it comes to this entrepreneurial artist journey that I’ve found myself on, but as I think back on everything that I have accomplished to get simply where I am today. All of the tears, every single no, every negative bank account balance, every lost friend, I remember what the goal is and I remind myself that in order to gain your dreams, you have to lose some things. I’ve had to be humbled, because the way I want to change the world, pride can’t be a part of my life. I’ve had to be broke so that I can remember how to freely give when I have an overflow. I’ve had to have weeks of no creative insight because how else would I know how to bring it out of someone else when I’ve never been through it myself. I’ve had to lose friends so that I could gain the confidence in my personality and in who I am without the need to be accepted by anyone else, and let me tell you for an artist, whose whole GOAL is to be liked by the people watching them, is hard. I’ve had to lose a lot, and always find that what I gain is much better than what I’ve lost.

My mind goes from topic to topic in these interviews so I hope I’m making sense lol

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Maaaaaaaaan let me tell you a little something about the A – there is something for everyone here.

We would have to go eat at Abigails Daves Cheesesteaks, that’s a must. Sultty Vegan, Mama Cocinta Latina (24 hour Mexican restaurant) Gotta hit up the Breakfast Club and Three Margaritas and a down south favorite that only Atlanta does the best: Waffle House. What is a trip to Atlanta without a trip to Waffle House?

We have to go to the Georgia Aquarium, just have to. We also have to check out the Ferris wheel. If they ask which one, the answer is “You’ll know it when you see it” Take a trip down Edgewood and check out the restaurants, clubs and God is Dope store down that road for sure.

We also have to go to the fancy side of Atlanta… Perimeter. Go check out Perimeter mall and all of the beautiful amazing people on that side of town. Ever been to a Hawks game? Well grab a jersey cause we’re going there too!

Underground, Trap Museum, iFly, Krog Street, Illuminarium

The list goes on. The culture, people and food in Atlanta is unlike anywhere else in the entire world. And I put my stamp on that.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Of course, I have to first shout out Jesus. Without Him, I’m literally nothing.

My amazing high school theater teacher at Berkmar High School, Mrs. Simone Forbes. She is the first person in I ever remember taking my dramatics and extra sensitiveness as a talent and not just an annoyance. She alway took the time to cultivate my gifts and to this day, continues to support me even when I’m feeling low.

A book that I always love to read for confidence and encouragement is The Hollywood Commandments by DeVon Franklin, I definitely recommend you read it if you are any sort of artists!

Website: romans122productions.com

Instagram: Instagram.com/tinanotturner

Facebook: Facebook.com/tinanotturner

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrhUOMwgWKMORN7vtBr3gNw

Image Credits
Destiny Williams