Blk + In Grad School

The things that are supposed to happen, happened and the choices we make are our path.  Everything happens on purpose so just go with it. You were meant to be here, there are no coincidences.

When was your push through moment and how did you overcome? Join Allante this week as she talks about how her personal struggles from imposter syndrome to I got this!

Imposter Syndrome:

noun

noun: imposter syndrome

the persistent inability to believe that one's success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of one's own efforts or skills."people suffering from impostor syndrome may be at increased risk of anxiety"

There is a difference between understanding and knowing and that starts with you.  It is not limited to your subject matter. Positive self awareness is your best asset and the proof is in the pudding.  Allante’s journey of self doubt, recognizing her wins and recentering the reason why she has arrived at this point has positioned her perfectly to receive greatness.

“You are here to learn.  And if there is a gap in your understanding or knowledge for any reason it is ok.  Beating yourself up because you don’t know it is a waste of your time.”

'Grit Is in Our DNA': Why Teaching Grit Is Inherently Anti-Black: https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2019/02/13/grit-is-in-our-dna-why-teaching.html

Woosahhhhh...CLASS IS IN SESSION!

She may be young but she’s readddaaayy!  Join Allante this week as she goes through her 16 most important life lessons on her journey to 30.

Allante takes a break from her regularly scheduled lessons and takes a page from her personal book.  The best way to learn is from experience but experience itself is only the tip of the iceberg. People will actually surprise you.  Value in people, their proximity to you and the evolution of relationships have helped Allante better articulate her feelings and also helped her give others a space to grow.  Through understanding the duality of relationships with others and herself Allante talks about how she has changed for the better even when people are caught up in the “old Allante.”  It is ok to pump the breaks and reset your boundaries: be gentle with yourself and stay consistent!

Allante fully owns that “I am responsible for my full self” attitude.  So gather ‘round, CLASS IS IN SESSION!

“I had so much pressure on myself and I was putting pressure on the circumstance and the environment and I was not having fun.”

Changing your approach from demanding results to living in your craft is the secret sauce to inevitable success.  Being attached to how things turn out and really focusing on the feeling of the experience. Finding joy in the expansion of process and living in it and embracing it and letting go of the outcome. Your success does not always rest on your shoulders.  Yusef describes that through his auditioning process he focused on his skills and initially only relied on his craft. By tapping in to the network around him, channeling his frustrations through his mentor, Yusef was able to shake off some of his personal burden and get back to living in the joy of doing what he does best.  Managing his “brain space” Yusef was taught to provide room to manage the multifaceted work of a MFA student ultimately surrendering to his process rather than fight it.

“There was a similar feeling that I had earlier in life that I didn’t know how to deal with or dealt with incorrectly and in grad school I dealt with it and I was taught to deal with it in a way that provided room.”

Never forget to stay true to your craft and consistently remember this success in your life was inevitable from the start.  CLASS IS IN SESSION!

Get your pens and paper ready as Allante continues the conversation on organization of her time and space.

“Don’t try to fight your own tendencies, rather work with them rather than against them.”

Hustle don’t stop, grind don’t stop especially when it comes to your personal space.  Tackling your space continues with intentionally paying attention to investing in spaces that make you comfortable, productive and optimize your process.

Allante’s key to success starts with being honest with herself and identifying her personal tools.  Compartmentalizing day to day, month to month and semester to semester of your classes and external projects immediately introduces a calming sense of order.  Find the best way for you to get your ideas and thoughts together because there is no one way. Using the resources around you (grants from your grad program, upcycled items or discounted office products) are also great ways to win.

Put a pin in this one because CLASS IS IN SESSION!

]This is a marathon, not a race.  We all know what we are getting ourselves into and this is a time commitment. Each step toward your dissertation and defense is a step toward your goal.  Continue to count on yourself because you know what the outcome will be!

School, social life, significant others and sanity.  Whether you want to do it all or you just want to get a better handle on your current personal load you have to start with organization.  Join us this week as Allante arrived to the need for organization, ways to implement changes and continued to success.

“Figure out your style and be cool with it.  Don’t fight it.”

Allante’s style and how she gets work done is dynamic.  Trying a style and failing with it doesn’t mean you stop-just means you have found a style that doesn’t exactly work for you.  Consistency is the name of the game so pick up on your patterns and elaborate on them.

Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither were you.  CLASS IS IN SESSION!