Meet Jeri Hinds

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeri Hinds.

Hi Jeri, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’ve always been different. The way I think, the way I move, the way I function. I never liked to follow the rules or take proper direction…which basically just means I have always made things way harder for myself. Some people (mostly family) call it being rebellious; I call it being creative.

My story begins and ends with creativity. I have always had this overactive, untamable imagination. I was a reader, so my brain had been microdosed with imagery since I was a lad. That led me into writing poetry & short stories. Scripts came later. Then I picked up photography and started making videos.

My parents also put me in dance at a really young age. That taste of performing for an audience never ended up leaving my lips. Years later, I found myself back on stage and eventually touring an original musical called Weight of Words where all my itches were scratched. I got to write, dance, sing, act, perform LIVE for many different audiences over the 2 1/2 year tour, but that was just the beginning of what was ahead of me.

After a few years of failure at trying to find joy through what society deemed as the “right” path for a young first-gen American (college streamlined into a super boring career), I reverted back to my unconventional way of living. I realized the rigidity of that lifestyle never resonated with me so in 2018, I decided I was going to fully commit to what did resonate. Performing. Within 2 weeks, I was living in New York City with a dollar and a dream, which is funny because the first role I booked after pursuing acting sent me right back home to Miami. After feeling the industry out a little more and being very tired of Miami, I packed my entire life into my little Honda on February 2019 & I drove up to Georgia.

Since moving here, I’ve been able to explore a version of myself that I could have only imagined. In addition to performing, I picked the camera back up and started designing sets & curating photoshoots. I started my modeling career. I started a podcast. I found a new passion I had no idea I’d fall in love with so deeply, directing. I started making my own short films. I even found myself in spaces that gave me opportunities to be a Production Assistant and 1st Assistant Director on several occasions.

I became a creative because I couldn’t help it!

My creativity has led me through life whether I realized it or not. Not only has it gotten me into (and out of) spaces in a very unconventional way, but I’ve learned to translate it through many different mediums of art. And now, I’m connecting so much to myself and all the art that I create. The best part is, I know there is so much more waiting for me out there and I know its all possible because of the lack of limitations I place on myself.

All in all, taking the road less traveled is and has been extremely difficult, but it has always worked in my favor because it has always allowed what was aligned for me to fall in right in my lap.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My journey has definitely not been all roses and rainbows. I faced homelessness for two years after making my big move to Atlanta. Couch surfing and living out of my car were the only options I had, especially with such big dreams to chase. Additionally, I wasn’t working as my Bipolar disorder didn’t allow me to keep a consistent job.

My mental health has always played a direct role in my life. I was battling cycles of depression and mania every 4-6 weeks and it was exhausting trying to maneuver life through them. Load that up with living out of my car after moving to a strange city where I was supposed to *actually* start my career and you’ve got a confused, lost, beat down little bean.

My life was a complete mess, one that didn’t seem to have light at the end of the tunnel.

But I pushed through.

I had so much free time that I couldn’t spend lounging at home, so what did I do? When I wasn’t melting in my car (Summer 2019 was HOT), I spent most of my time at Barnes and Noble. I drowned myself in books: self-help books to keep me motivated, psychology books to understand how the mind works, spiritual books to keep my spirit elevated, and I was able to learn so much about my disorder through several Bipolar-based psychology books. Barnes and Noble kept me grounded but I didn’t move to Atlanta to live at Barnes and Noble, I was here to introduce myself to the world as Jeri, the Actress.

So, as I always do unconventionally, I made my way onto sets, into rooms and around the most amazing and influential people in the industry. I was able to make incredible connections that helped jump-start my career!

Though my transition to life as an ATLien was extremely turbulent, I’m grateful for everything I have learned through this experience, for it has shaped me into being the person I am today. I’m eternally grateful to my past self for pushing through the hardest of times so that present & future me can experience the fulfillment of reaching my goals.

My quote that kept me through it? “It’ll all be worth it.” And it is.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I always like to introduce myself as an Actress first then broaden the spectrum to describing myself as a ‘Creative’, opening up the rest of avenues I’ve fallen into. I ascribed to the role of Director when I debuted my first project, a music video for artist Kevin Glenn. I added Model when I booked my first paid shoot. Defined myself as a Podcaster when I posted my first podcast opening up about mental health. I’ve been curating self-portraits for myself for years so I tacked Creative Director on, too. I completed my first short film earlier this year so I’m also a Filmmaker! And I can’t abandon my first love, words. Writing has always been the preferred way of communicating my art, so I’ll confidently add Writer to the mix.

As you can probably tell, I don’t like putting myself in a box. The words I use to define myself limit the extent of what I can actually do. I’ve worked in several other film crew positions: Director of Photography, 1st Assistant Director, Production Assistant and Set Design. I’ve edited copy for various local filmmakers and novelists and I also tutor students K-12 in all subjects.

I don’t like to put a limit on what I can do because I truly believe I can do anything. That’s why I always wander (sometimes, it’s more of a stumble and fall) into spaces that are meant for me even if it doesn’t make sense in the moment.

Equally as important, I am very proud to be a Mental Health advocate. The stigma around mental health has been extremely negative up until recently. I have always felt very alone through my mental health journey and it was mainly because there weren’t enough conversations surrounding it. Being vulnerable with my own mental health coupled with offering knowledge and empathy to my community, I hope that at least one person feels less alone in their own journey & is encouraged to continue the chain so that we all can feel the connectivity we all crave.

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
It’s difficult to decide on the “most important” driving force to my success. It has been a combination of virtues and relationships I’ve developed over the years that have been working as a team to propel me through this journey.

I had to have the courage to dream a limitless dream, the Bravery to make the whole-hearted decision to follow it, the Resilience to work through obstacles, perseverance to keep going no matter how dark the doubt cloud would get, and Trust within myself, my craft, my journey and source. I made a promise to myself to move through Love, Patience and grace, for without them it would be impossible to stay grounded.

My success would also be nothing without my incredible, loving support system. I think we often forget how important community is, especially in such a competitive industry. It’s really easy to feel isolated and discouraged but I am grateful to have built a community that brings me peace, comfort, motivation and support through it all.

Pricing:

• K-12 Tutoring Sessions: $55/hr

Contact Info:

• Website: jerihinds.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/peanutbutterandjeri?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/mindofasandwichpodcasts 

Image Credits
Seven x Clouded Pixels, Z0A, Lin x BankaiTV