Episode 14

full
Published on:

21st Jun 2023

Owning who I am

Hey there, lovely listeners!

Welcome back to another episode of "Confessions of an Aging Ingénue." I'm your host, Jenni Tooley, and I'm thrilled to have you joining me today.

Before we dive into today's musings, a quick shoutout to our confessional nights happening every first Wednesday of the month. Head over to jennitooley.com for the deets – who knows, you might just find yourself in the confessor seat!

Now, let's talk about something close to my heart – music. Living in Austin, especially during ACL time, is a whole experience, isn't it? I just got home, and the echoes of sound checks are still ringing in my ears. The city comes alive, and if you're in the right spots, you can even catch a free concert, courtesy of the wind carrying the tunes.

But let me take you back, way back, to a time when someone told me I was a singer. So, I was the singer in a high school band, fast forward to college, a choir class, and me grappling with the idea of being a singer.

This episode is basically about the journey that led me to finding my voice again and believing in my ability to actually sing and be good at it and eventually creating original songs for my first feature film, "STUCK."

The studio experience was nerve-racking, to say the least as perfectionism clashed with my perceived lack of technical prowess, but I pushed through.

And, guess what? I just sold two of my songs! It hit me – why am I still questioning if I'm a singer? It's time to shed the expectations and embrace the reality. So, here I am, sharing this journey with you, owning the title – Jenni Tooley, your singer-host.

I appreciate you being here and listening to my story.

Don't forget to comment, review, follow, and subscribe – your support keeps our podcast thriving. Until next time, much love to you all!

Show artwork for Confessions of an Aging Ingenue

About the Podcast

Confessions of an Aging Ingenue
from insecure ingenue to perimenopausal powerhouse
Go BTS into my creative life/career as I regain my integrity and create a system that aligns with my values and supports an abundant, healthy lifestyle.

It’s taken me decades to find my way back to me. The journey has been messy, out of control and all of the things I feared. I fear them no more. Take these stories as your own.

Imperfect. Unedited. Uncensored.
Support This Show

About your host

Profile picture for Jenni Tooley

Jenni Tooley

Hi! I am Jenni Tooley and I have a lot going on! I tend to go where I am led, am highly adaptable and have a wide variety of transferable skills and talents. This means I have experienced a whole lot so far in life-- I have owned and operated my own cottage bakery, am a trained birth doula, am a yoga teacher, am a professional actor, have worked in non-profit development, launched a web series and just distributed my first feature film, STUCK. Oh! Did I happen to mention I've also been an actor for over 3 decades and played alongside in Richard Linklater's Boyhood? That all sounds amazing- and super woman-ish, right?

What you may not know is that although I am a creative human, I am also a messy one. I've been around lot of blocks and trudged through around and over some of the deepest blocks within myself. I know what it's like to feel stuck- unable to move forward. I know what it's like to be overwhelmed with self-doubt. I know what it's like to feel like I or what I do is never enough. I've spent years trying to "fix" myself. I have a "chick with a stick" in my brain that loves to whack me around whenever I make a mistake, show my imperfections, or am willing to be vulnerable. She thinks she's keeping me safe. But I'm tired of being abused by myself. My "good enough" is actually more than good enough. I don't have to go outside of myself for validation. And being vulnerable is really hot!

I won't claim to have completely overcome all these things-- after all I am human. But I've gotten through them and continue to build myself up rather than break myself down, most days:) Along my journey I have collected so many tools, a whole lot of experience, and have always been (it turns out) filled with wisdom. I am thrilled to be able to share all of this with you! I specialize in holding space for people, deeply listening, and being able to guide people back to the truth of who they are. The process isn't perfect. And I will never claim to have " the only 5 steps you need to fix yourself for good" because in my experience that's a bunch of hoo-ha. And it sets up a situation where if you didn't get fixed you think there must be something wrong with you(I know, I've had that experience).

I'd love to have you join me on this journey! www.jennitooley.com