Dream Again! How to Revive Your Divinely-Directed Creative Life with Jeneen Hammond, Actress

Allen C. Paul 00:00:00
I'd like to ask you a question. What is the value of a dream? Now, if you're just thinking about the dreams that you have at night and you know, when you go to sleep and you wake up with a crazy dream or a funny dream or even maybe a scary dream, you might be not valuable at all. But if you talk to someone like a Joseph in the Bible, or someone like a Moses who looked up and saw the stars and realized that his descendants would be like the stars, or maybe even the dream that Martin Luther King had, all of these dreams were priceless. Well, today's guest is going to show you how your creator dream the God given dream that's inside you can be ignited and how it was ignited in her to the point that she found herself in amazing spaces and doing amazing things that she didn't even know she was capable of doing. My guest today is Jeneen Hammond on the God and Gigs Show and she's going to tell you why she considers herself a dream revivalist. If you want to know what that means, you have to listen to every moment of this incredibly inspirational talk. Just give me a moment to welcome those of you who are new to God and gigs and then we'll get right into this fascinating conversation.

Speaker B 00:01:08
Artists, musicians and creatives of all kinds looking for help balancing your passion to create with your everyday life. Not sure if your faith can coexist with your profession? Welcome to a place where real artists discuss real life. You're listening to the God and Gig show. Visit godandgigs.com for show notes, links and more information.

 
Allen C. Paul 00:01:30
Hello and welcome to our show. Thank you so much for making this podcast a part of your creative day. And if you are new to our show, thank you so much for joining me. And let me tell you why. You are in the right place as a musician, artist, creative, freelancer, content creator, anyone that operates in this art to entertainment space. But you also have a Christian or a faith focused background and you want to figure out how to navigate that world and how to make sure you don't sacrifice what means the most to you while you chase your dream and your success and the things that you're called to do. Well, we help you do that. By helping you solve your temporary creative problems, by giving you timeless spiritual principles. That's what we do here. My name is Allen C. Paul. I'm your host, the founder. I'm a musician, creative coach and author. And we've been here since around 2015 or 16 and we've been doing a ton of episodes with amazing creatives who have won Grammys, Emmys, StellarS. But more importantly, they're doing life right and they're showing you the true path to success. We do that through these interviews, like the one you're about to hear and our creative checkup episodes every once in a while where I'll share something short and inspirational or encouraging to help you along your creative journey. So I believe you're in the right place. Go ahead and subscribe tap that button on whichever pod, app or device you're watching on or listening on and go ahead and join our community. Now, today's episode is the perfect example of what we love to share with our God and Gigs community. My guest today is Jeneen Hammond. She's a storyteller actress and singer, director, and playwright who has worked with hundreds of creatives to help them ignite their dreams, find their vision, and to tell stories that really bring faith, encouragement, and inspiration to people all over the country. Now, in a moment, she's going to tell you so many incredible stories and show you how she figured out how to chase her creative dream and how God has allowed her to see this incredible ability of hers to ignite both the dream in herself and others come to fruition. But all you need to know right now is that she has already done this. For over 30 years, she's worked with hundreds of cast members. She's overseen high level production teams, art space, and educational programs for creative organizations. And she's created an incredible character of her own called the Bag Lady. You got to watch some of her performances whenever you can or watch her on her YouTube to see what impact her acting and her directing and her creative output creates. Well, I cannot wait for you to hear from Janine. I was blown away from the second her light and her energy came into the room and her spirit. So you're going to be ignited right now by this amazing sister. So without any further delay, let's talk with actress, singer, and Dream revivalist Jeneen Hammond.

Allen C. Paul 00:04:37
And gentlemen, I could not be more pleased, more honored to welcome this creative, this actress, writer, screenplay, creator, everything that you could imagine when it comes to the arts, this lady has already done it. But most importantly, she has the heart behind it of a kingdom artist. And that's why I'm so glad to have her with us on The Guidance Gig Show. Jeneen Hammond. Welcome to the Guidance Gig Show. How are you?

Jeneen Hammond 00:05:05
Yay. I'm so glad to be here, and it's really kind of weird for me to be here because I listened to one of your videos when I was in Israel and just got an opportunity to kind of, like, take that in and was really blessed by it. So I'm having a moment here that I'm sitting here and I'm actually on here with you having an opportunity to share about God. God is amazing how he orders our steps.

Allen C. Paul 00:05:27
Okay, first, knowing that God and Gigs has gone to Israel when I have not. You told me, and we've had a discussion, so we always let people in behind the scenes. You told me that when we first got a chance to talk. You had just returned from Israel. And so the fact that I, by proxy, was in Israel. I was in Israel just because my video was in Israel, so I've touched the Holy Land. Thank you.

Jeneen Hammond 00:05:50
Hallelujah. You were there.

Allen C. Paul 00:05:52
Yes. And hopefully one day, physically, but that's just a sign, clearly, because you had that chance to take that trip and all your other journeys and travels throughout your life. God has clearly led you on a path where he's really opened up your eyes to so many amazing things. But we got to try to put it all within 30 seconds when people get to meet you for the first time. I don't know why we do this to everybody, but yes, just for a moment, it can you just give a summary of the things that people who are meeting you for the first time, you'd want them to know?

Jeneen Hammond 00:06:20
Yeah. Hey, everyone. Thank you for that. I am Jeneen Hammond, and I am a storyteller actress, singer, and playwright. I am a mom of two beautiful daughters. I have a grandson. I've been married for about 33, 34 years. One, two, three. Both houses. Hallelujah. And so it's been a journey, and so on this wonderful journey of being a Kingdom entrepreneur and learning what that is. And so I am just very excited to be here to share and flow and see what it is that God brings out of our time together.

Allen C. Paul 00:06:57
Well, that's why when we first connected, we got connected by one of my other guests. Maybe already heard from her by now. When you hear this or see this Deb Brown model, she is another kind of spirit. And so when I got to meet you and hear from you, the first thing that really impacted me was one of your videos where you were discussing on stage about Kingdom artists and your drive to help children. You have all these different things that are going on, so the first thing that comes to me is, well, we have to go back to the beginning. So my question to you is, as a child yourself, was the first moment that either art or theater or dance, whatever it was, what was that first moment that something lit up in your eyes or you saw something that made you say, I want to do that one day?

Jeneen Hammond 00:07:44
Oh, my gosh. I think that's a great question. Okay, I'll just start by saying this way. I grew up on Music Street, and I was the kid in the little shotgun house who was just singing around the house. So whatever it is I did, I sang. I sang If I'm going outside to ride my bike. I was singing that. And so I was always full of song. And I would say, to bring it into perspective, I didn't know if I had a reference for theater or acting, because I didn't necessarily see anyone close to me doing that. But I was the kid when we would go outside to play, I was the one who would invite the neighborhood kids to come and we would play talent show.

Allen C. Paul 00:08:29
Oh God, the picture is so clear in my mind. Don't tell me, did you have the cardboard stage? Did you have props? Did you have the whole thing together?

Jeneen Hammond 00:08:37
No.

Allen C. Paul 00:08:38
Okay.

Jeneen Hammond 00:08:39
It was all about them inviting them to really tap into their gift. And so I was that kid. So I'd gather all the neighborhood kids and they're thinking, we're going to play hopscotch. We're going to play all these things. And although I did those things, but when talent show happened, it was about drawing out of them an opportunity. What it is that they would want to say. Of course they were freaked out by but I'm like, come on, sing, talk, do some flips, do the hula hoop, whatever. Oh God, that was me as a child.

Allen C. Paul 00:09:11
I have to imagine already that spirit of wanting to draw other people in to express what they had to give. Now, here's the thing. Right away you were saying you were a singer. You were already starting to feel like this idea that you wanted to bring in other people. So was there a moment that it started to coalesce into a career idea? Because there's one thing to be like that playful child. There's another to say, I have to be trained to do this. I have to do this professionally. So when did that did it flip at some point where you realize, hey, this is not just something I do for fun, but this is something that I want to do.

Jeneen Hammond 00:09:48
That's a great question because I think that we discover the journey is people actually sit or want to hear you sing. And you're like, oh, okay, well, I'll do that. I would say that one of the pivotal things that happened to me was I overheard some people talking about an audition for a performing arts school. And I was like, Wait, excuse me, is that like fame?

Allen C. Paul 00:10:15
I can hear it.

Jeneen Hammond 00:10:16
And they said, yes. And I was like, oh my goodness. So I had like less than, what, 2 hours? It was like an afternoon, and I had to take the bus. But I'm like, I'm going to go to the audition. Didn't know what an audition was. Didn't even know much about the school. I just walked in. I'm like, I'm just going to wing it.

Allen C. Paul 00:10:35
How old were you at the time?

Jeneen Hammond 00:10:37
I was in 9th grade.

Allen C. Paul 00:10:39
Okay.

Jeneen Hammond 00:10:40

 I was in 9th grade. And so this was the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. And they were auditioning. And so it was really cool. You would attend your public school in the morning, and then they would bust you back in the afternoon. And so no, I just went in and I just winged it. I didn't know what a monologue was. I just made it up. And they loved it. And I got accepted into the dramatic arts. I did audition for everything, by the way. Well, not dance, because I'm like, Debbie Allen is too good. I'm not going to do that to the people. But I tried writing, and they were like, oh, your writing sucks. Well, they didn't say that. People are kind. And so music, it was different. But dramatic arts is really where it landed for me. And so God just began to stir and create this desire within me that I didn't realize was connected to what I would be doing for the rest of my life.

Allen C. Paul 00:11:37
Wow. And so now I really see this picture again. You were walking since I think when we talk about walking by faith, we're very spiritual, whereas God really tells us we're supposed to come to Him as a child. And as a child, you were already walking by faith, by just, hey, I'm just going to do it.

Jeneen Hammond 00:11:54
I'm just going to show up. You just show up. There's no forethought about it. And it's so interesting because I think about this, I go, Lord, you have already set the stage for our lives. Right? When we think about God is the playwright, god is the director.

Allen C. Paul 00:12:11
Yes.

Jeneen Hammond 00:12:11
And sometimes we don't know what it is that he wants to shine a light on. So I love that my journey has just been not so much me figuring it out, but God setting the stage for something, for me to discover something of myself that involved his heart. That's really what the journey has been about.

Allen C. Paul 00:12:31
It's beautiful. You really brought to mind so many parts in the Bible where God calls himself an artist. The potter. Right? We call him the potter. He is what is the verse I'm thinking of in Ephesians? He is the one that the workman, the masterpiece that writes Ephesians 210 is.

Jeneen Hammond 00:12:46
The chapter we are his workmanship. We're his masterpieces recreated in Christ Jesus for good works. Right. Predestined. And so God's like, I have a plan. And I think a lot of the times, as creatives, god has had to put me in check. He's like, Your creativity didn't start with you, Janine. It started with me. Right. But we kind of get it, and we kind of, oh, it's this. But my creativity has an origin, and if it has an origin, then there is a particular purpose for my creativity. And so it's best for me to get in the space and the place where I'm inviting God, and I'm dreaming with God about, what is it, Lord, that you want to do through my creative being?

Allen C. Paul 00:13:27
Wow, that's so powerful that you submit that and that we have to submit that constantly. Right. Like you said, every project, every moment, every single time you step up. So I'm wondering, there is definitely a specific style that he gave you. There's a specific lane that he gave you, or at least it started to maybe become apparent to you. So if you had to say what was like either a piece or a moment or joining a certain tour or joining a certain company where you started to start to understand your style, your desire that God gave you. But it was like, here's the way I want to present myself. Was it a specific role or anything else that kind of said, hey, now I realize what I have been building.

Jeneen Hammond 00:14:08
You know what it is? It's musical theater. It's production. It's live production, creating live experiences so people can encounter truth in a way that inspires them. I mean, there's TV and that's wonderful, but there's nothing like being in a theater in an atmosphere where you are being inspired. It's kind of like a church service. Right. A sermon.

Allen C. Paul 00:14:32
I have to say, when I saw your first saw one of the videos, the promo of your character, which I wanted you to talk about, it immediately evoked I don't want to say preacher because I feel like sometimes we assume that a preacher or a pastor that it's only one particular type of delivery. Right. What you're pressing on. Yes, I'm going to let you talk about because you know this way better than me. The power of that stage, the power of the theater, the power of the storytelling can open up a door that maybe even in some ways a church service cannot and just speak to that a little bit. Why does that medium work so well for you and maybe work in ways that God speaks to that that maybe he doesn't do in other ways.

Jeneen Hammond 00:15:19
Well, you know what? I recognize that theater. It did start with God. And so very seldom do people recognize that there were religious caravans that went around and would do theater in the medieval times. And so when you look at it, it's kind of a lost art when it comes to the faith side of things. And I wrestle with the Lord on this. I'm like Lord Theater. Like people think it's corny and but I cannot get away from it because I just believe that so much happens in that particular space that doesn't happen anywhere else because it's not manufactured, it's real. And so I don't think I answered your question.

Allen C. Paul 00:16:07
No, you are like I just want you to continue with that because when you said it's real and as a musician, I've had the opportunity to be in the pit, to play behind the scene, behind an actor. Behind an actress. But I do think again that I am always in awe, number one, just memorizing lines that drives me there's no way. Right?

Jeneen Hammond 00:16:26
Yes, there is a way.

Allen C. Paul 00:16:27
Thank God for music. Well, I'm just saying my late look, you just say that God gave you your role. I know my role. So I know I'm not out there speaking and memorizing line. I'm memorizing the music. Right, right. So I do feel like, I was just wondering, even in terms of your development of that Bag Lady character, which I saw what prompted that specifically? Because it feels like that really does speak to something you want to communicate through that character. And that's what I'm very intrigued by, the development of a character.

Jeneen Hammond 00:16:58
It's a great question. I wish I had all of these Allen, I faulted this character.

Allen C. Paul 00:17:07
You want to do the behind the actor studio thing?

Jeneen Hammond 00:17:11
I really wish that it was that way. But really, if I had to choose a character, I would not have chosen the Bag Lady. I literally woke up and the Lord developed that character. And I have a passion for community. And I was going to minister at a convalescence home and the Lord just dropped this monologue in my spirit and said, I want you to pull out this character that you did four years ago in a play called Tapestry Maker, where the character was really developing, but she didn't have a name or anything like that. But he says, I want you to pull that out, and I want you to perform that at this convalescence home. And I'm like, what? But in that and it's so funny, and I think I need to say this, because that was a day where I felt so mocked by the Enemy, because I think as an artist, you have in mind these platforms. You have theater? Broadway. Right. That's the path. But in my journey, I was so close. Like, I worked with Broadway artists, I worked with Broadway musicians, but I was never necessarily the one that landed on stage or on tour, for that matter. And so I was mocked that day. And it's just interesting that when I followed through and I delivered that particular monologue, it was like people were coming to life. People were coming out of the walls. I was delivering this piece, and people were just coming. I could see out of my peripheral that people were just showing up to experience what it is that the Lord was crafting through this message. And so it's been years where he's just been crafting that message. And so I'll get these invitations, but here's the funny part, right? So that day, I was being mocked about, oh, what are you doing with your life? You're not really good. You're supposed to be on stage, blah, blah, blah. Look at you. You're ministering at the con lessons. Blah, blah, blah, blah, the Enemy, right? And so little did I know that, what, three months or so later, I would be on a stage in Atlanta doing The Bag Lady.

Allen C. Paul 00:19:23
Wow.

Jeneen Hammond 00:19:24
And that's how it's been. Like, literally, God's been my booking agent, he's been my booking manager. He sends me where it is that he wants me to go. And I love what you said about ministry. We just have to broaden our thought of ministry. The fivefold ministry. We're like, oh, it's inside the walls. I'm going to be on a platform where I'm doing a sermon and breaking down this way. But God is like, I want my word to go forth in a creative way. And I remembered when I was doing shows in California and I stood on that stage and the Lord said, this is the audience, right? This is church.

Allen C. Paul 00:20:02
Yeah. That's your congregation.

Jeneen Hammond 00:20:05
Your congregation, right? This is where the church will come, and this is where the unchurched will come. This is where they meet, right here for a stage performance to experience me. And from that time on, I just dedicate every stage to whatever the Lord has in mind for me being there.

Allen C. Paul 00:20:22
So powerful. I want to get into what you just talked about, being mocked and the feelings of insecurity, especially since you have survived. I want to say out thrive.

Jeneen Hammond 00:20:33
I mean, to survive, thrive.

Allen C. Paul 00:20:34
Yes. So you have managed your own career. I don't know if you've ever had a place where you have somebody else taking care of you or whether you're employer employee. Okay. So, you know, that life throughout. Tell me some of the things that have helped you both practically and spiritually, to maintain yourself as an independent artist. Because you just said it like that voice in your head that you're not going to make it. And this bill is not going to get paid, and this person is not going to call you back. And this audition is not going to work out. And this project is not going to go through. That is, I think, a constant that we independent artists don't give ourselves enough grace or credit for. So talk about how you've managed as an independent artist throughout all these years.

Jeneen Hammond 00:21:19
Yeah, well, first of all, I have to even say I really thank the Lord for my husband, who has kind of afforded me the opportunity to live the dream, so to speak. Right. So there are some different pressures that I've had to work through, but I think that pressure of being provided for was taken off me in a way. Now, when it comes to the business side, god has sustained the business. And so how did I do that? Praying, crying, writing, arguing, going, lord, don't you understand that this is the way that I'm supposed to go with this particular gift? And the Lord continuing to show up and give me ideas, creative ideas, creative ways to execute the gift, to use the gift. And so I'm trying to break this down because my journey just seems so blasé.

Allen C. Paul 00:22:14
Let me stop you there, because, see, this is where I know I'm among my people, because one of the things that I struggled with, Janine, was the exact same thing you just said. I want it to be so clean and clear and as step one, step two, step three, and follow all these steps, and that will equal success and the kingdom never works. I mean, the Bible says very clearly that he uses the wisdom. Right? He uses the foolishness to sound the wise, looks foolish to the rest of the arts community. What you just described is really wisdom.

Jeneen Hammond 00:22:45
Amen.

Allen C. Paul 00:22:45
So please do not shy away from no, I did not follow ABC, the guide to success for every actor and.

Jeneen Hammond 00:22:54
Actress, like, oh, my gosh. We have to remember that we are uniquely designed. Right. We're not a carbon copy.

Allen C. Paul 00:23:00
Right?

Jeneen Hammond 00:23:01
And I think that what I've had to learn is I've had to learn that that I'm not a carbon copy, and I've had to trust that God has good success in mind for me, that he has not set me up to fail. Now, I've had to do inner work. Right? I've had to really figure out what is confidence? What's the difference between confidence and arrogance? You know what I'm saying? Because sometimes you could be in a culture where I kind of grew up in church, and I love church. I love my church experiences, but at the same time, it's a culture that kind of thumbs down confidence. You hear terms like, don't be a performer. I'm like, well, I kind of am.

Allen C. Paul 00:23:38
Wow. Okay.

Jeneen Hammond 00:23:39
I'm a performer.

Allen C. Paul 00:23:42
Can we please talk about the fact that I had this discussion with one of my good friends I'm going to have on a podcast pretty soon about that entire discussion about ministry versus performance?

Jeneen Hammond 00:23:53
That's crazy.

Allen C. Paul 00:23:54
And his statement I think I wrote a blog post with him somewhere that ministry, in a sense, you are performing a service. You are performing. You are in the act. And you just said it. Your very identity in the way God created you is to perform.

Jeneen Hammond 00:24:10
Is to perform, is to be but.

Allen C. Paul 00:24:12
The connotation that you're talking about, which we all know in churches, that's why I don't go to my churchy folk that much, because the connotation is performing means you're faking.

Jeneen Hammond 00:24:22
Exactly, Allen. This is why we're having this conversation, because here's the thing. I have this acrostic called happy, and it's everything that acting and performing isn't humility, authenticity. What's the p. Oh, Lord, I just got the P. It'll come back to me.

Allen C. Paul 00:24:41
That's all right. It'll be in the notes.

Jeneen Hammond 00:24:42
It'll come back to me. But, yeah, it's happy. But it's crazy because performance, when we think about life, everything that we do in life is a performance. It's how you show up.

Allen C. Paul 00:24:54
Yeah.

Jeneen Hammond 00:24:54
You're measured by your salary. If you're working a traditional job, it's measured by your performance, your car. It's performance. Everything is measured by performance. Why? When it gets to creativity, it's like, oh, you're arrogant. No, everything is measured. Every person is measured by performance. And so that's probably been a tough journey because people classify you as dishonest or false or acting, play acting, which.

 Allen C. Paul 00:25:28
Again, one of those key phrases that we have to be careful of, because I think as creatives, we absorb a lot. Right? I'm always careful not to say, oh, creators and non creators.

Jeneen Hammond 00:25:39
Right.

Allen C. Paul 00:25:40
As performers, people that are gifted and God has blessed us in a certain area, we don't realize the messages sometimes that we are receiving unless we're really.

Allen C. Paul 00:25:49
Careful and spiritually attuned to it.

Allen C. Paul 00:25:51
You hear in church services or wherever you hear it, you're too faced. You're acting. The very word hypocrite I know is from the idea of being something that you're not. What an actor literally has to do is to be something that you're not for a time. So there's so many messages I think you're saying right now. I love that. Yes, we're freeing some people. I'm sure that you have to be aware of the messages you receive so that you don't internalize them.

Jeneen Hammond 00:26:19 
Yeah.

Allen C. Paul 00:26:19
It's clear that you have to live in this world where you are a performer, where you do have to be careful that you don't try to be something that you're not off stage.

Jeneen Hammond 00:26:26
Right. Absolutely. Now and you're hitting on something that the Lord has helped me identify in the world of make belief because that's what it is. Right. So my model internally is to make them believe with the stories that I tell.

Allen C. Paul 00:26:43
Please say that again. I know it's a podcast and they could rewind it, but please say that again.

Jeneen Hammond 00:26:49
As far as acting is concerned, it's about make believe.

Allen C. Paul 00:26:52
Yes.

Jeneen Hammond 00:26:53
But my internal compass and model is to make them believe. Right.

Allen C. Paul 00:27:00
I'm just going to let that marinate. I'm literally just continue.

Jeneen Hammond 00:27:03
So the journey is not so much about escaping reality. It's really actually an invitation into my true identity. So everything that I do is not a put on to perform, to escape something, to be something that I'm not. It's actually a presentation of the truth of who you can be.

Allen C. Paul 00:27:26
I cannot. Okay, so here's the thing. We are totally losing all professional decorum on my friends. So let's talk about this because this literally could like again, I just feel freedom in so much that I'm sharing things that are not shared so much. Someone's going to have so much of an easier path. Because the truth will make you free. Right. The truth of who you are. I think of the picture that's coming to mind is so many of our stories that we love. The CS. Lewis's the lion witch and Wardrobes. And you just said it yourself, the theater, if you go back to the prophets, every single Jesus in the parables. Come on.

Jeneen Hammond 00:28:07
Saw that in Israel blew me.

Allen C. Paul 00:28:10
Yes. I just had the thought, jenny, help me with this since you've been there recently, I just had the thought that literally Jesus was a storyteller.

Jeneen Hammond 00:28:18
Absolutely.

Allen C. Paul 00:28:20
Those things he said when he says, I don't think there was an actual prodigal son. I don't think there was an actual Samaritan that saved the man that was Rob. This was the very method that God used to reveal truth by telling things. As you said, so eloquently, and I'm going to just hashtag this forever. Make them believe.

Jeneen Hammond 00:28:40
Yes.

Allen C. Paul 00:28:41
And so I think we as performers now, we can accept that word very we can say that that is actually our spiritual birthright, is to create, like you said, these realities. But now I think let me ask you, how was your process of making them believe in terms of your plays, in terms of the things you wrote was there? And I'm not asking for, like, the.

Jeneen Hammond 00:29:04
ABC, but just no, I got you. So let me tell you, let me tell you, and this is cool. Every time I heard a sermon, I saw a play. Every time I hear the word, I see stories, I hear songs, right? My quiet time with the Lord, and I used to get so frustrated because I didn't understand. But my time with the Lord was I would go off into writing stories, and I'm like, Lord, I'm so sorry that I'm not focused. I'm so sorry that I'm writing stories and coming up with songs. I'm supposed to be sitting still and quiet and basking in your presence. Oh, God. When I had to really learn that, that's how I was wired. That's how the spirit is alive in me, in the working of me as a being and me as a creative. That is how I exchange with the Lord. So it's very much a prophetic process. So here's the piece that's profound. I have not written a story or a play that I have pre thought of.

Allen C. Paul 00:30:06
Wow.

Jeneen Hammond 00:30:07
It is all divinely inspired. And the Lord goes, I want to talk about that. So let me give you an example. The Lord sent my husband and I, we lived in California, right? Thought it's going to make the big time, big time. That's what's going to happen. Was there 20 years now. Anyways, got to Georgia and the Lord opened up a beautiful opportunity for me to serve in a ministry, a very well known mega ministry. And I had no experience. I just had a desire in my heart to do Broadway for Jesus, whatever that looked like, right? But here's the point. I never had a script beforehand. I had total freedom. God gave me total favor to honor him in this way where I had no script. So hundreds of people, orchestras, okay, what's the play? When the people showed up, the story showed up because we are living, walking, breathing stories. And I don't have to abandon my story on a stage.

Allen C. Paul 00:31:14
My goodness. Okay, so you're on stage, you are with a cast of some sort, right? Music, whatever, and you tell them that. What is the reaction from people who don't understand or have, like, how are they reacting? How are they processing? Are they alone? Okay, that's what I'm freaking out.

Jeneen Hammond 00:31:36
So here's the thing. Here's the thing. So we live in a society where everything's got to be planned out, where everything's got to do. But God's like, where's the creativity in that? Where is the room for the Holy Spirit to speak in that? Right. So here's the thing. So let's say they wanted to do a play about Jesus, and I learned that they called them passion plays. I didn't know that because I didn't know that, but I just knew that this was going to be a musical and Jesus was going to sing, and I had songs. I knew the Lord would do that. I just had faith for that. Well, people would show up and God would go, that's your Blind Bartimaeus. Okay. Blind, Bartimaeus. That's your Mary Magdalene. Okay. That's mary okay. That's your Jesus. Okay. And then I would just have them show up a cast of, I think, 2300 at the time, look at one another and just say, God has a place for me. That's what we would do. I would work on their character development. Okay. How do you walk in confidence on stage? It's not easy. Right? It's not something that right. So building them up, building up their confidence, and I'll say this from a performer's perspective, you've got to begin to confront the fears. Like live theater is all about confronting something within yourself and really entering transformation. Does that make sense? I don't want to go too far.

Allen C. Paul 00:33:06
No, you're right. No, we're right with you. And again, this is what I was about to say, and hopefully this does lend my perspective outside of the theater. It literally sounds like ministry to the people inside. First they have to walk in faith. They have to figure out how to walk in confidence. They have to say, Lord, which way are you leading me? I'm going to trust my director because she says she's hearing from God, so I got to follow her. Just she follows Christ. So it sounds like the ministry inside the stage is what made possible the ministry to the audience

Jeneen Hammond 00:33:41
 So theater is so much about, I'm going to put myself aside and I'm going to put on this character. But in the theater that God has invited me to be a part of his theater is, no, I'm going to draw out the character that you are through the character that you're playing. Does that make sense?

Allen C. Paul 00:33:59
It makes incredible sense, because when you.

Jeneen Hammond 00:34:02
Think about it, the word of God is alive, but it doesn't play out. It doesn't get to play out in our fingers and our voices and our thoughts. Right? If I'm meditating, the scripture is the script. It's the script, right?

Allen C. Paul 00:34:17
Yes. And we are the walking, living epistles. We are the living stories that are being told. This is incredible. So I have to I don't know how I'm going to draw. There's so many things I could go I don't know how I'm going to pick one. I do want to get to just one little piece in terms of what you believe is your calling as you tell me what you call it? A dream revivalist.

Jeneen Hammond 00:34:41
Was that a dream revivalist? Yeah.

Allen C. Paul 00:34:44
I want you to kind of explain that, because now that we hear your heart behind it and how you've walked it out, that you're so confident in knowing that that's your role. But sometimes I think people need to hear it from you directly, like, okay, so what does that really mean? Because someone else is listening. They're like, I don't know what my thing is. Right. Or they don't know what theirs is. They want to be able to say, I'm this, so it'd be good to hear you say it. And then so they can also meditate and listen to God and say, hey, no, this is where God placed me, because that's where Janine figured it out as well.

Jeneen Hammond 00:35:17
I'm so good. So here's the thing. I'll say this part before I get into the answer. We are the blueprint for what God desires to use in ministry and in the earth, right? And so the more that I embrace who I am in, God allows me to identify what his dream is on the inside of me and through me. So dream revivalist has to do with God saying to me, jeanine, I want my dreams. And I'm like, well, nobody want to dream god. People ain't got time to dream. People got to work. Nine to five. People think, that's fruitful. Get your head out of the clouds. Well, the Lord says, no, I need them to get their head in the cloud, in the glory, so that they can understand who it is I've really created them to be. So when we think about it, go back to childhood, this is why I love children and I love family so much, because there is a revealing of those gifts and those talents in children. Then what happens? The children grow up, and then you start hearing what culture says, oh, you can't dance. Oh, you can't do this. Oh, you need to be a doctor. The culture begins to shape that individual into what the ideal career and vocation is. And guess what they do? They abandon the seed, the dream seed that was really God's design and unique identity on the inside of them.

Allen C. Paul 00:36:46
Absolutely.

Jeneen Hammond 00:36:47
So God goes, I want to reclaim that. So when we think about dream revivalists, those are people that are searching and saying, what's my identity? What is it I'm good at? It's in your story, and it's in the acceptance of who you are in your identity. Let me say this. When we think about David, we think about he was anointed to be king, but he was also shepherd, right? But he was also a warrior, but he was also a worshipper. But he was a creative. He was a creative.

Allen C. Paul 00:37:16
 Probably without him, we don't have we.

Jeneen Hammond 00:37:18
 Don't have most of the Psalms.

Allen C. Paul 00:37:20
We don't have anything. We don't have the story.

Jeneen Hammond 00:37:22
Can you imagine not having the Psalms.

Allen C. Paul 00:37:24
Oh, my gosh.

Jeneen Hammond 00:37:25
Oh, my Lord. But here he was, right? And so there were things that he had to learn about himself before he even got to those various stages of his life. And so Dream Revivalist is just really a name that God gave me. I'm like, okay, so what is that? God's like? What would happen is people would show up, and God would give me kind of this prophetic process to be able to help people ignite whatever it is that was deep on the inside of them, maybe something they had put on the shelf. They're like, God's done with that. That's over. Because we start rejecting what the world doesn't accept.

Allen C. Paul 00:38:03
Yeah.

Jeneen Hammond 00:38:04
Does that make sense? So we start pushing away, right? Because it's not working.

Allen C. Paul 00:38:08
It's what you said. I thought about a quote by I think it's Picasso. I might be misquoting it, but when you said the part about as children, we have these dreams, I think Picasso said, every child is an artist. The problem is to remain an artist.

Allen C. Paul 00:38:20
Once he grows up.

Jeneen Hammond 00:38:21
Oh, my Lord.

Allen C. Paul 00:38:24
That's the truth. Again, we said this right before we came on recordings that God literally says, come to me as a child, accept as a little child. And the fact that you've centered this idea of the dreams that you're reviving. I mean, think of Joseph. Joseph was a young man when he had those dreams, right? And Potiphar, the pit, all those things tried to steal it from him. And the fact that he was able to come back to that dream over and over again.

Jeneen Hammond 00:38:48
Come on.

Allen C. Paul 00:38:49
I just wish that more creators would understand what you just said. The seed that God put in you. Yes. The dream seed is literally your destiny. It's what God wants. And I just want you for a second as we get ready to wrap this up. I wish we didn't have to wrap it up. So I want to make sure you speak to somebody at this moment who, like, you might be at that 9th grade stage, right? Or they might be even at the stage where you moved out and you're like, I'm going to make it big in California. Right? And they're that moment where they're about to give up on the dream, unfortunately, they're looking at social media. They're looking at YouTube, or they're looking at the people not calling them, or they're looking not getting on Broadway. Right? They're looking at those rejection letters and their dream, they're about to bury it. They're about to put it in the pit where Joseph was right? Because they're like, this is not working. Being a creative being an independent artist, clearly God doesn't have that for me. Could you just say something to encourage that person who is at that point where you were and that you clearly pushed through? Can you help encourage yeah, absolutely.

Jeneen Hammond 00:39:52
And so here's how it's going to come out. It's going to come out as a song. I have called you by name and I know you and do you think that I won't show you? So trust me, oh, trust me oh, trust me dream with me so God is inviting us, inviting you. The Lord knows you by name. He knows who you are. He knows your journey, he knows your story, and he has not discarded any of that. And even though culture has a way of discarding us and making us feel as though we are discarded, I want you to remember and recognize that in the word of God, every person that it seemed to be discarded had a distinct work, had a distinct gift, had a distinct ability that God gave them. So do not give up on God. Stay in it. Right. I'll say that I'm in this season of allowing the Lord to press me into places. I wrote this down the other day as a woman giving birth to children. Am I defining it as conflict or a contraction? So being the dream revivalist, this is about the midwife in the spirit saying, wait a minute. You're defining it as conflict, but, baby, you're pregnant with a purpose. It's a contraction. It's something that you're going to need to lean into and learn to push through, because God knows what it is that he desires to do in you. Not only in you, but through you for his glory. So don't abandon God. Don't abandon the dream. It's okay. Allow the Lord to walk with you. Invite Him to walk with you because he knows, right? And so that's what I'll say. So in the name of Jesus, I just pray that you are encouraged and uplifted to just dream, dream, dream with God. In Jesus name.

Allen C. Paul 00:42:19
Gosh. Look, you just said which is not like a church service, but I do feel like there should have been an organ. Come on.

Jeneen Hammond 00:42:27
You know, you could pull it out.

Allen C. Paul 00:42:28
No, I never brought a keyboard into a podcast, but this was the first time I was like, where is where is your key?

Jeneen Hammond 00:42:35
Come on. I must say this. I pulled up another video with your music and I was like, oh, my God.

Allen C. Paul 00:42:45
Yes, we're going to be yes, the collabs are coming, I'm sure. In Jesus name. However, the key that I want to make sure this is about not your music or my music, but the person that is listening, the artist, the actor, the writer that just realized, oh, my gosh, it is not all about me and my plans, my ability to figure things out. The fact that you were just walking by faith in this. And again, the skill has been uplifted in you because you were faithful, right? Because you went to the classes, because you showed up at the audition, because you stayed faithful. Now God was able to use those seeds that he planted in you. So this has just been absolutely one of my favorite interviews ever. I hate to close it off, but we got to make sure there's a part two or part three. Please let them know how to follow you, how to stay in connection with you, so they can get more of the amazing, amazing resources yeah. Inspiration you're providing.

Jeneen Hammond 00:43:36
Thank you so much for that. So my website is Jeaninehammond. And so that's J-E-N-E-E-N hammond.

Allen C. Paul 00:43:43
Hammond.Com.

Jeneen Hammond 00:43:44
And to be honest, you all, the Lord has invited me to show up even more on social media and to really just release things. But if you're wanting to connect with me, you can find the website. I have a couple of things on YouTube, and I have a couple of things on Instagram, a couple of things on Facebook. And so God knows how he wants to pull it all together. I'm just here showing up with the Lord. So there you go.

Allen C. Paul00:44:09
You showed up and he showed up. And I know so many people are blessed right now because they listen to this podcast. Watch this podcast. Thank you so much. And then you are absolutely thank you.

Jeneen Hammond 00:44:19
For what you're doing. Thank you for being an encouragement to me. And I'm like, oh, my Lord. Oh, Allen. What?

Allen C. Paul 00:44:27
We had to make it happen. We had to make it happen. I'm so glad I did. Thank you for being a part of our show.

Jeneen Hammond 00:44:32
Thank you for having me. God bless you, bro.

Allen C. Paul 00:44:43
My friend. How inspiring was Janine? I am so glad you got a.

Allen C. Paul 00:44:48
Chance to experience her just like I did.

Allen C. Paul 00:44:50
I was absolutely blown away by every single minute of that episode. And you need to make sure you bookmark this, save it, and send it to somebody else who needs this kind of inspiration in their life. I mean, there's really nothing like that when someone believes in your dream and shows you how they've walked out their creative dream as well. So I can't think of a better episode to share with someone. Make sure you do that right away. And to leave some comments, if you can, in your podcast app or even on our social so that we know that you were inspired by this episode. And speaking of inspiration, maybe something you just heard has sparked something inside you that you've been thinking about perhaps taking your creative gift, your platform, your calling, your purpose. Something that has been burning on the inside and taking it full time to make a living doing what you love. But you've got some questions that keep stopping you before you take the leap. Well, I want to help you to find all the answers to the questions you should be answering before you take that leap. Now, this resource is one of our most popular ones. We share it all the time. And everyone that gets this finds the clarity they need to take that next step of faith, whether it is possibly your turn to go full time into your creative calling. Now, all you have to do to get this resource is go to guidance.com questions, or you can simply tap the link inside this very episode in the description. But I'm telling you, this will help you. Because if you want to take leaps like Janine has taken, if you want to follow a course that doesn't seem like it makes sense, but if you follow the right path and trust God and stay connected to a community like ours, you can make the right decisions that will ultimately lead to an amazing creative life. Well, my friend, that's our show for today. Make sure you continue to follow us on all of our social media platforms and no matter what, continue to become the creative that you were created to be. God bless you, and I'll see you next episode.

Speaker B 00:46:53
Thanks for joining us here at The God and Gigs show. Please leave us a review on itunes, like our Facebook page, or visit godandgigs.com and tell us what you thought of this show. We'll be back soon. In the meantime, go create something amazing.