In this episode of the Powerful Stories Podcast, Tory Archbold connects with actress, producer, advocate and Mumma to two beautiful children, Danielle Cormack. She is the Queen of film and theatre and often referred to as a powerhouse performer for her roles in Wentworth and Underbelly.
Danielle believes everyone has a story and explains that if you feel inferior to someone because you believe that your experience is more than or less than, it’s not the case as everyone has a right to really feel how they’re feeling. A lot of changes occurred for Danielle in 2020 – along with the pandemic she experienced the loss of a long-term relationship, turned 50 and her work stopped flowing in – it was sink or swim. Danielle puts it like this, ‘We are all in the same storm – but not everyone is in the same boat – some are on a yacht, others a canoe and others are drowning.’ Surrounding yourself with the right tribe, seeking professional help and taking time out to at one with nature has helped Danielle shift up and start swimming again with a fire in her belly to attract what she truly deserves.
You have to hit rock bottom to understand what sky-high truly means. The beauty of being a human is the highs and lows of life. ‘It is important to be like bamboo – if I remain too rigid, I snap’ says Danielle. Danielle has experienced symptoms of depression. ‘Understanding that those feelings are there and then saying ‘great – this is now what I can do to work with the state I am in’ – and it is ok.’
We discuss menopause and Danielle’s approach to the changes happening within her body. ‘There are so many resources out there for people to understand themselves. To me, if you are at this particular stage in your life, it is essential to understand why you are the way you are – yes it could be hormones but there could also be past triggers or patterns that you haven’t dealt with.’
Being of service to others is part of who Danielle is at her core. ‘Yes, I’ve had some incredibly self-obsessive moments’ say Danielle ‘but even in the most trying of times you can step outside yourself and be of service to others.’ She encourages us to pick up the phone when we are in those moments, and reach out to someone else who may need help. ‘It takes you out of yourself, and it may seem completely counter-intuitive, but digging deep when we feel like we have nothing left is a good thing.’ It is through serving others that we can empower the next generation to live a better life and continue to make societal changes we are seeing.
For generations, we have been told that crying is bad. ‘Crying is no more or less than belly laughing. Feeling low is no more or less than feeling high. Just allow yourself to be’ says Danielle. This allows us to be present in the moment and process all of our emotions – no matter what that looks like. Danielle’s tip for staying present is to sing! ‘Singing means your breathing – breathing means your living. Singing is known to raise your vibration levels and promotes dopamine.’
The next powerful step for Danielle? ‘I come alive when I am living creatively’.