Jonathan Jackson was a child actor in the 1990’s and early 2000’s. But since then, he has become a powerful artist, musician and creator. Now on The Business of You, Jonathan is sharing his unique story – including his journey to faith, fame and personal growth. 

Jonathan Jackson is a multi-faceted artist who creates meaningful art pieces through music, film, and the written word. He is a five-time EMMY® Award-winning actor and Critics’ Choice Award nominee who has starred in numerous TV and films, including ABC/CMT’s hit drama “Nashville” (2012–2018), “General Hospital” (1993–1999, 2009–2011, 2015), “Tuck Everlasting” (2002), “The Deep End Of The Ocean” (1999), “Insomnia” (2002) and “Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights” (2004). He also appeared in episodes of “One Tree Hill”, “Boy Meets World”, “The Twilight Zone” and “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.”

His indie band Enation has performed alongside artists across the musical spectrum, including post-punk legends Echo & The Bunnymen, the iconic Sarah McLachlan, Echosmith, and more. Their new album, Ultraviolet Empire, was released in the fall of 2020 and was co-produced by GRAMMY® Award-winning producer Colin Linden. 

Jonathan is also a published Author. His current books include a work of Mystical Poetry entitled “Book of Solace and Madness” and the non-fiction prose “The Mystery of Art”, which has been translated into multiple languages. Jonathan resides in Ireland with his wife, Elisa, and their three children. He enjoys Greek coffee, good wine, and music.

Navigating fame at an early age

At just 11 years old, Jonathan left his idyllic childhood in Washington State to work as a child actor in California. Starring in “General Hospital”, he gained notoriety as a soap opera star and quickly began to book other roles. 

Working in television and movies, Jonathan had a workload that exceeded that of most grown adults. He knew that if he did not anchor himself in his relationship with God and his connections to his family, he would be swept away. With wisdom beyond his years, Jonathan turned to creative self-expression to set himself free. He collaborated with his brother Richard to compose original music, learn new instruments and write screenplays. Laughing, he explains that he had to begin writing because many of the ones he read were not very good. 

Rather than fall victim to the clutches of a dark industry, Jonathan used music and writing to guide himself towards the light. It became the foundation for his life’s work.

Creativity is a divine gift

Self-expression became the basis on which Jonathan connected with others and with his higher power. 

Channeling his gifts into music and written words, Jonathan became a known artist and musician with his band, Enation. Since the band’s inception in 2003, they have toured periodically and continued to produce new work. Jonathan is the band’s frontman, writing most of the songs in addition to singing, playing guitar, and playing the piano.

While navigating fame and building a career as a musician, Jonathan was also on another personal growth journey – his quest to deepen and explore his faith. For more of Jonathan’s story, be sure to tune in next week for Part II of Jonathan’s story here on The Business of You!

Quotes

“I’m more of an introvert, definitely. I’m fascinated by the introvert/extrovert dynamic. I’m not sure how much is nature versus nurture. I was extroverted as a child and became more introverted when I started acting. I do love people, communicating and connecting one on one.”

“Too much attention, positive or negative, is kind of negative. It’s going to kind of attack your ego and put you in a false reality. And if you have too much criticism and judgment, you’re potentially in extremes when you have any kind of spotlight. Searching for an equilibrium was my main focus throughout my teenage years. How do I remain sane through all that?”

“I glimpsed where my life could go if I wasn’t careful. A massive wave could pick me up and destroy me, if I didn’t position myself carefully. I thought, I need to anchor myself.”

“My brother was my closest friend, growing up. I was grateful that we had each other to walk through the madness of LA and the industry together.”

“I was slowly, slowly feeling like something central was missing in my experiences in Protestant churches. Wonderful people most of the time, good intentions. But something about the church itself, I just didn’t understand it. There were so many versions. You start looking around and think, this is very confusing. The sense of something missing was not connected to Christ Himself, it was the vagueness of the church.”

“The modern question is, what do I believe? It sounds like an important question. But the real question if you have any approximation to Christ is, what do Christians believe, and what have they always believed?”

Links mentioned in this episode:

Podcast Resources

Visit Jonathan Jackson’s Website at https://www.jonathanjackson.com/

Find Jonathan on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JonathanJacksonHQ/

Follow Jonathan on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jonathanjacksonhq/

Subscribe to Jonathan Jackson’s Youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4KKxEIbF5kAGOSi26Nx3Bg 

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