Sophia Bush is killing the game right now. With acting credits like One Tree Hill, John Tucker Must Die, and her new medical drama Good Sam under her belt, the actress and activist is known for playing loud, strong, and empowering characters. And she happens to be just as inspiring as the women she portrays onscreen, even if she still strives to be as confident as they are.
"Confidence is a tricky word," she says. "I don't think that that's my natural state, my natural state is to be a little anxious. So I think for me, what I've learned is most important when I have a goal or a dream, is to speak it, to write it down, to talk to my trusted friends about it... And then it gets easier to start thinking about what the steps might be to do that."
But Bush sees beyond her personal goals, and is passionate about supporting causes that make the world a better place. She's always on the lookout for companies, like her own I am a voter., that are in the weeds, getting the work done.
"It's about building tools that make it simple for people to participate in the things that will make their lives better, whether that's democracy or the environment, I believe it's all important."
"Where causes are concerned, the first step for me is always learning. I believe there are experts in every field, and I don't pretend to be one of them, just because I'm passionate about something," she says. "The most important thing, when you want to show up for a cause, is holding two things to be true at once, which is that your passion is valuable and your beliefs matter. And hold the humility to know that you're probably not the expert in the room, and you should work in service of those who are."
That's not to say that being the new person in the room isn't important. She actually believes the opposite, that looking at something with fresh eyes can help see the gaps in communication and what a project needs.
"I often think new people who come in to join advocacy circles can really help make them tighter and smarter and better," she says. "And, again, that's why I think it's important to know that your passion is worth pursuing."
One project that Bush is excited about is the partnership between Planet Oat and One Tree Planted, which supports reforestation efforts by getting people involved with their communities. Aside from the name ("I can't believe I didn't think of that when I was doing One Tree Hill, like hello, what a miss!"), Bush loves that One Tree Planted makes environmental work accessible.
"Just last week, I joined One Tree Planted for a day doing reforestation and planting work at the park near my parents house where my mom takes our dogs to hike six days a week. So that was an incredibly personal touch point for me." Not physically able to plant a tree? You can donate $2 and they'll plant two for you!
Another vital aspect to working with a cause is surrounding yourself with a community that holds similar values.
"First and foremost, I think it's important to examine what your community values, because there are communities who claim to hold values and their values do harm," Bush says. "And if you are in a harming community, I believe you deserve to be in a better one that's based on support rather than injury to others."
"It's really hard for a lot of us to do things alone, whether it's work, advocacy, existing in the world through a pandemic, any of it," she says. "And so I believe there is such strength to be found and support to be found in a community. I just want to make sure people have communities that are worthy of them."
If you're looking to form those kinds intimate relationships, Bush recommends starting with communication.
"A lot of injury happens in the things that are unsaid. People miss things, we make assumptions from our own fears or insecurities," she says. "I think if you can really show up with a willingness to ask questions and to be vulnerable, you can cultivate true intimacy, not just you know, surface Instagram friendships, and I think it's the true intimacy that a lot of people are searching for."
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