Todrick Hall is famously known for his elaborate mashups and music videos. I wouldn’t say I’m a stan, but I greatly admire his drive, creativity, and talent. This documentary on Todrick, appropriately called Todrick Hall: Behind The Curtain, came out on Netflix last year. I watched it then and planned to write on it but fell off. So when it popped up on my things to watch the other day, I had to watch it again and share how I felt.

The documentary gives viewers an in-depth look at Todrick’s life and career literally behind the curtain. From the good days to the bad days to the extremely busy and crazy days. Check out the trailer below!

­­­­Of course, there were some great takeaways from the film. Here are five gems that inspired me…

Be Yourself

Even when Todrick was a kid, he was always different from other boys. Other little boys would be playing catch or other sports, but not him. Todrick enjoyed playing with dolls and making up stories about them, which would pave the way for what he does now. Though I’m sure that was hard for him, especially growing up, he stayed true to who he was and what he loved to do, even if others didn’t agree or thought he was weird. He was truly himself. He eventually got into theater, honing his craft of singing and dancing, which has opened the door wide open for what he does today.

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You Do What You Have To Do To Succeed

After competing in American Idol and making it to the Top 16, Todrick created his own YouTube channel and created his own opportunities for music and production. I knew he was a serious hustler, but I didn’t know just how much until I watched this doc. Yall. This man did an entire visual album for his second album, Straight Outta Oz, in TWO WEEKS. Literally music videos for 16 songs with a full cast and crew in fourteen days. Then he went out on tour literally right after performing it as a musical with Broadway-level sets and costumes. Todrick was constantly running around working and planning, and was sometimes a disorganized hot mess, BUT he got things done. He was always creating something or rehearsing something, because he was truly committed to putting out great music and then a great show for his fans.

Bruh. I have no excuses anymore. While I’m all for self-care and sleep, sometimes you have to push harder and sacrifice some things to make the most of your time so you can get stuff done.  And, let’s be honest. Sometimes, our need for self-care is really us just being lazy. We owe it to ourselves to give our all.

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Stand For Something

Being a gay, black man in this country was/is hard for Todrick. He still experiences homophobia even within his own family. In spite of that, Todrick used his art to express himself. His music not only tells his own story, but also takes a stand for equal rights for everyone, especially within the LGBTQ and African-American communities, and other important topics that other artists might stray away from, like gun control. That’s important because we live in a tumultuous time in this country where hate and drama seem to reign supreme.

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Show Love Always

Even though he’s Todrick Hall, and he’s famous, he still stops to talk to every fan who sees him passing by. He could be walking down the street, or in Walmart, and he makes the time. He takes what seems like a million pictures at meet and greets, always giving off this happy energy even if he’s probably dead tired. He seems so humble and down to earth, and I loved that about him.

Be An Inspiration

So many of Todrick’s supporters love his music, but they also are so inspired by his story. The fact that he has vulnerably opened up about his struggles and risen above them has literally saved people’s lives. People, young and old, straight and gay, white, black, Asian and other nations, look up to him so much. You see it all throughout this documentary the type of impact he has.

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While most of us may never reach that level of impact in terms of numbers, it was a reminder that we can still be a positive role model and commit to being good to those around us. It could be people in our family, in our churches, in our communities, or even at the job. I stress that I am not perfect at this every day, nor is every day a good one, but I’m striving to be someone that uplifts people instead of puts them down with my words and actions. Not for my own glory, but for God’s and so others might be better.

I absolutely loved this documentary, so I hope you guys check it out on Netflix or Amazon. Once you do, or if you’ve seen it, tell me what you think in the comments!

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