Jasmine Curtis-Smith learns ‘art of dedma’ from sister Anne

It’s been nearly three years — that feels like a lifetime — since we have seen many of our friends in the flesh. Now that we are back to socializing, it’s heartening to sit down and talk with well-meaning friends once again.

One dear friend of mine is Jasmine Curtis-Smith, who was my recent guest on Fast Talk with Boy Abunda. It was our first time to see each other in person after the global health scare prevented us from doing so.

I loved how Jasmine described her overall well-being: Just vibing. She exuded an aura of peace and contentment in the midst of the noise created by people who are having a field day throwing hurting words on social media.

Jasmine admitted that sometimes it’s difficult for her to simply ignore people who spit out negativity.

“I think it’s tough to say that I don’t care or I don’t give it a notice, pero dahil ‘yung panahon, itong evolution ng social media, especially we’re using it for our work, it’s hard to avoid reading hate comments. But you just have to understand that these are personal opinions. I also have my personal opinions about people. You just have to learn how to brush them off,” Jasmine said.

“Ate (Anne Curtis) would always tell me to learn the Art of Dedma (read: Dedma is a shortened version commonly used by Filipino to refer to patay malisya or to ignore), which is not very easy to learn, especially if you are a sensitive person. It’s like a muscle — you need to exercise every day, especially when you get to read those that you don’t want to read, you get rattled and it’s hard to convince yourself that you’re not hurt or affected,” she added.

Jasmine truly appreciates her sister’s pieces of advice, especially when she feels to be in a quandary. Aside from the Art of Dedma, Anne would always remind her not to commit to something that she cannot put her heart into. “Kapag kasi hindi buong puso, huwag mo ng gawin kasi mahahalata at makikita ng tao ‘yun. And that goes for work, relationship, friendship, anything kapag hindi buong puso huwag na.”

Jasmine began her acting career in 2010. Her role in the indie film Transit earned her critical praise from both local and international critics, and won her the Best Supporting Actress award at the Ninth Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival. Other award-giving bodies recognized her acting talent as well. She received the Best Actress trophy for her acting performance in the 2016 Cinema One Originals Filmfest entry, Baka Bukas. She was named Best Supporting Actress in the 2017 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) and 36th FAP Luna Awards for her character portrayal in Siargao.

Jasmine with her mom and siblings.

The Fil-Aussie actress remains one of the most visible celebrities today not just in acting but also in hosting shows and promoting products as a brand endorser. At present, Jasmine is the brand ambassador of Glade Philippines.

Discover more about Jasmine in our exclusive interview as she talked about life, love and family. Below are excerpts.

What matters the most to you right now?

“Family. Balik talaga tayo doon because all of us, I think, that’s the biggest learning during the pandemic because before, we were just focused on work so that we could save and we somewhat took for granted those small moments with family. Now, I devote some time to all family gatherings. I was also touched when my dad visited me on the set because he really took the time. And at that age, nag-motor siya even if he didn’t have to. For me, as long as they’re happy and healthy, that matters most to me.”

At 28, what do you know for sure about life and love?

“About life, I guess I know for sure it has to start with you — everything. If you want to help someone, start with helping yourself first. If you want success for other people, reach for it first for yourself because once you’ve achieved things for yourself, it would be easy to help others around you, especially your family members kasi paano mo ‘yun ma-achieve kung nasa pinakababa ka rin.”

“About love, you need to be honest about your feelings. Whether you are hurting or you’re feeling jealous, you have to say it to your partner. At kailangan talaga ready ka maramdaman ‘yun (pain). No relationship is perfect so you should be open and you should understand things so you can always go back to being happy together and always look forward to spending time and creating more memories together because life is so short.”

You and Jeff (Ortega, her non-showbiz boyfriend) have been together for seven years. Sino ang seloso?

“Pareho kami but I think mas siya (laughs). Sorry, Jeff, nalaman nila.”

When you express how you feel with Jeff, is that immediate or do you wait for the right timing before you are able to say what really is?

“Mas na-practice ko na immediate because when it lingers in the head, ang daming nag-fo-form na new thoughts and comments in my mind and that’s what I don’t want to add up.”

How do you relax?

“I treat myself to a massage. And to set the vibe at home, the lights should be turned off and I also put on my favorite scent which is lavender-vanilla by Glade.”

The actress as a preschooler with her Ate Anne.

Photos from Jasmine's Facebook page

What are your pieces of advice to those who want to keep up the good vibes?

“In life, so many unexpected things are happening and we can’t control them. That’s why, we must not focus on our worries but instead, try to be more optimistic. Honestly, it’s only you who can tell what’s your vibe for the day — magiging masaya ka ba or magiging energetic. By thinking positive, you just can’t help but be optimistic, even when everyone around you is miserable. You can also choose whatever scent you want that will power you through.”