the gift named lupita nyong'o

accepting her oscar for best supporting actress

accepting her breakthrough performance award at the essence black women in hollywood event

quote unquote

we cultivate love when we allow our most vulnerable and powerful selves to be deeply seen and known, and when we honor the spiritual connection that grows from that offering with trust, respect, kindness and affection. love is not something we give or get; it is something that we nurture and grow, a connection that can only be cultivated between two people when it exists within each one of them – we can only love others as much as we love ourselves. shame, blame, disrespect, betrayal, and the withholding of affection damage the roots from which love grows. love can only survive these injuries if they are acknowledged, healed and rare.

- brené brown

LOVE BUG the movie: the premiere

we had a super successful and overwhelming response at the premiere of LOVE BUG the movie...so much so that we had two screenings in one night, and the house was packed in both! many of the film's actors were in attendance including willy monfret, chris collins, mari agory, jennifer daniel, michael medugno, and aimee thrasher. it was a fun celebration for the cast, crew and producers to see their hard work reach completion on the big screen and to reconnect with each other.

katia sherman, owner of major model and
ramazan nanayev, writer/director LOVE BUG the movie

actors mari agory, chris collins, willy monfret and stylist christian wong

katia sherman & ramazan nanayev with lead actor willy monfret

check out more pics from the premiere of LOVE BUG the movie here:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.499300513520471.1073741835.436818239768699&type=1

for more about the writer/director, ramazan nanayev, visit:
www.ramazannanayev.com

this is just the beginning for ramazan. excited for his next project, stay tuned...

previous post on LOVE BUG the movie:
http://onamindbogglingjourney.blogspot.com/2013/12/love-bug-movie.html

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this quote has popped up in my face via various articles, posts, etc. so i thought it was the perfect quote to kick off the new year.

far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.

- theodore roosevelt

A simple THANK YOU...

thank you to all who have supported the journey this year. other actors, writers, directors, producers, teachers, casting, crew, peers, colleagues, sorority sisters, linesisters, friends and family. you have either attended a reading and/or screening, inquired about one of my projects, downloaded a podcast, posted on your social media account about a project i'm involved in, forwarded on an email i've sent or simply just let me know that you are rooting for me and excited for what's to come. it is very much appreciated. following a path with no set destination, standard hierarchical structure or guaranteed success according to society isn't easy. it's scary, anxiety-inducing, nerve-wracking, frustrating and downright lonely. it can be painstakingly lonely.

thank you so very much. 

while you support me on my journey, please make sure to support yourself as well and to give voice and action to your own dreams. and let myself and others know what you are doing and/or what you want to be doing. at the end of the day, we are all in this together. it doesn't have to be so lonely. it shouldn't be.

see you in 2014!

bettina 

xoxo

all abroad!: the "yo i'm making films" train

who:  ava duvernay. writer/director/producer. credits: i will follow, middle of nowhere, the door
what:  keynote filmmaker speech
when:  2013 film independent forum (october 27, 2013)
where:  los angeles, ca
why:  film independent organizes a networking weekend for filmmakers to meet other filmmakers at various stages in their journey. the keynote speeches are usually a big highlight.

all of that energy, all of that focus on trying to extract from other people, is preventing you from doing.
- ava duvernay

i wanna be on this train. 2014 inspiration.
if filmmaking isn't your thing, this speech is still worthwhile. it applies to anything worth pursuing (career, relationship, etc). the message is all the same.

merry christmas 2013

i worked on a special project called "the tale of the emergency landing at christmastime." it's a radio play written by playwright tyler grimes who's currently working, creating and collaborating with the distilled theatre company here in new york city. i derived a warm amount of joy working on this. (1) it's my first radio play. i appreciated the challenge of bringing a story to life without having the usual tools at my disposal to employ. there's only voice, imagination, emotions and listening. (2) this play contains all the magic you hope the holiday will bring but it also touches on the feelings of frustration, cynicism, sadness, and complexity of family that can be present during this time of year.

i hope for you to have your own miracle this season and going into the new year.
the download is free, a gift to you.

http://dtc-radio.podomatic.com