the CRAVE is a POWERFUL thing: the amazing spider-man 2

i'm so excited and thankful for the projects that have been coming my way this year in the commercial world. my other job is in the publishing/media world in the role of freelance marketing and events, so i'm used to working with brands, but this was a welcomed opportunity to work on the talent side of the business.

this is my 3rd television commercial ever (2nd national) so when i showed up on set, i was super elated to be there - UBER ELATED - actually. it's funny because i've noticed that while i take in every little thing on set and soak it up like a sponge, the pros who are working around me and who do this everyday for a living get a little kick out of my exuberance. for them it's just another day at the office. for me, it's the biggest, most amazing thing that's happened to me...EVER! it's mind-boggling to audition, audition, audition and then to actually book something and then...GO TO WORK...ON SET...WITH A CREW...AND OTHER CAST MEMBERS. i love it. every minute of it. i PRAY & CRAVE for more.

the talented actress i'm working with in this commercial is kate costello. she was awesome to work with. you can check out some of her other work here:
www.katecostello.net

what is it that you crave?
let me know in the comments section.
happy labor day wknd!

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i am not a courageous person by nature. i have simply discovered that, at certain key moments in this life, you must find courage in yourself, in order to move forward and live. it is like a muscle and it must be exercised, first a little, and then more and more. all the really exciting things possible during the course of a lifetime require a little more courage than we currently have. a deep breath and a leap. writing is acting is directing is living your life.

- john patrick shanley

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

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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

a picture is worth a thousand words

actress lupita nyongo

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well-behaved women seldom make history.

- laurel thatcher ulrich

dutch kills

last friday night, i had the pleasure of attending a screening for a film i worked on. "dutch kills" is about a guy who's released from prison only to be pulled back into one last gig. the special things about working on this film are (1) it is a completed project and will be submitted to film festivals, meaning people will see it and hopefully connect with it in some way. and (2) the process by which this film was made is nothing short of inspiring. written and produced by a group of friends, it started out as an idea. pen was put to paper, friends were reached out to for support, these friends and friends of friends were cast, money was raised through a crowd-funding campaign, the project was shot, and the post-production process was endured. and now there's a living, breathing movie. there are so many stages to completing a film that allow for slim to none short cuts. i'm always amazed by those who commit to the process, taking it day-by-day and overcoming the inevitable challenges that present themselves. beyond inspiring.

congrats to tama filianga, r.l. mann, joseph mazzella, and liam leguillou for your talent, hard work and dedication. thank you to rotimi paul for bringing me to the project and lodric collins for your unwavering support.

here's the official trailer for the project:

beysus lives!

beyoncé: the visual album

what a model of inspiration we have in beyoncé. for any type of artist and we're all artists. even if your art is nothing more than the way in which you choose to live your life. we are all creators, and we create all the time. even when we are inactive, or scared, or negative, or down-trodden, we are creating that experience. one of the greatest gifts is to co-create with the universe through our choices and actions. 

this year alone, beyoncé performed at the 2nd inauguration for barack obama, gave an electric performance at the superbowl, released an intimate self-directed documentary on her life, embarked on a sensational international tour with her baby girl in tow, and just today released a visual album containing 14 songs and 17 videos. when does this woman sleep, or eat, or just "be?!" i/we are not working hard enough! :)

#artistry #grace #humility #dedication

sunset baby

this post won't do this play justice. "sunset baby" is a play written by dominique morisseau about a young woman who manages to pick up the pieces of her life after her mother passes away and her father comes looking for her collection of letters written to him. the young woman is caught in the middle of her parents' dreams, choices and work as revolutionists.

the subject matter, the language, the history, the emotional pain, the family, the lack thereof, the scars...was palpable. and that's putting it mildly.

i'm still digesting most of this play, so i'm not quite sure what i want to say about it. but time is of the essence and the last show is this sunday. go see this play. http://labtheater.org/sunset-baby/

LOVE BUG the movie

hey guys,

i've been very quiet on my blog this year. i've been working on a few things, but that's no excuse! that's even more reason to keep you up to speed on all-things-the-journey. one project i'm currently working on is "LOVE BUG."

the film follows a young man looking to love and to be loved and what happens when he falls for women at first sight. it features willy monfret, eugena washington, mari agory, kaitlyn raymond, charlotte lemay, katherin schlegel, chris collins and a host of other beautiful models from major model management, helmed by katia sherman. i'm the marketing lead for this film, brought to the project by writer and director, ramazan nanayev. he's a super talented filmmaker, and he also happens to be a classmate of mine through the independent film school (shout out to ela thier!).

take a look at the trailer...

follow us on one (preferably ALL) of our many social media vehicles.

twitter: @lovebugthemovie
instagram: @lovebugthemovie
facebook fan page: www.facebook.com/lovebugthemovie

we're working on a film premiere here in the city which ain't easy with an independent short film budget!...but...we forge ahead. stay tuned...more exciting news to come!!

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learning to appreciate the hidden gift and beauty of uncertainty. it keeps life, and you, fresh.
what's right around the corner?

the quest for certainty blocks the search for meaning. uncertainty is the very condition to impel man to unfold his powers.
- erich fromm

faith means living with uncertainty - feeling your way through life, letting your heart guide you like a lantern in the dark.
- dan millman

when you're waiting for some things, a moment is forever & it will trap you in it. jump into the void of a possible never & just have faith.
- luam

the first two quotes borrowed from www.thedailylove.com. the last quote borrowed from luam's twitter feed www.twitter.com/luamky.

that new new!

hey everyone, happy new year! i hope it's off to a great start. i'm sure many of you, like me, did much reflecting on your life in 2012 and much visualizing for 2013. two things struck a chord with me...

(1) the idea of "support." we all need support...whether it comes in the form of emotional, financial or peer-to-peer support. it's necessary and so beautiful when received and even more beautiful when given. i'd like to thank all of you for following my creative pursuits. it really means a great deal to me, and i think of you all as "trailblazers" because even though i've been at this for a few years, in some ways it feels like the very beginning. you won't enter your local theaters or turn on your TVs and see me on the twi-zube (shout out to martin lawrence) just yet, so you're really supporting a seed. a seed of what's possible. and for that i thank you.

(2) the other thing that struck a chord with me is prioritizing your goals & aligning them with your choices, actions and behavior. this is major. easy in thought, not so easy in practice. i'm an expert at getting off track of what i need to be focusing on. it's the rebel in me. and since this is a safe space to share truth...for me, it may look like...
-feeling scattered and confused, but yet refusing to meditate or do yoga which i know will ground me and put me in a better frame of mind
-wanting to get my body in check, then inhaling half of a pepperoni pizza (shout out to little caesars!) or mcdonald's french fries ("hot, fresh fries please!")
-knowing the screenwriter inside myself, but not putting pen to paper or fingertip to keyboard when inspired

if you feel compelled to share what it looks like for you, you can in the comments section.


in the meantime, i'd like to share with you a blog post by a dear friend of mine who inspired this post. she so eloquently and unapologetically speaks to giving support and prioritizing. 

http://overainteasy.wordpress.com/2013/01/02/happy-new-year-lets-get-this-party-started-right/

here's to better versions of ourselves this year.

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everybody can be great. because anybody can serve. you don't have to have a college degree to serve. you don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve...you don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. you only need a heart full of grace. a soul generated by love.

- martin luther king, jr.

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a violinist has her violin, a painter has his palette, all i have is myself.
i am the instrument i must care for.

- josephine baker

a seeing eye

as we prepare to spend the holidays with our loved ones, let us not turn a blind eye to those who were affected by the recent tragedies of the sandy hook school murders and the colorado shootings. i'm not sure what is going on in our world these days, but i do know we need an outpouring of love and compassion at every turn. there's a quote by plato that you've probably heard or read a million times.

be kind for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle.

more than ever, this quote rings true to me. for someone to have the capacity to inflict senseless harm on another human life is a cry for help, an admittance of strife, a feeling of being lost and hopeless. as this year winds down to a close, hug your family, kiss your friends, and give a warm touch of affection to someone you come across. you never know how much it might mean to them.

we are all connected.