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

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.

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

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.

it's voting day!

sunday musings

dreams
thoughts
the decision
action
faith
alignment
manifestation