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Tag: writer of color

Posted
July 26, 2019
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Writing While Black
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Reclaiming My Writing Time

When reality clashes with passion, it can lead to a crossroad for any creative. Post-grad life has proved to be a little more chaotic than I initially thought. With that said, I’m reclaiming my writing time back now!

hands coffee cup apple
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Since my last post, life has had its share of ups and downs. On the positive end, I moved up the corporate ladder just a little (even though the position is not in my field). Getting use to the new facility as well as the new schedule has required an adjustment period I didn’t see lasting this long. All I know is that the new job will require some better time management for my creative activities. Another reason for my hiatus had to do with a family health crisis. While my family member is okay, it took some time to help them readjust to their new life with doctor’s visits, medication, etc. Since that phase is winding down, I can now concentrate more on my writing for the rest of the year (hopefully).

This space will definitely be more active as I continue to grow as a writer. I have so many things I want to accomplish before the end of this year. While some things are a guarded secret, I can say I will be participating in Nanowrimo this year. The project I want to work on is the expansion of an original piece I did a year or two ago. It’ll be a form of therapy for me while being a love letter to my hometown. But continue to watch this space for more on my future projects.

grayscale photo of man walking in hole
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After two turbulent months , I’ve finally got creative mojo back, and I am not going to let this go to waste.

Come back next week for more on my journey to creating my future!

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Posted
May 10, 2019
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Screenwriting While Black
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Planning and Working Towards the Future

Beginning of the journey to employment

As evident by the images above, I put my future career first and decided to participate in SCAD’s Out to Launch.

It was definitely an out-of-body experience for me as I has step out of my introvert mindset and put on my extrovert mask. All those years of retail customer service paid off in a major way. I was able to network and connect with companies I would have never thought (along with a company or two I had looked up online). Keeping contact with some individuals from the event has started building some relationships as my career goes into full swing.

I did learn that having a printed materials on-hand was a great idea, and LinkedIn is your best friend when business cards are non-existent.

Besides all the great things, there were a few things that could have been a little better. Being a time-conscience person, the dis-concern for people’s time was a somewhat off-putting. But considering the institution I mentioned beforehand, it’s really no surprise.

Then, there was the lack of space for the participants. All that preparation – business cards, resumes, portfolios, etc – had to be crammed into this plastic bin. Any overflow had to be placed in a small gray box (mind you that came in hand as the event commenced). From undergrad, I can remember each participant getting their own booth where they could spread out. But given the space and location we had, that would have been impossible to accomplish.

Speaking of the location, I feel the layout didn’t work for what the school was trying to accomplish. Having the split between different floors and the placement of the classrooms made for a flow problem. Being in a back corner room doesn’t exactly entice prospective employers to visit your station. I felt a little shafted as some employers I wanted to see never came to my floor (despite asking for some help from the staff).

Ulterior motives was another problem I felt undermined the purpose of a reverse career fair. I don’t let certain companies and organizations come in trying to mine for prospective employees for their low-wage jobs.

Other than those gripes, I found the event to be very rewarding (along with tiresome and mind-numbing at times). Hopefully, this event has pushed my career in the right direction.

Come back next week for more on my life as a creative.

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Posted
May 3, 2019
Category
Screenwriting While Black
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Words of Wisdom with Gabby Rivera

Last week was a great week as a writer. SCAD-Atlanta hosted novelist and Marvel Comics writer Gabby Rivera for a keynote presentation on pushing against adversity in the entertainment industry.

 

Come back next week for more on my life as a creative.

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Posted
April 5, 2019
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Screenwriting While Black
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The Creative Grind

As the countdown to graduation begins, getting all my ducks in a row has been my mission. I have so many physical and mental deadlines that need to be met before June 1st. Being on my creative grind has been my focus as I prepare for post-grad life.

person uses pen on book

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In terms of writing, I’ve planned and plotted my new moves for entering my future career. With so many skill sets to draw from, I constantly found myself needing and wanting to create a screenplay that changes my life (if not now, definitely within the next year or so). Upcoming writing fellowship deadlines have pushed me to create a spec script worthy of a spot in a fellowship. The only hiccup has been actually writing it. I did give myself some mental time after my last quarter to give myself some breathing room. Four years of assignments, deadlines, and internships had left me a little bewildered by the whole grad school experience. Visiting family and regrouping were definitely what my mind needed. So far, the past two weeks have been a test of resilience as I prepared to write my first solo spec script. Having the strength and energy to write after long workdays has been a struggle for me. This along with writing for an already existing IP has been a challenge for my creative spirit. But after some time, I’ve finally begun writing the script. Hopefully, the month-long completion has allowed me to complete it by the May 1st due date.

Along with screenwriting, I’ve begun writing for The Connector again and thinking of potential pieces to write for some websites and blogs. Writing for The Connector will be the easier of the two as I cover SCAD’s GamingFest and conduct an interview (look out for those over the next few weeks). Writing a possible thinkpiece and publishing more on Medium will be challenging as I find time to write and revise. Medium has gained my attention as I continue to explore my options for publication. I’ve thought about submitting to a writing contest or two to find homes for some cherished pieces. I’ve even played around with a potential idea for NaNoWriMo (might lead to a full project by the end of the year). Writing for some digital publications has become a huge goal for me (the goal is to have two to three pieces published by year’s end). Having all these goals will definitely keep me busy for the next few months.

white printer paper

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Writing became my calling, but my heart laid with visual art and design. I spent the better part of the past few weeks working on character and background design for my portfolio. Expanding my visual portfolio has become a big deal for me in my quest to enter the animation industry. Designing for my original characters has allowed me to re-think previous work and create some new material. With Out 2 Launch around the corner, a fire has been lit under me to put my original ideas to paper (or screen). With some much creativity, I’m hoping to catch some eyeballs next month.

With all that said, I hope all the work pays off in the end. I can see the light (even though it flickers from time to time).

Continue to watch this space for more posts!

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Posted
March 15, 2019
Category
Screenwriting While Black
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Bittersweet Outlook

Yesterday was mixed with dread and excitement as my graduate journey officially came to an end. All the preparation, writing and time had led to this moment. As a creative, the past few years had been a juggling act of school, work, and personal life. My ability and push to be a screenwriter was tested and nurtured during my time at SCAD.

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Yesterday was a bittersweet moment as I finished my last class as a graduate student.  I found myself wanting to suspend time like Zach Morris. I wanted this moment to last as I knew the world of adulting was waiting for me. Mind you, I’ve been doing a tightrope walk between work and personal life since the beginning of my graduate career. This was my last hoorah before the 9-to-5 life and job searching really took over for the next few months. But I can let out a sigh of relief as I laid out a post-graduate plan for the next few months. My creativity will know no bounds as I will focus on writing (across various platforms) and improving on and creating more visual design and art. I plan for my portfolio to be robust by the end of summer. This along with May’s Out 2 Launch and writing fellowship deadlines has stoked my creative fire. Part of that fire is shadowing around the area in order to foster my career as a designer and writer.

Seeing my fellow SCAD alum on social media living their best creative lives has made me feel better about post-grad life. Instagram posts, blogs, Patreons, and book previews gave me the push to pursue my creative life no matter what. I definitely plan to step up my online game before my commencement in June.

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With post-grad life being a reality, I feel a sense of relief and nervousness. I still have some benchmarks to hit before graduation, but my future is definitely looking brighter day by day.

In spite of my thesis journey ending, I will continue posting here as well as on other platforms. So stay tuned!

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Posted
March 1, 2019
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Screenwriting While Black
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Networking for the Future at the SCAD Career Fair

With graduation coming to a reality, I needed to survey the career landscape for future prospects. To hear about my experience at the SCAD Career Fair, check this week’s vlog.





Come back next week for more on my journey to creating my Master’s thesis.

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Posted
February 8, 2019
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Screenwriting While Black
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Halfway to the Finish Line

I was finally able to part my lips and say – I’M DONE WITH MY THESIS!  This quarter has been a race towards the finish line as I pulled off the hat trick of work-life balance for the past few months. All that work has led to this pivotal life-changing point.

Photo by Soumen Maity on Pexels.com

I was finally able to let out a ‘woash’ after finish the first pass of my thesis. The entire process has been a learning experience in what hard work and determination can do for your future. From my review last May to Independent Study to emailing my thesis committee, I have grown not only as a writer but as a person. I was able to challenge naysayers who tried talking me out of pursuing my passion. Those people motivated me to break the mold and challenge the status quo. I had to follow my love for screenwriting while working within the academic system. I thanked God for the people – professionally, academically and personally – who pushed me to keep going when I doubted myself. I thought about changing course a few times before I decided to stick to my guns. I stumbled and bumbled a few times, but that needed to happen so I could grow as a screenwriter. Shaping, shifting, refining, revising, editing, crafting… these words were not only words but mantras for my thesis as the seasons and I changed. My perfectionism and stubbornness wouldn’t let me fail not without a fight, at least.

Turning in my thesis – formatted-perfectly and lengthy – allowed my mental pressures to subside, for a while anyway. I still have some feedback to hear from my committee before my thesis defense in March. Between my actual thesis and supplemental material, that might be awhile. But while I wait on them, my thesis will remain locked away for now. I’m looking forward to all the creative things I can do now that this part of the journey is done.

Photo by Public Domain Pictures on Pexels.com

While thesis and graduation have been my main focus, other creative outlets have fought for my time. I ‘ve begun celebrating Black History Month by participating in #BAMuary on Instagram. I’ve done some pieces here and there, but nothing like this current project. Like my writing, doing this challenge has been a way to celebrate my culture. I’ve even though about redoing one or two similar pieces now that I have a better grip on my technique. Job hunting and freelance work have gone through the usual ebbs and flows as I work my regular 9-to-5 job. But there are some things brewing for the future. Balancing between writing and visual art has been a little easier this time around compared to last year. On the social media front, I’ve begun seeing some traction as I employed a better marketing strategy for my pages.

I look forward to continuing my thesis journey and finishing my final quarter as a graduate student.

Come back next week for more on my journey to creating my Master’s thesis.

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Posted
February 2, 2019
Category
Screenwriting While Black
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Getting Inspired at the Greenville Museum of Art

Being creative has its demands, sometimes, you need some inspiration. See what happened on my birthday trip to South Carolina did for me.

https://youtu.be/qeEFQF_xzb8

Come back next week for more on my journey to creating my Master’s thesis.

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Posted
January 25, 2019
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Screenwriting While Black
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Working Towards the Finish Line

The finish line for my completed work came with a mixed bag of emotions. With all the pieces falling into place, my mind has been filled with endless possibilities for my future. The creative light has begun to shine brightly in the tunnel of self-doubt.

hands coffee cup apple

Photo by Stokpic on Pexels.com

Having not stared at my screenplay for a month has been a gift and a curse. I’ve relaxed on having to smooth out and revise my work, but revisiting it so close to my thesis deadline has made me a little anxious. Hearing feedback from my professor has allowed me to move forward in my process. At this point, most of my writing has begun to focus line editing with some action streamlining and dialogue tweaking at the same time.  In the notes I received, some character interaction needed to expand upon in terms of dialogue. Some of the dialogue seemed out of character so some more context is needed. The dialogue has come off a little date in places so I’ve begun to tackle that. The action has improved as I made it easier to read and understand even though some still needs to synthesized just a little more. Besides the feedback, I’ve begun creating music for my screenplay with some outside help from more musically inclined writers. Hopefully, within the next week, I’ll have a finished screenplay. I did receive some positive notes about the unique perspective and great character development I displayed.  Sending it to a thesis committee member or two for some more feedback. In the future, an actual table reading would be the best way to hear my words as a screenwriter.

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As my thesis has begun to come together, I found time to get started on some other things. I continued working on my visual project for Black History Month, which kicks off Feb. 1. Along with that project, I plan on doing some more character designs for my potential shows. Working on other writing projects has crossed my mind over the past few days as I complete my thesis. On the branding side, advertising on social media has begun helping my awareness grow. On the job front, prospects seem fruitful as I continue to job search while prepping to the Career Fair next month and Out to Launch in May.

As my time at SCAD winds down, I feel a sense of anxiety and excitement as my thesis defense draws closer. My post-graduate life is staring me right in the face. For the first time in a while, I’m a little afraid of what’s around the corner.

Come back next week for more on my journey to creating my Master’s thesis.

Don’t be a stranger! Leave a comment below.

Posted
January 18, 2019
Category
Screenwriting While Black
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Patience (or Lack Thereof) in Thesisland

Creativity requires the virtue of patience when it comes to the full picture. As I inch towards the completion of my thesis, my anxiety and moody temperament has begun to take over my mind and spirit. I’ve felt like my process has come to a standstill. The waiting and wondering have begun to weight on me as a writer.

man arranging his black necktie

 

Living in line editing limbo pushed me to a place I hate going to – self-aware anxiety. This mindset has infiltrated every aspect of my life including my writing. I’ve found myself wanting to start revising and editing my screenplay again, but without some direction, I’m stuck at a standstill. My mental time clock has already begun to countdown as midterms approach. Besides the necessary editing, I’ve begun to worry about finishing my thesis as I asked for help on the music composition. Waiting to the last minute usually isn’t my thing, but after some false starts, I’ve begun formulating some lyric (with some outside help coming soon). Being finished yet feeling unfinished has me feeling like I’m in writing purgatory. Being stuck has sent my mind into a downward spiral of insecurity and self-doubt. But, in the next few weeks, my thesis will be finalized, and all my feelings will subside.

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While I wait on my line edits, I’ve gotten back to classes as usual with a project due next week (yikes!). Working on class assignments has allowed my mind to concentrate on things outside my thesis. My visual output was a little slow as I concentrated on other things (check out my Instagram page). A few things have been brewing on the post-graduate front as I waited for some news on my future (stay tuned to this space). As my thesis deadline approaches, I’ve begun cobbling everything needed for my thesis committee to review. The future as a post-grad has grown closer every day.

Come back next week for more on my journey to creating my Master’s thesis.

Don’t be a stranger! Leave a comment below.

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