I am constantly inspired, but not getting it down on paper or web by accident or on purpose. I try not to be a slave to time, but I'll be damned if she doesn't feel like a master. Shout out to Royale Watkins whose presence in the world and voice inside my head inspires me to do much better. (Friend your wife and kids are blessed)
I shot a short film back in November and have two completed feature length scripts, as well as, cracking the code on 5 other ideas that I am breaking down into treatments according to Blake Snyder's "Save The Cat". My short film is stalled in the "edit bay" and instead of continuing to do soft pitches on my work its time to budget, schedule, find investors and shoot both and prep more.
I am self employed. Money gets funny and change strange so in the natural realm days can appear and feel difficult. I however look to the heavens from which comes my help, my help comes from the Lord who has made HEAVEN and Earth. I am persisting in faith (thank you David Barnes for your gem "Fulfilling Your Destiny" (correct me on the title in the comments) and walking in belief without doubt. I am trying to "get good at" or as they say master the second...it gets hard.
I am learning to hear God's voice, listen to his command and then obey...this is also hard...but way doable if we know who abides in us and who we abide in...who shall be able to separate from the LOVE of God...nothing and no one.
I press, I write and I grind. I continue to work to master parenting for God has given me one of his most precious ones and I am no cakewalk, but Ali loves me anyway.
I express the above because I feel like everything gets crossed up in a way that not enough of MY writing gets accomplished...particularly this blog. (Yes I am trying to watch my choices I am not a victim, I am accountable and responsible.)
I attended Ford Motor Company's Freedom's Sisters Awards Luncheon which honored 20 amazing leaders of the Los Angeles Community....Speaker Karen Bass, California State Assembly, Actress Holly Robinson Peete, HollyRod Foundation, Deputy City Mayor Miriam Scott Long, Entertainer Rev. Della Reese, News Anchor Pat Harvey; KCAL 9, Actress Loretta Devine, former LA County Supervisor Yvonne B. Burke, Actress Sheryl Lee Ralph, HIV/AIDS Activist, Community Activist “Sweet Alice” Harris, Executive Denise Pines, Tavis Smiley Group, Publisher Natalie Cole; Our Weekly News, Sculptor & Painter Artis Lane, Community Activist Lillian Mobley, Captain d'Lisa Davies; LA Fire Department, Cynthia Davis; Charles Drew University of Medicine & Science, Community Activist LaWanda Hawkins; Justice For Murdered Children, Auto Advocate Glenda Gill; Rainbow PUSH, Community Leader Charisse Bremond-Weaver; Brotherhood Crusade, Child Care Advocate Holly J. Mitchell and Youth Advocate Angela B. Winston; Challengers Boys & Girls Club. Loretta Devine got an award too...she's just awesome.
I was slayed by the inspiration and spiritual awakening I felt at its conclusion. It was AMAZING to just be in the room. (That's me and Malcolm X's Daughter, Attallah Shabazz after the luncheon)
Myrlie Evers was the keynote speaker, but for me she was more than that...she is the breathing and living legacy of what inspires me to be...she is a Black Woman who has survived what she called "the darkest time" and shines with the brilliance of pure Gold...I own Brian Lanker's Groundbreaking table book "I Dream A World" where Ms. Evers-Williams among other sheroes is featured. She walked out of the book and came to life for me Thursday.
20 years ago I thought I would be moving and shaking some things and like all the lists of up and coming or respected leaders or activist in their arena I looked forward to reading about from year to year various publications. I thought I'd be one. (I feel like a winner when Ali is clean, fed and matching). Even if it were just a blurb somewhere in Ebony, Essence, Jet or Vibe. I was sure that by now I would have figured something out and been doing something publicly recognized as brilliant or awesome like Vann Jones up there on the stage tonight but to date no such singular accomplishment hence no outward confirmation. I am a filmmaker and God honors my current focus and determination and the outward confirmation is on its way. Thanks be to God I have the gift certificate and he will cash it soon.
I will say this though I brilliantly engaged Myrile Evers for Red Carpet coverage that was unprecedented and unparalleled to any in that room. When my turn came I asked her compelling questions for which gave riveted answers and out the corners of my eyes the remaining journalists huddled in awe and in a perfect circle to hear her answers to my questions, they poised their recording devices to capture her words. I had touched the hem of her garment (and my own) and was infused with "girl power"...better than that "woman power".
I am regularly moved one way or another by news and other commentary so there have been quite a few things on my mind for a while. Tonight however while tweeting the Image Award Broadcast (saw Myrlie Evers again) I exchanged comments with friends...me, my cast and crew of FB friends were in particular moved by Tyler Perry's Chairman's Award speech... so I clipped the conversation below (cheat blogging) to share because our conclusion I believe is not only to heed the call to action that Tyler Perry expressed but the work that we get to once engaged in Active duty ....not reserve status....The heart of this blog beats in my final comment (check me out :-)!!!!
So it went like this...
Danna Lafaye Kiel ''We don't have to wait for someone to greenlight our projects. We can create our own intersections.''~ Tyler Perry
about an hour ago via Twitter · Comment · Like
Eeinna Brighton-Akers likes this.
Danna Lafaye Kiel
i stole yours !!!!
about an hour ago ·
Eeinna Brighton-Akers WE ALL SHOULD MAKE THIS OUR STATUS!!! Not only that...hell we should call a round table discussion at a POSH Blackowned venue and call it ''creating our own intersections''...Think tank round table...whatever you want to call it it's about that time!
about an hour ago ·
Vonnetta Sharee King What award show was this?
about an hour ago ·
Danna Lafaye Kiel NAACP Image Awards
56 minutes ago ·
Karen L Glover Great speech by Tyler Perry and Vann Jones.
52 minutes ago ·
Danna Lafaye Kiel @karen I so LOVE Vann Jones ..
2 minutes ago ·
Danna Lafaye Kiel @Eeinna I vehemently disagree about the roundtable :-)...if one has been to enough panels at film festivals and conferences where concerns, challenges or issues are or have been considered and discussed then you like I :-) would know that the discussion has been exhausted (and you know that ladybug)..."the problem does not require much thought" a friend shared recently ...
what I am sure of is that if we call ourselves writers or directors or both our work is to create the HIGHEST QUALITY CONTENT not now but RIGHT NOW ...what I beileve must be different is that we must lock arms and talk everyday about how much we wrote or about story issues that we encountered while creating content...
we should be PUSHING one another to pick up the pace on our process and then help one another breakdown the script for scheduling and budgeting... from there we build the house of LOVE for which we've created a blueprint or we lock arms across the process of getting the property sold if that is the desired aim, we must be the other's quality control no matter how HARD that will be ( I'm an artist and I am sensitive about my sh*t...I really am very sensitive about my sh*t) ...we must also pray together and for one another
we must like Guillermo del Toro, Alfonso Cuarón and Alejandro González Iñárritu 3 Mexican Writer/Directors/producers who were all getting Oscar recognition of some kind in the same year who supported and worked with each other at some point in their careers...during the '07 Oscar Season they were inseparable, we must stick to each other like glue...
Let's get it !
4 minutes ago ·
4 minutes ago ·
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