Filmmaking

Diary of a Shy Teen: My Teaser of a Short Film About Reclaiming Your Voice and Identity (for Youth Speaker University) & Inspiration from Emeli Sande’s Read All About It

I’ve always wanted to inspire youth as an actress🎭 but was always to shy and paralyzed by anxiety to try – not anymore! Here’s my debut starring role playing a teen girl in a *homemade* short film (made for a scholarship entry), based on a true story (my diaries and embarrassing stories as a teen, find out never -shared before 🔐 secrets like who I was crushing on at age 15;).

The Tyler Perry-inspired “Diary of a Sad Shy Teen” (“unfortunately” Madea couldn’t be in this one, halleluyer;) is playing in schools across the country in kids who don’t have a voice. My dream is to reach teens like me and creatively give them a light of hope.

After over 20 years of severe social anxiety and stage fright I’m finally living out my dream of shining inspiration by merging my passion for acting and singing in imaginative presentations.

Here’s a flashback into my tumultuous teenhood, inspired by Josh Shipp’s Youth Speaker University – an awesome opportunity for those with a passion for empowering young people and giving them a voice.

Emeli Sande’s song Read All About It is exactly the message that I’d like to share with the younger me and other people like me who feel like they don’t have a voice:

Emeli Sande’s song Read All About It Lyrics

You’ve got the words to change a nation
But you’re biting your tongue
You’ve spent a life time stuck in silence
afraid you’ll say something wrong
If no one ever hears it how we gonna learn your song?
So come on, come on
Come on, come on

You’ve got a heart as loud as lions
So why let your voice be tamed?
Baby we’re a little different
there’s no need to be ashamed
You’ve got the light to fight the shadows
so stop hiding it away
Come on, Come on

I wanna sing, I wanna shout
I wanna scream till the words dry out
so put it in all of the papers,
I’m not afraid
they can read all about it
read all about it oh
oh-oh-oh

At night we’re waking up the neighbors
while we sing away the blues
making sure that we remember yeah
cause we all matter too
if the truth has been forbidden
then we’re breaking all the rules
so come on, come on
come on, come on

lets get the TV and the radio
to play our tune again
its ’bout time we got some airplay of our version of events
there’s no need to be afraid
i will sing with you my friend
Come on, come on

I wanna sing, I wanna shout
I wanna scream till the words dry out
so put it in all of the papers,
I’m not afraid
they can read all about it
read all about it oh
oh-oh-oh

Yeah we’re all wonderful, wonderful people
so when did we all get so fearful?
Now we’re finally finding our voices
so take a chance, come help me sing this
Yeah we’re all wonderful, wonderful people
so when did we all get so fearful?
and now we’re finally finding our voices
so take a chance, come help me sing this

I wanna sing, I wanna shout
I wanna scream till the words dry out
so put it in all of the papers,
I’m not afraid
they can read all about it
read all about it oh
oh-oh-oh

I wanna sing, I wanna shout
I wanna scream till the words dry out
so put it in all of the papers,
I’m not afraid
they can read all about it
read all about it oh
Read more at http://www.lyrics.com/read-all-about-it-lyrics-emeli-sande.html#vqsiXFOSM7JQ3tpZ.99





From Selma to Ferguson The Dream Lives On: Inspiration from Selma Movie with Oprah Winfrey, Ava DuVernay, David Oyelowo and More

David Oyelowo & Oprah Winfrey star in SELMA, in select theaters Christmas Day, everywhere January 9th. Visit the official site: http://SelmaMovie.com

One dream can truly change the world – when people come together for a greater vision! The film SELMA brings to life a relevant glimpse of the human experience through the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and is powerful and timely – with truths this world truly needs. SELMA is a must see and the message goes deeper into the spirit and far beyond what’s on the surface of the issues we faced then and today.

Why This Film is So Important: What happened in Selma we see happening today is more than a race issue – it’s a spirit issue. We are spirit having a human experience in unique, beautiful vessels that Love created. Darkness tries to keep us from seeking deeper truth and distracts us from seeing Light by having us focus on what we see – the temporary.

We’ve warred among ourselves since the beginning of history but the real issues in life are rooted in the greatest battle at hand – against darkness and principalities, for spirit and eternity. From the genesis of our world to the revelation we have now, it’s time to come back, to return to love and the way God meant our lives to be.

Thank you director Ava DuVernay, Oprah Winfrey, David Oyelowo and everyone involved for bringing us this inspiring story, life-piercing art and the vital message to live a dream of impact that focuses on a higher purpose. #Selma #forsuchatimeasThis #Glory

“I will not be focusing on what I want today – I’m focused on what God wants…His truth is marching on…” – David Oyelowo in the film SELMA

I loved hearing the stories behind the making of this story, watch the full press conference for the SELMA movie below, with the actors, producers and more including David Oyelowo, Jeremy Kleiner, Oprah Winfrey, Tim Roth, Common, Tom Wilkinson, Dede Gardner, Carmen Egojo, Andrew Holland and director Ava DuVernay.

The song “Glory” from the movie, a striking collaboration between John Legend and Common, is so inspiring and has deep truths for anyone to hold on to:





In Your Arms – Kina Grannis Music Video

Wow, I’ll never look at Jelly Beans the same way. Watch this music video from Kina Grannis, filmed in stop motion, using 288,000 Jelly Bellies for the creative scenery. The team behind the project took so much time to make something unique, and really inspiring and their creativity paid off:


The Making Of “In Your Arms”