Tryna Be Somebody

The first 1,000 people to use the link or my code hallease will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare: https://skl.sh/hallease05221

What happens to you when you've been an emerging creator for over a decade? Does it mess with your psyche? Does it make you give up? Or does it force you to redefine success on a platform? In this episode of the #TrynaBeSomebody video podcast, I'm interviewing Taylor Behnke of  @ItsRadishTime  about her experience being a micro-creator for 10+ years and how she's surviving and thriving in spite of it. It's a jolly good talk folks!

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The first 1,000 people to use this link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare: https://skl.sh/hallease03221

Check out Santeka Grigley on her Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/santekagrigley/

With content creation becoming an ever-growing and saturated space, many people are wondering if it's "too late" for them to start a YouTube channel or get going on Instagram. I've been on the internet for over 10 years, so I wanted to bring in someone who just started their online journey to give your their perspective and tips as a nano influencer (i.e. below 3000 followers).  Y'all I'm really proud of this episode, I think it highlights how things have changed for the better (and sometimes for the worse) since I started and what the difference is for folks starting now.

The Tryna Be Somebody video podcast interviews mostly BIPOC artists and creatives about their careers with the goal of helping you. Tryna Be Somebody is a StumbleWell production. Produced and hosted by Hallease. Our podcast and thumbnail cover art was designed by Temi Coker. Our YouTube opening animation is designed by Evan Abrams. Our theme music was written, and performed by Beleaf in Music. Produced by Jruckers. This podcast episode was edited by Christopher Narvaez and Hallease Narvaez.

TELL A STORY IN A MINUTE OR LESS (Skillshare): https://skl.sh/3ojHFNT

Check out Grace: https://www.instagram.com/gracelhathaway/

From losing your lead actor 2 weeks into filming a feature film to having your DP drop because of a family emergency the first day of filming your web series, Grace has seen it all as an independent filmmaker and producer.

With the series #ThisCouldaBeenAnEmail dropping later this week, I wanted to have our producer extraordinaire on the podcast. She's got a wide breadth of experience and has surpassed me in many ways. I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I enjoyed filming it. #TrynaBeSomebody

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CREDITS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Check out Chinwe

I remember when I realized how limited my resources were as a young black woman. I was in LA at the time, finishing up my undergrad in film through UT’s domestic study abroad program (UTLA). To utilize the program, you had to pay an additional fee + your usual tuition costs. You also had to handle your costs for food, gas, and other basic utilities, which came at a higher California price tag compared to Texas. My peers would talk about the fun things they were doing while completing the program. Concerts, excursions, etc. It took me a month or two to comprehend HOW that was happening. I barely had enough money to cover feeding myself and getting back and forth from my unpaid internships.

Then it finally hit me. They were funded. To be fair, I was too. My parents and I worked out a monthly budget for my time in LA and the scholarships I had gotten earlier on in my undergraduate degree had helped to offset these new costs. It was in those months that I realized, my resources (though more than most) could not compare to my peers. I was already starting off behind. I couldn’t afford to go explore and let serendipity happen. I couldn’t afford to take the time to work on sets for free and collaborate across to build connections. I had to be focused with my energy and time and ultimately, I had to come back to Texas after my semester in California concluded.

This is not a pity post. Coming back to Texas and jumpstarting my career here was the best (and necessary) decision I could have made for myself. I say all this to continue the discussion. “We need more people of color in filmmaking!” Is something I see a lot, especially now, and I wholeheartedly agree. However, saying that and creating an industry that cultivates that are two very different things. Filmmaking is a rich person’s game. Periodt. So what does it look like to create space for more diverse storytellers? Ionno but Chinwe Okorie and I talk shop about the struggles of it all in this episode. I’m curious to know your thoughts!

TELL A STORY IN A MINUTE OR LESS (Skillshare):

How do you have a fulfilling and more importantly lasting creative career? Some will say, you should always be innovating. Others will say it's about collaborating constantly. For someone like Beleaf In Fatherhood, it's all about being pragmatic and consistently working on your craft.

Today on the #TrynaBeSomebody video podcast we're interviewing Glen Henry (Beleaf in Fatherhood/Beleaf in Music) about his hip hop career and how he continues to progress his storytelling forward.

There’s a pragmatism that Beleaf has that’s next level. Every time I talk to him I genuinely feel like I’m talking to an older cousin or brother. My skinfolk and my kinfolk. He’s young enough to understand how you feel but also practical enough to give you the harsh truths of the world. It’s a good gut check that I think every artist needs from time to time. So, this is an episode that I hope will serve as your gut check.

Check out Beleaf in Fatherhood on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BeleafInFatherhoodtv 

Listen to Beleaf in Music on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7N204QRVuZ3LCoVkKRPf1T?si=jjPaDmO9RzGTQZaiLsWUoA

Enjoy the video podcast? Support it on Patreon! patreon.com/hallease

CREDITS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS  

SHOW NOTES

Beleaf Creators For Change Project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7H5_4GnK8Wc

Allegedly we’re moving into a post panini-press world, but the struggle is still real and so is burn out. Over the last 2 years, we’ve heard this term become normalized not only throughout the creative community but our culture and society as well. Today on the #TrynaBeSomebody video podcast I asked content creator and YouTuber Jade Fox to talk about all things burnout.

We were originally going to talk about how she leans into her identity as a queer black creator but in the process of scheduling this podcast interview Jade was coming out of a burnout season and had to post-pone. That prompted me to request a topic change, and I was so excited that she was willing to oblige and as always, be her witty candid and authentic self on the topic.

Everyone experiences burnout differently but hopefully by the end of this episode we give you some food for thought of how to navigate it and, if possible, avoid it all together.

Enjoy the video podcast? Support it on Patreon! patreon.com/hallease

Watch more Tryna Be Somebody: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2Pk3OAowrptg8hEke79HampxgXCZkhu7

CREDITS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Tryna Be Somebody is a StumbleWell production, produced and hosted by Hallease. Our podcast and thumbnail cover art was designed by Temi Coker. Our YouTube opening animation was designed by Evan Abrams. Our theme music was written, and performed by Beleaf in Music and produced by Jruckers. This podcast episode was edited by Christopher Narvaez and Hallease Narvaez.

In this episode of the #TrynaBeSomebody video podcast, I want you to explore your own unique story.  A lot of times I talk to people who are thinking about starting a channel or considering telling a family story or history and hesitate to start because they think their life isn't interesting enough. That's just not true. It's about shifting your perspective and thinking about how different generations, institutions, and geography has impacted your life and formed who you are today.

So, today on the podcast I'm interviewing Mark Menjivar a multi-disciplinary artist based in San Antonio, Texas. He's going to walk us through an exercise to help you discover hidden stories within your life and then after we'll talk to Mark about how he gets different interactive projects funded. Grab a pencil or your favorite note-taking app!

Check out Mark on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mjmenjivar/

Enjoy the video podcast? Support it on Patreon! patreon.com/hallease  

CREDITS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS  

Are you an artist who's considering quitting their job to pursue their artistic endeavors full time? Are you someone who doesn't dream of labor and wants to establish a new lifestyle for yourself? Great. This episode of the Tryna Be Somebody video podcast is for you. We're interviewing Evelyn (From The Internets) Ngugi to learn how she did just that in 2018.  How much she saved in her bank account, and how long it took to finally put in that two-week notice. Also, Hallease will discuss how she left her agency job in 2018 as well to start StumbleWell. Their exit strategies were pretty different so hopefully, there are some tangible takeaways for you to consider.

CONTINUED LEARNING

Enjoy the video podcast? Support it on Patreon! patreon.com/hallease

CREDITS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS  

SEND STUFF

Shea Rhim is a multi-disciplinary designer based in Atlanta and a former Adobe Creative Quarterly Resident. I wanted to have him on the video podcast to talk about how he has taken common design principles and applied them to his life to achieve his creative goals, one of them being landing a job with General Motors!    

CREDITS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS  

Don't call this episode 2 but also...it's kind of episode 2. My conversation with multi-disciplinary artist Temi Coker was packed with so many great moments, so much so, that I felt this needed to be a stand-alone installment. One of the Patreon Producers asked a really great question about finances and freelancing which sparked this entire tangent of a conversation.  Temi and I both talk about some of the best qualities to have as a freelance artist when it comes to running a business and communicating effectively with clients.

Enjoy the video podcast? Support it on Patreon! patreon.com/hallease

Check out Temi's work: https://www.temicoker.co

CREDITS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS  Tryna Be Somebody is a StumbleWell production, produced and hosted by Hallease. Our podcast and thumbnail cover art was designed by Temi Coker. Our YouTube opening animation was designed by Evan Abrams. Our theme music was written, and performed by Beleaf in Music and produced by Jruckers. This podcast episode was edited by Christopher Narvaez and Hallease Narvaez.