So it’s the end of the year and you want to disconnect to regain some focus and energy? I know. me too.
But I can’t possibly leave you without one more key tip so you can think move from examining your 2021 to rocking your 2022 when Jan 1st comes about!
If you didn’t get a seat at the table in 2021…2022 is the year where you can build your own table!
Why am I saying that? Well because I did it myself and my new table is awesome so you can too. Here is how it went:
About fighting for a seat at the table
For a long time my ambitions have been to make the TV/Film industry more diverse and more inclusive. When I say long time, I mean loooooong time. This has been an ambition i have had since 2003. When we finally got around to finalizing our plan, if we were lucky we were invited to sit at the table, to share our idea. But usually we didn’t come that far. And our idea was rejected at least 34 times,
But our WHY was strong and kept us going, we also gave up sometimes but eventually, in 2012 I continued the journey by myself with the blessings of my friends. In 2016 I was invited to sit at the table of a producer, he was interested in the idea. All of a sudden the ball started rolling really fast. Finally after almost 14 years we were so close… However I had to pay a price, I had to sell my rights and the cast had to be less diverse, less “urban” according to them. It was a huge sacrifice, but 2017 our original TV series idea came to life as the feature film “Alles voor Elkaar”. The dream came true…, but not on our terms and always fighting for a seat at a table.
About building your own table
Beginning of 2021, I was done with that. Together with other women of color we decided to go ahead and build our own table: Maya Creatives was born.
Maya Creatives is the first production company in the Netherlands, run by women of color. And our objective is to create opportunities and highlight the versatility of stories of women (of color) that have been unheard and unseen. Our mission is to change the narrative by showcasing the versatility of stories about these women. Stories that entertain, make our audience laugh, cry and hope. Today, we are excited, the head full of ideas and working on many exciting projects. And you know what? The future is looking prettttty bright right now with awesome partnerships with the likes of Netflix.
As you close the year and reflect, think also about what still sparks some excitement in your heart, what gets the adrenaline flowing in your body. And when your head starts spinning and doubting itself and listening to this fear of failure, remember: Sometimes you just need to build your own table to realize your dream and ambition. And why not now?
Wishing you a fabulous end of year celebrations and a fabulous 2022!
Brasa,
Shenin
