Emily Steele shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Emily, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ince breaker: Who are you learning from right now?
My kids. It sounds trite, I know, but it really is true. My daughter is 11 and my son is 7 and they are both incredibly smart and creative. They each have a fearlessness about them that I can’t help but be envious of. For years I have said I want to be my daughter when I grow up! She has this amazing ability to own any room she walks into. Now that she’s entering the preteen stages, social trepidation is setting in a little but even so, I just marvel at her overall lack of it when it comes to life. When I am faced with a situation where I am going to be around people I don’t know or people by whom I feel intimidated. I try to think “what would my daughter do?” and it usually gives me the confidence boost I need.
And my son’s ability to push his fears or doubts aside and just go for anything he wants to do is really astonishing. It’s not that he’s a daredevil by any means but once he’s decided that he wants to do something and that he CAN do it, he takes a minute to voice any fear he has tbefore tossing it aside and just going for it. It’s something I try to emulate when I am in danger of letting my fears get the best of me.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a freelancer in the TV and film industry. You’ll most often find me working as a coordinator or production manager, as I love handling logistics, but I am working my way up to becoming a producer. I am also a screenwriter. I have written TV and web series as well as screenplays, several that have won multiple awards across various festivals, including the Austin Indie Film Festival, the Smoky Mountain Film Festival, the Great Lakes International Film Festival, and the Memphis International Film & Music Festival. My first sitcom won Best of Show in the WRPN.TV.Global Webisode Competition and my most recent was a top 10 finalist in Jason Lyle and Lee Aronson’s Comedy Pitch Contest.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
I’ve had a lot of relationships that have shaped the way I see myself. But in particular, when it comes to how I see myself professionally, I think my strong female friendships have been the most important. Especially in this business, where it can be so competitive for women, sometimes it’s hard to find true, genuine female friendships where you lift each other up, celebrate each other’s successes, cheer each other on, and look out for one another. But I have been so fortunate to have found that in a tribe of several amazing women who are the most incredible writers, directors, actors and friends I could ask for.
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
I love this question because I think some of the most beautiful art comes from pain. I think when we are willing to be vulnerable and expose ourselves to feelings that are uncomfortable, that’s when we create some truly impactful work. I find I am most creative when I am going through some kind of struggle. Even when it comes to my comedy, it always seems like I write better when something darker is driving me. No one likes feeling sad or hurt or anxious or any of those negative emotions but don’t ever let them be in vein. Use them. Find your own way to expose your personal pain that very likely exists in everybody.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What important truth do very few people agree with you on?
That too much awareness makes us just that. Aware. I’m probably going to catch a lot of heat for this but I hope people will hear me out. I think what makes the human race so incredible is that every single one of us is different and unique. And in that regard, we’re all the same. This is something children inherently know. Children are not born seeing gender or race or disability or sexual orientation. They aren’t aware of these things until we as a society make them aware. So while I do think it’s important to embrace and celebrate the different cultures and lifestyles that make us the beautiful melting pot of a species that we are, I also think everytime we try to “raise awareness” about a different sub group of people, it’s making our youth more aware of differences that exist between them, inadvertently creating unnecessary barriers that weren’t there before. If all these different characteristics and traits were treated as just a normal part of our world, children would grow up accepting people of them as just that. Normal.
Which is why in my writing, I try to have a diverse cast of characters but choose to focus on universal truths. Not that I don’t think there is a need for works that focus more on the specialized issues and conflicts of a particular group. Those are definitely important too. But I think it’s just as important that there be content that highlights the ways in which we are all the same. The problems and challenges that are universal to us all. I believe that in this cultural climate, we need that now more than ever. Because we’re really not all that different. And in a time when both our government and the media want so desperately to convince us otherwise, we need reminders of that more than ever.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What do you think people will most misunderstand about your legacy?
That I align myself with any political party! I don’t! I’m not a democrat or a republican. I’m not a liberal or a conservative. I’ve voted for officials on both sides. I’m a true independent. But I am an empathetic person. (I think you have to be in order to be a good writer. Otherwise, how can you put yourself in the shoes of all your characters, including the antagonists?) And when you truly have empathy, you can see things from someone else’s perspective. Even a perspective you don’t agree with. This often makes people on the right think I’m left-wing and people on the left think I’m right-wing. I’m neither. I’m just very good and seeing both sides of most things.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://emilysteele.com
- Instagram: therealsteele19
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-steele-4b369435b
- Twitter: theemilysteele
- Facebook: missemilysteele
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4747847/
