LIFE . AND TECHNOLOGY...

SO…I've been thinking.

Well, lemme back up. I've been TRAVELLING a whole lot lately, mostly for stuff (film festivals, etc.) related to my film, BUTTERFLY RISING, or Los Angeles to shoot TRUE BLOOD. While travelling, I noticed tons of folks who had iPods (or the equivalent) wired to their ears-- this, too, is especially noticeable on the NYC subway train (second only to my favorite mode of transportation--walking!).

This technology thing seems to be a two -edged sword: on the one hand, technology was created so that we can complete tasks quicker and more efficiently so that we can spend our time doing the things we love (spending time with our family/friends, being outdoors, playing with our animals--huh? What? No Fido in your life? Well, you get the idea…). And, if we use tech gadgets with that in mind, work would go quicker and we could have more free time, no? Instead, I see a lot of folks--myself included-- who are using technology to numb out and divorce themselves from the rest of the world. How much time do we spend on Facebook? Twitter? These are meant to engage, sure, but what's better than using them to set a time, date and location to simply sit down and share a good ole meal (or whatever else you like to do. Eating happens to be my favorite pastime and, I think, one of the great joys of life). But, then again, I also dig getting back in touch with my best friend from elementary school who I haven't seen in a gazillion years. And I've met a lot of VERY cool people on twitter:)

I guess, as with all things, the name of the game is BALANCE. And you'll know when you're out of it (balance, that is), cause you'll start to see/hear signs: ringing ears from an IPOD on blast; neck and back problems from crouching over your computer, or heaps o'time water scrolling down your homepage and looking at the barrage of FB statuses.

Steve Jobs left modern society many gifts, but his most profound one was the speech he gave some Stanford University students (and, later, the world). I listen to it often to…remember. Here it is again--I share it with you:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc

Cheers!

Keep Rising,

Tanya

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc

Sir! Ma'am! Thank You! Please: HAPPY!

So. I am a native New Yawker who lived in Los Angeles for close to 15 years. I am back in my hometown, and loving it! We shot BUTTERFLY RISING in Columbus, Mississippi (not far from where THE HELP was shot) and so I got to spend a nice, long stretch of time in the South.

I've gotta admit, given Mississippi's history, I was unsure of what to expect. I found the folks there to be lovely, kind, patient and GENEROUS (they let us shoot our little movie! On their front porches! While serving us lemonade and home-baked cookies! Well, maybe not home baked cookies, but you get the point, LOL!). I found them to be super-hospitable. Not that the folks in LA and NY ain't (BTW, the stories about NY crudeness are GREATLY exaggerated), but it was different. Sweeter. And definitely slower.

While I was there, I began to pick up southern-speak-- I adopted the practice of calling folks "sir" and "ma'am." I have no idea why other than it just felt...right. And when I returned to the most easterly and westerly cities in the country, I continued to do it. I noticed the effect it had on folks: most are surprised, at first-- it's rare that folks are that formal these days. But I also noticed a slight ease in their breath after I addressed them as such. "Sir" and "ma'am" are signs of respect, too, and I noticed I used them a lot with the folks who probably got them the least: waiters/waitresses, busboys, janitors. They almost always gave me a smile. With the others, I almost always got what I wanted.

Try sprinkling a "sir" and "ma'am" in your everyday goings on and you'll see what I mean. It's a sign of humility and respect. And I can guarantee this: you'll almost ALWAYS get what you want:)

XO Tanya XO

TANYA WRIGHT plays the role of DEPUTY KENYA JONES on HBO'S TRUE BLOOD. She is the writer/director of the upcoming indie feature BUTTERFLY RISING and author of the book of the same name.

http://www.butterflyrisingthemovie.com/

http://twitter.com/tanyaTTwright

http://www.amazon.com/Butterfly-Rising-Tanya-Wright/dp/1453650369/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1313081795&sr=8-1

LOVE

There are millions of poems, books, songs and movies dedicated to this Thing called Love. It is oft said LOVE is "a many splendor'd thing;" love "makes the world go 'round" and, finally, "all you need is love."

I've been thinking a lot about LOVE lately, and I've got a question: are the quotes above really true, or are they romanticized versions of the love I know which is often a lot more complex but, some times, no less wonderful?

A lot of us women have grown to believe and buy into Cinderella fantasies of some handsome man coming in, sweeping us off our feet and taking care of us. I don't know about ya'll, but that ain't happened yet around these parts, LOL! After waiting for a long, long, long, long time (did I say I was waiting a long time??) I've recently decided to chuck the "Knight-in-Shining-Armor" shenanigan and get to the brass tacks of what love really is.

I have lots of things in my life that I love! I love my dog, Macarena, to absolute pieces. I love my work; I enjoy creating things and helping others mine opportunities, this is a real passion of mine. I love where I live (I LOVE NY!), I love my life and, finally and most importantly, I love myself. My grandmother's love was perhaps the most important love I have ever received in my entire life. It was limitless, boundless and without condition. Sort of, well, like the love of God--or whatever your idea (if you have one!) of God is.

Before we go loving on a man and giving all our love away, I think we woman forget to leave a little sumpin' sumpin' for ourselves. I know I've been guilty of this. But the older I get, the less this concept of giving it ALL away appeals to me. Now, I have a reserve of love for myself that is shared by no earthly being-- and I'm much, much happier this way.

And should My Knight finally come, I'll know how to love him because I know how to love myself.

XO Tanya XO

TANYA WRIGHT plays the role of DEPUTY KENYA JONES on HBO'S TRUE BLOOD. She is the writer/director of the upcoming indie feature BUTTERFLY RISING and author of the book of the same name.

http://www.butterflyrisingthemovie.com/

http://twitter.com/tanyaTTwright

The Business of the Artist

This past Saturday, I had the great good pleasure of sweating it out (ah! the HEAT!) with book-loving folks at the yearly Harlem Book Fair on 135th Street in Harlem, NY. I had a booth set up for my debut novel, BUTTERFLY RISING. Thanks to all the folks who stopped by, said hi and bought a book. I LOVE to hear back from people after they've had a read, so make sure to drop me a line at butterflyrisingthemovie@gmail.com!

I also taught a free class for folks who were interested in starting a business using their art and wanted a little bit of direction and advise. My Business of the Art class is a combination of short writing, physical exercises-- and LOTS of questions!--designed to help you unlock what's holding you back from achieving your creative goals.

I left the class feeling exhilarated! We were filled to capacity--standing room only-- and I could see countless folks having these mini-break throughs! I felt like I was really helping them achieve their dreams, which seems to be a recurring theme in my life...

For those of you who weren't there this weekend, here's a quick re-cap. Think of how these might be useful to your own creative business and apply them!

1. Think about how you can create VALUE for your creative idea. Why does the the world NEED what you have?

2. Complete this sentence:

Success is _____________________.

The answers here will vary for a great many people. In American culture, success is largely defined by cold, hard cash. Be honest with yourself and what you really want. And about who it might help.

3. Brainstorm educational institutions, cultural organizations, corporations--are you in a fraternity? sorority?-- who will help you get the word out and ultimately BUY what YOU have to SELL?

The truth is, small business is the ONLY way this country's gonna get out of its economic jam. Help the country by HELPING YOURSELF! Unemployed? This may be a perfect opportunity for you to do the thing you always wanted to to do. Invest in YOU. Now, starting a business is not without endless hours of hard work, dedication and commitment. The word SACRIFICE will become your friend, LOL! Keep your eyes glued to what motivates you, the thing that's gonna keep you going when you're tired, broke, or hell, you just don't feel like it! That's what's gonna get you through the rough spots.

Lastly, many creative folks divorce "business" from "art"; all artists MUST be in control of their business in order to succeed. Use the same creativity you use in your art to create your art and apply it to the business side of things! After a while, business--and all things money-- won't be so intimidating.

XO Tanya XO

TANYA WRIGHT plays the role of DEPUTY KENYA JONES on HBO'S TRUE BLOOD. She is the writer/director of the upcoming indie feature BUTTERFLY RISING and author of the book of the same name.

http://www.butterflyrisingthemovie.com/

http://twitter.com/tanyaTTwright

FAITH, LOVE AND GRATITUDE : what I learned about the horrific death of 8 year old Leiby Kletzky

Like most New Yorkers, I was shocked and deeply saddened by the extreme death of 8 year old Leiby Kletzky. As he was walking to meet his mother, he lost his way and asked the wrong person for directions—Levi Aron allegedly killed and dismembered the boy, storing his remains in his refrigerator and disposing the rest in a nearby dumpster. Folks say it's “every parents nightmare,” but you don't have to be a parent (I'm not) to feel the impact of the brutal slaying of this innocent young boy.

This made me think: do we EVER know what's really going on with people? In the depths of their hearts, minds and souls? Their fears? The thoughts they think, the things they do in the quiet hours of the dark? Chilling.

The thing that really, really moved me, however, was the statement given by the Leiby's parents:

...we are forever grateful and thankful to Hashem (G-d). We would also like to express to each and every individual -- to our friends and neighbors and our fellow New Yorkers and to all the volunteers and to all the agencies from the local, city, state, and federal, who assisted us above and beyond physically, emotionally, and spiritually -- and to all from around the world, who had us in their thoughts and prayers.

From the depths of our mourning hearts, THANK YOU!

The fact that Nachman and Esther Kletzky would express GRATITUDE to God, friends, neighbors at such a time in their lives is a true testament of their FAITH. When I read the statement, I was stunned. It was like their hearts burst so wide open they turned inside out and the result was---gratitude. And love.

WOW.

My 83 year old grandmother died the week before little Leiby-- she was, indeed, the great love of my life! I have learned so much from Nachman and Esther and I am grateful to them for teaching me, in their simple message, the true meaning of Faith. It is perhaps the hardest thing to cultivate—the most extreme of life's human lessons—but if we can dig a little deeper past the pain and grief...

THANK YOU.

XO Tanya XO

www.butterflyrisingthemovie.com

TANYA WRIGHT plays the role of DEPUTY KENYA JONES on HBO'S TRUE BLOOD. She is the writer/director of the upcoming indie feature BUTTERFLY RISING and author of the book of the same name. Follow her on twitter @tanyaTTwright!

RECESSION? WHAT recession? One thing an artist can rely on is that their jobs WILL come to an end

I was just thinking how this recession is impacting artists-- if at all. In times like these, you might seem tempted to chuck those lofty dreams of changing the world through your song or your dance and do something more-- I dare say practical. Stable. Reliable?

The truth is, we need art now more than ever. Artists are—and have always been—on the front lines of society. The ones who are questioning The Establishment on How Things Are Done. The ones who are creating alternative means to-- well, just about anything! Traditional modes of distribution for the artists—via publishing, music and movies-- are crumbling all around us. There's more opportunity now for an artist to connect with their audience than there ever has been!

All this got me to thinking: how is the recession affecting YOU? I mean, the truth is, EVERY job that an artist has is finite. Every one. All the time. Whether you're an actor on a TV series or a feature film, a designer for a book or a musician on a gig, there is always a beginning and—you can be sure-- an end to your job. Finite endings are built into the profession of the artist! It ain't for most folks but, for some of us, there's just nothing else we can do but our art and so we endure those indefinite periods of “unemployment”--whether it be a few days, months or years.

What do YOU do in your “down” time? And how is this recession affecting you and your life?

TANYA WRIGHT plays the role of DEPUTY KENYA JONES on HBO'S TRUE BLOOD. She is the writer/director of the upcoming indie feature BUTTERFLY RISING and author of the book of the same name. Follow her on twitter @tanyaTTwright!

Empty Pockets, Full Belly: My early days in LA as an actress...

When I came out to Los Angeles from New York to pursue a career in acting, I was dirt poor. I mean, so poor that when the earthquake of 1994 hit, I couldn't buy a gallon of water. I'd been drinking it out the tap (don't look at me like that. That's how we do it in NYC!) until somebody told me that LA water was the worse there was. And LA water after an earthquake is nothing short of poison. I couldn't scrape together enough money from the couch to even buy a no-frills distilled brand of H2O, so I resigned myself to boiling a pot-full of agua on my rickety fire- hazard- of -a hot -plate, 'cause the room I was shackin' in didn't come with a kitchen. Or a closet. Or a bathtub, for that matter. But no matter. As long as I had some heat, I could burn. And burn I did. I fried chicken, stewed lentils (a bag cost a whopping .79 cents and it could feed you for a week!) Anything that required the use of an oven was not an option (I don't like what microwaves do to food). Nothing would stop me from making good food. Most meals centered around the old college staple: Ramen Noodles. Did you know that you can put almost anything in Ramen Noodles? Cut up some onions, a can of tuna and a dash of salt and pepper and you got something resembling a tuna casserole. Veggies are cheap enough (and healthy too!) and, with a few lesser cuts from the chicken (backs are cheapest), you've got just enough protein to make a full-fledged meal. When I had a little left over from paying the rent on my $314.50 apartment, I splurged and took myself out to a meal. But I couldn't go far, 'cause I didn't own a car. No sweat in any other urban metropolis, but in Los Angeles, it's virtually impossible to get from one end of town to the other without a car and not spending the whole light of day doing it. But I let nothing get in my way of my pursuit of Good Food. It's true then. It is true now. It will be true always.