Today we’d like to introduce you to Delina Patrice Brooks aka DelinaDream.
Hi Delina, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
The performing arts has always been a precious part of my life, even if not the primary focus. From aspiring to be Janet Jackson as a child, to playing clarinet and piano at my middle school of the arts, to discovering spoken word and studying African dance as an adult, I have always been called to music, dance and performance. Subconsciously, I always knew I wanted a career in the arts but because I didn’t really believe it was viable for me, I held a million other jobs – at a stock brokerage firm, a law firm, a hair salon – until I could no longer deny the call to write and produce my own work. After doing that on the local community scale for several years, I gained the courage to pack up and move to Hollywood to play in the big leagues!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My road hasn’t been straight and narrow, but more of a hexagonal prism! And honestly, the road is still being shaped. I’m still forming it. And I find that my struggles are mostly internal. As a creator and a spiritual being, I understand that my entire life is a dance with the Creator, wherein I must fully lean into the inspiration however it comes to me, enough to follow it through to completion. A story or script, a song, a choreographic piece, it is my only responsibility to see it through to the end. The struggle then is to remain grounded and true to myself, and yet malleable for Spirit to continue having its way with me. It’s to be able to sift through rejection and criticism to find the lessons that are meant to grow me. To elevate my career. There is no getting around rejection and criticism as a writer-producer, so we must keep working to manifest the vision we have for ourselves and find mentors and decision-makers who are not only experienced and successful but actually SEE us, who value what we bring to the table, the vision we have for ourselves, our point of view and all those things that make us unique – and marketable for success on this road! So, I guess the obstacles are rejection and harmful criticism. And the struggle is figuring out how to read into them. Truly though, at the heart of it all, it’s still a spiritual practice.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a self-producing artist with 10+ years of experience writing, producing and directing independent theater and a film series. I write grounded, female-driven dramedies about family and friendship. And, given my long history as an African dancer and cross-disciplinary performer, I naturally marry story with music. Since moving here, I’ve supported two TV veterans – a Director and a Showrunner – for a combined two years, seven shows, and a dozen studio and network pitches! During my time with these bosses/mentors, I was able to see how pitching and producing a television show is not unlike writing grant proposals and producing a stage play. Of course, the stakes (and budgets) are much, much higher, but what it requires to entice decision-makers to invest in your idea, to understand the importance of accepting notes during the writing process, and to assemble and cultivate an empowered design team – all of the steps required to fully execute a creative vision – are the same! The skillset translates and that’s what I feel most prepares me as well as excites me about making a home for myself here. Everything I have done in the Bay and everything I continue to learn in LA prepares me for the next part of my journey as a writer-producer in this industry. Let the dance continue!
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
The most seminal books of my life and work have been For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf, Renaissance Soul, and The Celestine Prophecy. These books informed my sensibilities as a Black woman, a writer and a creative early on and are part of the foundational compass and confidence with which I continue to walk on this path. I also recommend listening to my upcoming EP, “Fall (into yourself)” dropping on 4/3/21.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.delinadream.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/delinadream
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/delinadream
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/A9oL8fShtYHMpmEV7
Image Credits:
Photos by Bethanie Hines
