We recently had the chance to connect with E’lon Joi and have shared our conversation below.
Hi E’lon, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What are you chasing, and what would happen if you stopped?
I think at the root of every creative venture, especially if you’ve relocated outside of your home town, is to assess risk verses reward. For me, moving to LA to work in entertainment has meant missing several milestones for loved ones or not being able to be in community during seasons where people need in-person support the most. For these reasons, I always have to stay in touch with my “why” that fuels me and makes occasional sacrifice worthwhile. Nothing is able to light my fire the way creating and serving does, and it has to be both! I learned that whether I have a big audience, or a small one, I’m chasing creative inspiration and release, community collaboration, and artistic servitude.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a writer, director, educator and community curator! When I’m not working on independent projects or teaching Screenwriting and Creative Writing to my undergrad and grad students, I’m joyfully providing opportunities for filmmakers at my 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Black Film Allegiance. BFA facilitates collaboration and creative opportunity for up-and-coming filmmakers of color by featuring their creative content, promoting crowdfunding efforts, and sharing resources and job options available to our community.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
Modesty. Let me explain. I used to think that the totality of modest behavior was humility, deference, and uplifting others, but there was a crucial piece of that defining quality that I had adopted that needed to be removed: “a moderate view of one’s own worth.” I had become accustomed to making my presence or impact smaller, favoring spaces behind the scenes in order to better shine light on others. However, I’ve now learned to TAKE UP SPACE. I can have the duality of humility while maintaining pride in the efforts I’m pursuing and the community I help uplift. This has prevented me from pouring from an empty cup, provided better momentum around my work, and encouraged me to keep space for myself. That mixture of visibility and vulnerability has now attracted greater opportunity for the collective I represent. The relationship between valuing self and uplifting others is significantly more symbiotic than I first thought.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
I think the fast-changing entertainment industry, post pandemic climate, and world chaos has created a sense of urgency for all of us to just “do the thing.” Whatever the “thing” is for you. I personally endured some health difficulties over the last few years that forced me to completely put my work on pause. It was the most painful thing for me to do because while my mind was still active and had the desire to be productive, I simply couldn’t perform. The physical started to impact the mental, and the mental hurt the creative. For someone that’s fueled by passion, ideas, and creativity, this was like becoming the walking dead. Now that I’ve been blessed with wellness, never in my life have I felt more aligned with purpose, more charged to deliver, more excited to have the physical and mental ability to do what I LOVE. I have such a joy around my work now because I had to recommit myself to it. I had to silence all other noise, all human instincts of survivalism, to ignore the pull towards what’s considered a more sensible trade, and just “do the thing” anyway. Creatives must create.
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 are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
The biggest lie is that there is a reliable content guide for what sells and what doesn’t at any given time. Even with the best researchers and data around, only humans know what humans need/think/feel. The creative instinct is being denied by the industry obsession to seek and invest in “sure things.” Writers are told to create content from a list of company goals to increase their chance of gaining opportunity, often writing outside of their own interests to secure the gig. Both execs and reps must communicate these directives, but only have whatever information is available to them at that time. What’s of the now or most desired, can literally change after one meeting, making all previous leads outdated. It has become increasingly difficult to predict outcomes, worsening the fear based investment strategies. The TRUTH: originality, resonance, narrative honesty, and being in tune with the zeitgeist matters more than fulfilling a prompt. That is our job, to be vessels using our stories to address the ever-changing human experience.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. When do you feel most at peace?
My creativity comes from God, so I’m most at peace when I’m in a space of spiritual alignment. I really appreciated when The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron became en vogue again because it highlights this feeling that I know so well. The entire creation of the universe is divine. The correlation between how the human body functions, how the galaxy moves, the breath-taking beauty that your brain can’t even fathom and your camera fully can’t capture…reconnecting with The Creator creates almost a sense of sensory/emotional memory that we’re all creative people by design, we just have to tap into our gifts. When I need to access that innate calling, I reach out into nature, connect my body to it and listen. Not only does it do wonders for the nervous system, create space from technology for a moment, but also allows you to heal, cleanse, and dream.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://BFAllegiance.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bfallegiance/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/black-film-allegiance
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BFAllegiance
Image Credits
Capital City Black Film Festival
Sista Brunch Podcast
Reel Connect/Black Film Allegiance
