We recently had the chance to connect with Makena Metz and have shared our conversation below.
Makena, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What do you think others are secretly struggling with—but never say?
Right now, I think most everyone I know is secretly struggling with fear. We tend not to talk about fear as a whole – who wants to know what we’re afraid of when we scroll highlight reels of people’s wins on social media on the daily? No one’s posting about their fears to show off the bad with the good. But I think most artists struggle with fear and our relationship to fear. In this current moment, feeling fear on the daily makes sense, but we don’t need to secretly struggle with it.
Right now, many of my entertainment industry friends and colleagues are in survival mode. People are afraid they won’t find work, or won’t be able to pay bills, or that their creative careers are dead in the water. We’re also simultaneously affected by the news on a bigger scale, so much so that “doomscrolling” has become the norm. We all seem to be struggling with fear on a daily basis, both on a macro and micro level, and honestly? It’s a miracle anyone is even functional.
So why do we not talk about our fears? It’s a primal emotion, one that controls us more than we control it. Maybe some people are afraid that if we acknowledge our fears, they will come true; maybe some people carry shame about feeling afraid at all. However, by pursuing our goals in direct opposition to, or even in spite of our fears, we can stop the secret struggle to mask our emotions and pretend everything is fine. We have to combat our fears with the ability to articulate what we’re afraid of and then find a way to acknowledge those fears and let them go.
Yes, I am afraid of my own mortality, the lizards that get in the house, my art being irrelevant, the current political climate, my dog dying, and many other things on a daily basis. But by talking about those fears, they weigh less and less; by pursuing joy in my life, those fears become incorporeal. We all carry fear – and that’s okay.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a writer and songwriter for the page, screen, and stage. I also am an editor and teacher! I primarily write speculative fiction and comedy, and I love building worlds, creating intersectional characters with humor and heart, and telling stories about reclaiming your perceived weaknesses as your strengths.
I am currently working on a young adult fantasy book that will hopefully be going on submission soon! I also recently released the first track “The Road Rage Song” of my debut musical comedy EP “Songs for My Therapist” – track two is dropping later this November. In addition, I’m co-writing another book, working on several musicals, writing television pilots for animation and live action, and submitting my first full length book of poetry.
Yes, that sounds like a lot – but I love switching between mediums because it tickles my ADHD brain. Also, I’ve found that writing poetry informs my songwriting, writing plays and musicals informs the dialogue in my screenplays, and writing TV and film informs how I approach writing prose, and so on and so forth and vice versa. Writing in different mediums can help your craft become stronger because you learn different things from each form, which hones your writing into successful storytelling.
To hire me as a writer, editor, or teacher, check out my website makenametz.com
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
When I was a child, I believed that I was on “the right path,” which is a vague idiom our parents tell us to help us believe we’re special. Now as an adult, I don’t really believe that there IS a right path – there are paths and some of them lead left, some of them lead right, some through the woods, some over volcanoes, and some circle right back home.
Our society tells us that by following textbook steps, you too can attain happiness! We’re kids, we go to school, we grow up, get a job, get married, have our own kids, middle life crisis, retirement, and then we die. Why are these the stereotypes that we teach children? I’d want my future kids to know that there is no right path! In fact, most paths forward take you three steps back – or stop at really aggravating dead ends.
I believe in our complex and layered world, there is no one right path, there is only the path that’s right for you. How can you tell you’re on that path? I don’t think you’ll ever really know. But do a little stress test by asking yourself if the current path you’re walking is making you happy or if you’re just doing what someone else expects you to be doing. There are no rules on the path of life. We’re allowed to step off the path and into the grass, even when the signs tell us not to trample the lawn.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering teaches you resilience, which is an extremely important skill to hone. By suffering through failures, heartbreaks, or even medical crises, I learned tenacity, which nine times out of ten, counts for way more than talent.
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 my industry tells itself at the moment is that we need AI to tell human stories. I am an artist that is firmly against using AI for writing, editing, acting, songwriting, animating, and any other discipline created by human beings.
The use of AI in the humanities should be a larger concern – literacy rates in this country have been trending down and the latency in critical thinking upon the use of AI is already being studied! People cannot become reliant on machines to think or create for them. We can only understand the world by participating in our reality and by using AI, people adhere to a manufactured reality that separates themselves from the truth of living, and the truth of being flawed human beings – ones who can discover because of imperfection.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. When do you feel most at peace?
I love taking my dog Winnie to the dog park. There’s something about being outside in nature, seeing my pup with a happy smile, and chatting with strangers who also love dogs that’s been really healing.
In our world, it’s hard to find time to get off your computer and go outside, touch some grass, and feel the sunlight. But when people isolate themselves behind their phone screens, they miss connecting with other humans who also desperately want connection.
I’m not saying that getting a dog will cure your depression – though my dog helped with mine. But by taking your dog to the dog park, you’re forced to interact with other people, breathe in fresh air, and take a moment to just be. There’s something therapeutic about the dog park, and when I’m there watching all the dogs play and sniff and frolic, that’s when I feel most at peace.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.makenametz.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makenametz/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/makena-metz/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakenaMetzWrites/
- Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@makenametz8881
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@makenametz
https://www.threads.com/@makenametz
https://open.spotify.com/artist/3tnpgRfvovfyBPQAr94lQO?si=SSMxgDwbTTGoQ-9slyGlig
Image Credits
N/A but please credit the album art with “Illustrated by Beca Gimenez.”
