Meet Holli Rae of The Goddess Project in The Valley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Holli Rae.

Holli, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I grew up in L.A. and was always drawn towards the arts. From a young age I loved making things, exploring different mediums and using fashion as a way to express myself. My first job when I was 14 was at a women’s clothing boutique. I started as a shopkeeper and soon became a stylist, buyer, and visual merchandiser. I really enjoyed putting together outfits and creating an experience that helped the customers feel beautiful and ready to take on the world.

As a teenager, I was looking for inspiration and insight into the possibilities of what I could become in life, but I didn’t know any adults who had a career in the arts. I was told that being an artist was sort of a lofty dream and I’d be better off pursuing something more practical. I looked for role models in movies and magazines, but the women in mainstream media were often reduced to sexual objects, drama queens, submissive housewives, and damsels in distress. You rarely saw stories of empowered artists, makers, mothers, businesswomen or scholars living their dreams on their own terms.

I was determined to carve a path so I applied for a scholarship competition and won a full ride to go to art school in San Francisco. I started wearing different hats from creative director to graphic designer to stylist, and spent a lot of time dressing everyday people as well as models and talent on sets. It was eye opening to see that even the most conventionally beautiful were almost always self-conscious about their image. These experiences gave me a behind the scenes look at the media, fashion and beauty worlds, and how their casting, photoshopping and advertising tactics impact women.

My friends and I would talk about how frustrating this was. We knew so many amazing, diverse, multi-faceted ladies and wondered why there weren’t stories and images that represented them in movies and magazines? During this time, my roommate Sara and I had been creating short films and music videos together and these conversations sparked the idea for a bigger dream. While neither of us had made a feature film before, we felt called to combine our skills to try and create a movie to highlight some of the voices and stories that were missing from mainstream media. We took a leap of faith, sold everything we owned, and raised over ten thousand dollars on Kickstarter.

After a series of serendipitous events, we packed our lives into a beautifully painted school bus to hit the road filming women. Together we learned how to make a movie from scratch and wore all the hats of a production crew. From San Francisco to New York, we spontaneously met people everywhere we went and sat down with hundreds of women from all walks of life. Six transformative months, 10,000 miles, and over 100 women interviewed later, we were out of funds and naive to how expensive making a film like this would be.

We then moved back to L.A. and had a second Kickstarter campaign over one very intense and sleepless month raising another $50k to finish the movie. We knew there were a lack of opportunities for women in the industry so it was important for us to hire an all-girl team. This was a challenge because it was difficult to find female animators, composers and colorists in an industry that was dominated by men. We spent months searching the internet and ended up collaborating with amazing artists around the world that helped take the film to the next level.

The finished documentary required an incredible amount of dedication and perseverance to produce, but in the end the impact has been worth it. The Goddess Project has since screened at over 500 film festivals, movie theaters and events around the world inspiring and empowering people of all genders. We learned a lot about ourselves, the experiences of others, so many valuable skills, and how to navigate the industry as indie filmmakers.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The road has not been smooth, and I think that’s the case whenever we step outside of our comfort zones to pursue something challenging. Since the conception of the idea to make a film, the goal was always to reach as many women as possible in as many languages as possible. But then this big, beautiful vision to make a grassroots movie with a positive global impact – became a really ambitious (and expensive) dream.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars and over five years were invested to make the documentary. Then once the film was completed, we learned that distributing a movie also requires being a specialized business with a lifetime of expenses like insurance and legal fees even after the project is released. Not to mention the translation, video coding and distribution of each new language costs thousands of dollars.

We have always felt a social responsibility to share these stories and have wanted to give the film out for free for a long time, but the truth is – we weren’t sure how we would cover the expenses of having it out in the world. The project has been sustained so far by screening licenses, DVD & VOD sales, but at the same time, the cost to watch the film has been a barrier for many people in hard places – and we want everyone to be able to access this inspiration. This is an incredible time for women in the world, and we need these stories now more than ever.

It was a leap of faith to make this documentary and it is a leap of faith to start to offer it for free, but this is more than just a movie, and we didn’t set out to make this as a “business.” The Goddess Project is a resource for empowerment, a tool for healing, and a scrapbook of inspiration that can uplift millions of women and girls around the world.

If there is one thing I’ve learned throughout this journey, it’s that if you trust your intuition and let your heart guide you, the universe will show up to support you in profound ways.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
Throughout my career, I’ve worked as a producer, director, creative consultant, production designer, editor, stylist, and graphic artist. Last year I did a lot of public speaking and also started mentoring young female filmmakers through a summer program with Women’s Voices Now and Global Girl Media. I’m grateful that I’ve had the opportunity to travel internationally with my work and I love sharing what I’ve learned to help empower other women and creatives pursuing careers in the arts.

Right now I am in pre-production for a new series and also taking on creative projects for clients. I’m most passionate about traveling, empowering communities, crafting stories and curating visuals, so I’m currently exploring the mediums of film, styling, interior and event design to create experiences and spaces that leave a positive impact on people.

What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?

To see humans from different walks of life around the world laughing, crying or being moved by something you’ve made is an incredible feeling. A couple of years ago, I had the opportunity to travel to a women’s prison to share The Goddess Project. I never imagined I’d be able to reach women behind bars, but seeing how uplifted they were after watching the film was one of the most beautiful moments of my life. We often set out to make things that we hope will impact others, and sometimes the possibilities will surprise you. I’m proud that I’ve been able to create work that will hopefully live beyond me and reach people for generations to come.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thegoddessproject.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/thegoddessproject
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/thegoddessproject
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/thegoddessfilm
• YouTube: www.youtube.com/thegoddessfilm

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