Today we’d like to introduce you to Tessie McCoy.
Hi Tessie, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born and raised in Sumter, South Carolina. It’s a small town with not much going on and as a kid, I didn’t really think much about what I would do as an adult. I loved tv and movies but the idea of being able to have any involvement in that world was so far from the scope of what I thought was possible based on my environment. I eventually turned to writing when I was 12 after the unexpected loss of my mom. But still, I never thought my writing would take me anywhere. It was just what I did to get my emotions out and I never ever shared anything I wrote with anyone including my family. Finally one day at 25 years old, my friends and family pushed me to perform my poetry at an open mic. I finished my poem and opened my eyes to a standing ovation. That moment was the most alive I had ever felt to that point but mainly due to fear, I still didn’t think that I had any real future as a writer. I had a full-time job answering phones in a call center and worked my way up to a promotion in a marketing position which included a move to the Bay Area, CA. As I settled into life in the Bay, I was content to work in my corporate job and just do poetry on the side sometimes. After performing at my first open mic in Oakland, that feeling that I had the first time I ever performed came back and I knew I was in the wrong profession. I knew that I was going to have to figure out a way to go all in and pursue my passion full time. The pandemic presented me with the perfect opportunity. At the end of 2020, I left my job with a severance package and committed to betting on myself. I enrolled in a scriptwriting class online with UCLA, I took online trainings, I studied, I googled, I launched my LLCs, and I wrote tv and film scripts!
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?
The biggest struggle of my life began when I was 12 with the loss of my mom, who was my biggest supporter and my everything. The loss was sudden and unexpected and it crushed me to say the least. I was in my late 20’s before I ever went to therapy to address the issues that I had stemming from losing her. I had dreams that I was afraid to chase because I thought there was no way that someone like me, with all my issues, would be able to accomplish them. I lacked self-confidence and really struggled to believe in myself and my abilities. Through therapy, I gradually pulled myself out of the hole I had been in for almost 15 years. Once my life was aligned spiritually and mentally, that’s when things started to shift for me, leading to the road I’m on now. It’s still not all smooth sailing but the bumps are much less frequent and I’m grateful to be where I am today. I owe it all to God and the amazing village of people he placed in my path.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Currently, I own True Opportunities Of Greatness, LLC which includes an apparel line as well as my writing workshops that I facilitate in schools with middle – high school aged children. I also own Crown Me Tessie, LLC, under which I wrote, produced, and directed my first short film to be released in 2022. Going into 2022, I plan on seeking out ways to get funding to continue to produce my projects.
I am also a self-published author. I released my first book of poetry, Wilderness, in 2018 and my second book is complete and I plan to release Q2 or Q3 of 2022.
In addition to my individual endeavors, I also serve as the project/production manager for Gold Beams, an organization founded here in the Bay whose focus is curating spaces that support Black creators making a career from their art.
What makes you happy?
Creating and having the time and space to create makes me happy. I feel like most of my life I spent trying to avoid my creativity because I was so afraid that other people wouldn’t get it or they’d think what I was doing was dumb and that I was dumb for doing it and I would fail. Or that people would like my ideas and want me to do more and I wouldn’t be able to live up to the expectation I had created. So I really wasted so much time worrying and overthinking that I suppressed the best parts of myself. So now, just having this past year to solely focus on creating and expanding on whatever ideas came into my head has been the happiest I’ve ever been. I pray that I never have to reenter the workforce in a field that doesn’t allow me this type of creative freedom.
Contact Info:
- Email: crownmetessie.bookings@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.trueopportunitiesofgreatness.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crownme_tessie/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CrownMeTessie/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/CrownMe_Tessie
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8MRsqfxy5xu-7z2L0xa0mA
Image Credits:
Dorean Raye, Carlos Ochoa
