Life & Work with Tiaqua Howard of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiaqua Howard.

Hi Tiaqua, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I moved to California from Grand Rapids, Michigan in 2014 with my 5 month old son and my mother, leaving behind college and the familiarity of home to pursue something I couldn’t yet fully name. Creativity had always been present in my life, but it took time and courage to trust it as a real path.

I started out pursuing acting, then found my way back into music, where storytelling became central to my process. Writing music video treatments opened the door to filmmaking for me; the stories I was imagining wanted more space than a song could hold. That realization led me to screenwriting around 2020, and in 2021 I wrote my first short film, which I produced and directed the following year.

Each step clarified my voice and solidified my commitment to storytelling, ultimately guiding me to where I am today, building work thoughtfully while continuing to grow within the industry

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?
It hasn’t been a smooth road, but it has been a meaningful one. Moving to Los Angeles came with a learning curve; creatively, culturally, and personally. I had to adjust to a new pace, new expectations, and the reality that building genuine community in a competitive industry takes time and intention.

There were moments that tested my confidence and patience, especially early on, but those experiences taught me how to move with clarity instead of comparison. Over time, I learned to prioritize alignment over urgency and to build relationships rooted in trust rather than proximity. Those lessons have shaped not only how I navigate the industry, but how I show up as a collaborator and leader today.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
At the core of my work, I’m a filmmaker, writer, and producer who specializes in emotionally grounded storytelling that centers complex, often overlooked perspectives, particularly unambiguous Black women navigating power, intimacy, and identity. My creative work lives at the intersection of narrative and intention, whether I’m developing films, documentaries, or episodic concepts. I also recently fell in love with writing comedy, getting out of my comfort zone of only writing serious stories so I’m excited to see how my crafts blossoms in other genres.

Alongside my creative practice, I work at Warner Bros. Discovery and serve on their BOLD (Black Outstanding Leaders Delivering) Board, where I help lead programs and events that spotlight internal talent, foster community, and create culturally resonant spaces within the studio. That duality, moving between creative storytelling and institutional leadership has become a defining part of my career.

I’m most proud of building a sustainable, aligned path in an industry that often pressures creatives to choose visibility over longevity. Recently, that has included contributing to award-recognized board initiatives within Warner Bros. and pitching an internal film festival that has been greenlit and will take place this April which is an event that I’m passionate about because it’s rooted in providing visibility and access to people like myself who go on to work at legendary production houses with hopes of being discovered and seen.

What sets me apart is my ability to understand both the creative and structural sides of the industry. I don’t just tell stories; I understand how environments are built to support them. That perspective informs everything I do, from the way I develop characters to the way I create opportunities for others and it’s what continues to shape my long term vision as a filmmaker and creative leader.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I’ve learned to see luck as opportunity meeting preparedness. There have been moments of good timing, conversations, encouragement from the right people, doors opening just when I was ready to walk away from them, but those moments only mattered because of the work that came before them.

There have also been seasons that felt like bad luck, where progress was slower or paths didn’t unfold the way I expected. Looking back, many of those moments were actually periods of refinement. They taught me patience, discernment, and how to build sustainably rather than burning out on the proverbial hamster wheel of success.

In both life and business, I’ve found that staying consistent, curious, and open creates room for luck to show up. I don’t rely on it, but I respect it and as a spiritual person who believes in manifestation and speaking things into existence, I try to be ready when it does.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theonlytiaqua?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiaqua-howard-249b74275?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_ios
• Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm14045170/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

Image Credits
Royce Hall