Are Reality Stars "Victims" of Exploitation or are They Truly Unaware?

I recently read a post by Reality TV Executive Producer, Tracey Baker-Simmons (producer of The Houstons, and Being Bobby Brown); a women I have grown to admire and respect in the business! 

She writes about reality TV stars, and in my opinion, forces the viewer to differentiate between reality TV producers who "exploit" people's lives in a negative way and the individuals who are truly unaware of their fatal flaws until exposed on camera.  I think she makes very valid points and this article is something future reality TV producers should read and certainly the viewers to gain a different perspective.  What are your thoughts? 

http://creatingrealitytv.blogspot.com/2014/11/are-reality-stars-really-that.html?m=1

~Tracey Baker-Simmons (Executive Producer)

Check out my latest interview on ABC's Here and Now show

I'm feeling  very blessed!  God is allowing me to spread the word about the current film I am directing/producing and at the same time I'm doing His work; helping to bring healing and light to pain and darkness.  I'm #grateful.

Here is the interview here: 

http://7online.com/364664/

Win prizes and be a guest on The Positive Controversy!

Hi Friends and Fam! 

Wanna win prizes? Then join the challenge!  

Then Catch up on our show, The Positive Controversy and be prepared to answer questions to win!

Watch to find out what Kristen L. Pope and the panel  of guests had to say about Kanye, Macklemore, Kendrick Lamar and more! Watch all of season 1's 6 episodes!  Lastly, stay tuned to see how you can be a special guest on our show! 

WATCH NOW! 

http://kristenlpope.com/category/positive-controversy/season-1/

Pushing Past Overwhelmingness - Words of Wisdom From a Few Ambitious Women

Can there be LIFE BALANCE?

I have been feeling overwhelmed for a while now; about 2-3 months now.  I believed its because I had too many things going on all at once. During this time I'd think, Well, how does Tyler Perry, Oprah and Shonda Rhimes do everything that they do?  These three are my models; my benchmarks.  I stressed myself to find a way to push past the overpowering feeling of overwhelmingness.  After 2 vacations I still felt overwhelmed and became very unproductive.  I tried listening to inspirational messages from TD Jake's series on "Instinct" and they were good.  Very Good.  Admittedly, they inspired me and that feeling lasted for 2-3 hours after listening to them.  So I prayed.  It wasn't until this past Wednesday that I felt a change leading me back to my normal passionate grind and hustle.  Every Wednesday, I and 3 other very motivated and driven women lead an 1 hour "Girltalk" on Twitter.  I realize that I'd been chosen to lead the chat and that the topic was "The Balancing Act: How to Balance it All!"  "Who? Me?  Why would the group choose me for this topic?  I am not the person to have this conversation with a bunch of driven ambitious women.  I don't even know what probing questions to ask? Grrr"
 
Disclaimer:  I am not usually a person who is unproductive.  I get's things done! Usually, I can work 8 hours, love my husband, teach my kid math, reading, and do an art project, then cook a 3 course dinner, wash and fold 2 loads of clothes, workout, take a few phone calls for leisure, write pages of a script, take a prayer call, then put my son to bed, after bathing and reading him a book.  People have wondered how I get so much done in the day! I believe God stops time for about 4 hours each day; only for me.   Lately, however, I've felt like I've had only 14 hour days.

Thank God I lead this topic!  This weeks, "Girltalk" really helped.  It was my prayer answered.  It was the very thing I needed to feel re-energized and back on point!  Focused!  I want to share with you a few takeaways that helped to re-focus.  Life Coach, Dee Marshall joined in the chat and really had some words of wisdom about living in Harmony and not balance.  She said, "Until you reverse perpetual cycles of disorder, you will experience failure/defeat!"  In fact, just hearing great words of wisdom from all of the women who joined the chat, helped me to change my daily planning!  Dee Marshall said, "Begin with plan according to HIGHEST priorities and evaluating everything based on my gauge, motive and intention and expected outcome!  In my heart, I know I know to prioritize.  But, what I'd been missing lately is gauging what the highest priority is based on timeline.  My good friend and Women of Power, Kristen Pope said, "Each day presents a new set of challenges.  No day is like the last.  I think where I went wrong is by keeping the same list of priorities and not allowing my highest priority to affect what I did each day.  My priorities were changing based on my timelines but I was not changing.  I was making everything a priority.  I was stressing over what I couldn't finish.  I wasn't getting much sleep because I felt like I should be tackling things on my to do list. I was headed for disaster! What many of the ladies said helped me!

In case you are struggling, you can relate to this.  If not, then at least you can understand where I am coming from.  My biggest takeaway is that we must communicate with like minded people when we are struggling with our dreams and passions.  More than likely, people have been through the same thing and some have found resolutions they can pass on to help you! 

 

Where Social Activism Meets Art: My God, The Creator and Me.

You've probably already heard that I am writing/directing a documentary with a dear friend of mine KT Nelson, but if you haven't it's called, Face of Darkness- Journey to Healing.

I always know when I am working on a God project.  He gives me something to do; I mean a really grand idea, that I have absolutely NO experience with.  Then, as I am doing it, seemingly the blind leading the blind...He takes the blinders off and shows me how He has been with me all along, leading me every step of the way through it's creation.  By the end of every milestone, I can take NO credit for the successes.  But, He's so thoughtful, that He allows me to receive the credit, little awards in his honor, that really showcases me and not Him at all.  When I notice what He's done...I just shake my head and smile.  I thank Him for growing me in my creativity, my exposure and enlarging my border.  I thank Him for helping me to become the best creator (in his image and likeness), the best director, and producer, that I can be. 

My process has been interesting.  God always uses my creative abilities and uses them while interestingly mixing them with experiences I've lived through to tell about Him and His goodness.  He's a creator and made me in His image, therefore I create.  I've promised to do His will and therefore I tithe my God given talents to Him and I try to live as a witness for Him!

That's what I've been doing with this project Face of Darkness - Journey to Healing.  The objective was to create a film, yes.  But one that helps to heal, motivate and inspire people through and to God. 


In the video below, my partner and I discuss what drew us to do this project.  Our personal experiences with mental illness and how God is using us to spread his healing love!

Check out the Interview on The Positive Controversy with Kristen Pope.


Black Men: Mental Illness, Depression and Suicide (Episode 3)

Answers to My Prayers are Rarely Delivered in the Packaging I've Imagined

I'm always flabbergasted by God's show of love to me.  I'm equally always amazed by how my prayers are answered.  Answers to my prayers are rarely delivered in the packaging I've imagined they'd come in.   Instead, the big reveal is always one that reminds me that God should receive all the credit and it had nothing to do with me!  In fact, I'm often reminded to stop putting so much trust in people and/or potential hiring authorities...and that He alone will give me the skills and experiences I need and more, if I just trust in him for the things I've prayed for.

God has been blessing me to develop in areas that I thought only entertainment/media companies could help me grow in.  Every area that I need to grow in; Directing, Writing and Producing, he has been providing opportunities through what appears to be - randomness.  The opportunities have not come through some major firm either.   NOPE!  They have come through very special people or situations that have presented themselves to me.

God is so funny with his revelations too.  Lately, he's been working on my confidence in the skill-set area.  He is showing me by using random, high-level execs in media, that I didn't think of my skill-set highly enough! 

First, he showed me not long ago when I was preparing my resume for a particular resume, and I asked a friend at NBCU if she thought I should enter "entry level".  She was confused.  She said, you have too much experience to be considered entry level.

"Oh," I thought...

Then, I had an informational interview with one Head of Development to help me figure out the direction I wanted to go, to which he said: "Well, I've never produced or directed anything before...you need to figure out if you want to be and executive in the Matrix or your own Tyler Perry.

Wow...he really put things into perspective for me. "Executive?"  Yes, Executive! After I thought through his words, in dawned on me that in essence, he was saying,  "I can't do what you can do, though I am a head of a development team..." 

Talking about a boost of confidence in directing and producing!

I remembered having a talk with an executive at Nickelodeon and saying, I really want to write and be a show-runner for my own shows.  Then, God recently revealed to me that he has been allowing me to do just that with The Positive Controversy's talk-show with Kristen Pope!  Weekly, I am responsible for helping to come up with story ideas, find talent, pre-production planning, stay within budget, work and organize crews, direct the production and be a story teller in the post-production.  I immediately went to Kristen Pope (Executive Producer and host) to thank her, and make her aware that she'd been a part of God's plan to help me fulfill one of my dreams.  In a million years, I hadn't thought she, the face of Pope Productions would be the one to help me grow as a showrunner and director! GOD!!!

I'm crying right now, because when I think of the goodness of God, and all he is doing for me, in my life and my career...I just want to scream a very loud, "I KNOW IT IS YOU! I GET IT. THANK'S SOOOO MUCH!"

So, I am just going along for this awesome ride, trusting God fully knowing that he is closing and opening doors for me.  Yes closing.  He is closing all the wrong doors.  The ones that will take me off course.

Anyway, as for continued inspiration...

I actually go to a recent show I produced/directed and get my daily fix if I need too!

Feel free to view it if you need a dose of inspiration too by clicking on the link below!

How Dawn Archer Inspires Me!


Love y'all!

Inspirationally yours,

Squeaky Moore

I don't want to be this person! (What keeps a booking talent booking) by Carol Lynn Sher

I liked this article...a good read...especially for talent who are shooting their first job on a BIG set.

What keeps a booking talent booking?