Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dara Brewton. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Dara, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?
I fake it! Just kidding…sort of. There are a lot of things that I do where I have confidence in my abilities, but as a freelancer and multi-passionate, I constantly find myself face-to-face with my own lack of knowledge or skills. I’ve found that there isn’t much you can’t learn on YouTube, and I’m never afraid to ask questions or tell someone that I don’t know something. There will always be someone better or smarter than you — even if you are at the top of your game. So, to me, the epitome of low self-esteem is pretending to know things that you don’t or an inability to own up to your shortcomings. You will never grow or learn otherwise!
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I have worn many hats in my adult life, from Ophthalmic Assistant to Starbucks Manager, but I really hit my stride in 2017 when I launched my freelance career. Working as a freelance writer allowed me to pay the bills while I also got to flex my creative muscles. I started out writing whatever anyone would pay me to write, but after a few months, I launched myself into the political realm with a consistent writing gig at Being Liberal. I was responsible for highlighting and summarizing the day’s biggest stories. My work ethic and penchant for covering the news with a hint of sarcasm moved me into a staff writer role at Front Page Live (a progressive news site.)
I would eventually become Deputy Editor of FPL, working closely with senior staff to run several voting initiatives, such as Vote Like a Madre and Science Moms, and I also worked on campaigns to combat the spread of misinformation in politics. My time at FPL led to a variety of lucrative gigs allowing me the time and money to start my filmmaking journey.
Acting was always a passion of mine, since I was a little kid and was cast as a sheep in the Christmas play at my grandmother’s church. I put it on the back burner for a while, but community theatre helped rekindle my love of the limelight. Now, I have an agent and do a lot of auditions and a little bit of acting.
In 2019, I led a team competing in the 48-hour Film Festival (each team has to write, film, and edit a 5-7 minute film in 48 hours.) It was a group of us from acting class trying to get more screen time for our reels and resumes, but I wound up on the other side of the camera as the director for the piece. I f*cking loved it. I had no idea filmmaking would become even more exciting to me than acting! I now have several scripts written including a feature-length psychological thriller, have directed/produced several shorts, and have a webseries in preproduction.
As one part of Angry Goddess Films (find us on Instagram @angrygoddessnc), I have co-written a rom-com webseries called Rough Seas. We are currently working with the brand new Charlotte Comedy Network to produce the series which will hopefully include two additional seasons!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
1. There aren’t any rules. You can make your life look however you want it to, and you don’t have to care what anyone else thinks about it. There will be a lot of people who don’t understand the whys and hows of your journey, and that’s okay. They aren’t meant to – it isn’t their journey.
2. Apply for the things you want. If you see a job posting of something you would love to do, apply for it. Who cares if you don’t meet the qualifications. Want to go after a grant? Do it. Want to sign up to make a short film in 48 hours when you’ve never made a film before? Do it. You might fail or they might say no. BUT you might succeed and they might say yes. What is that quote…shoot for the moon because even if you miss you land among the stars? Cheesy, but true.
3. Worry is a useless emotion. Whenever I catch myself worrying, I ask “can I do anything about this situation?” If I can, then I go and do that thing, If I can’t, then I just quit worrying about it. Worry will kill your creativity and your joy. Do what you can and leave the rest up to the universe.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I’m always looking for collaborations! I love learning new skills, expanding my creativity, and diving into unexplored areas. A friend recently reached out to ask if I would help produce her podcast — I have never produced a podcast. So I’ve been reading up on what that entails, how to do it well, and all the little tidbits I can find about podcast producing. I’m super excited to start this adventure.
Want to work on something together? Message me on Instagram! My skills include writing, acting, and voiceover. Plus, I am super organized and do well in project management roles. If any of my talents can help on your project, or you have talents you want to offer to mine, then let’s connect and see what we can create.
Contact Info:
- Website: backpackwanderings.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/likesarabutwithad/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dara-brewton-7305861b3/
- Other: Actor’s Access: https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/darabrewton Angry Goddess TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@angrygoddessfilms
Image Credits
Headshot Credit: Eric Campbell
