Meet Kevin Black

We were lucky to catch up with Kevin Black recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kevin , sincerely appreciate your selflessness in agreeing to discuss your mental health journey and how you overcame and persisted despite the challenges. Please share with our readers how you overcame. For readers, please note this is not medical advice, we are not doctors, you should always consult professionals for advice and that this is merely one person sharing their story and experience.

Friends, therapy, and understanding! I created a team of people who really understand mental health and can be there for me. Each of my friends holds a special place in my heart and fulfills different needs. I have friends for partying, friends for creativity, and friends who help me manage my anxiety and OCD. These friends have a deeper understanding of what I need and how to support me.

I also recognize that, as a person of color, therapy or counseling is not typically embraced, but I truly value the benefits of therapy. Keep looking until you find a therapist who won’t cosign all your thoughts and will give you active homework.

Living with mental health challenges, I’ve come to understand that they don’t completely go away; they cycle. I can be calm, then my OCD might flare up, and I have to work through it. Allowing it to be there and letting it pass on its own also helps. By observing and collecting data about my mental health patterns, I’ve noticed that I am typically great for a couple of weeks, then my mental health declines for a bit, and then it improves again. Recognizing this pattern alleviates my anxiety because I know I won’t be stuck in the bad times forever. Perhaps our brains are like soil, and sometimes they need storms for new ideas to grow.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I am a “zillennial,” young enough to have been forced to watch Reading Rainbow in school, but old enough to witness the rise of reality TV and social media. There’s an exciting element to who I am; if you ask people about me, you’ll get different responses. Some may say I’m a plus-size model, others might say I’m an actor, and a few might admit they don’t like me at all. To those people, I would say, “Sweetie, I don’t like you either.” One thing people can’t say is that I’m insecure. I have so much confidence, I’m willing to share it with others.

The life I have and the life I will have were not always something people wanted me to reach.

At a young age, I realized that people would always target me, whether it was for my brown skin, curly hair, gentle voice, mannerisms, or being part of the LGBTQ community. I constantly faced a line of people ready to attack me. “LINE THEM UP,” I said! It was crucial for me to be my own biggest fan, so I instilled confidence in myself. I would look in the mirror and pretend I was at a runway show, with lights flashing, turning my head this way and that way; feeling loved, even if it was all in my head. I would take pictures with my bulky handheld camera. That same bulky camera marked the start of my film career. I just switched the settings and, boom, I was creating a reality show with my camera, interviewing my family members, and starting fake TV shows.

My dreams started becoming reality once modeling picked up, I amazed even myself by scoring a gig at a little mom-and-pop shop called Apple! I also began acting for commercials. Recently, I have been fine-tuning my skills in film and scriptwriting. This led me to open my production company, Matusalem. It holds the values of being inclusive and bringing diversity into film. As we know there are not many Hispanic filmmakers out there, and it is important that I bring that to the forefront. My production company is more than just my thoughts and what I want to create; I’m doing this for a community of people who need to see true representation. Matusalem created its first short film, Wolfie, which has already received awards and been welcomed at numerous film festivals. Currently, I am working on more short films. I am looking to branch out into animation, and I would love to one day compete against Disney. But until that time comes, I will continue WURKING. By the end of this year, I plan to produce my first feature film. Stay tuned!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Learning to let things go is an important skill. Sometimes, we get stuck on characters we love, scenes that we adore, and dialog that is important to us, but the ability to let it go is an important one. I remember a long time ago, when I was in film school, I had a teacher named Katie who told me that if I ever get stuck in writing, I should either add a character or kill a character off. This advice has helped keep the story moving in my writing. Sometimes, when I am stuck, I realize that a character’s gotta go. Bye Bye girl!

Being part of the film industry, many producers and directors think that communication is only about them giving directions. But that is not the case. Communication needs to be a back-and-forth interaction. People should be allowed to give their opinions without being shut down or criticized for having a different way of thinking. Although there are titles that correspond with a certain level of responsibility, it does not mean that a title also equivocates the disrespect that you can have towards others. We are all people first, with feelings.

I believe I have developed excellent communication skills because people trust me. They trust me because I provide a safe space for them to vent, share their feelings, and discuss what makes them uncomfortable. I then work to find immediate solutions to address these concerns.

I give validation to those who need it, which is a key tool.

As a filmmaker, you often find yourself in high-stress situations, but it is essential to understand the end goal so everyone knows how to achieve it together. There are many ways to reach the finish line, not just the way you initially think. By listening to others, you might discover a new, colorful path you hadn’t considered before.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?

I love my mami. I am incredibly thankful for my mother and all the sacrifices she has made throughout the years. Both my mom and dad are selfless; they left their comfortable, beautiful country and put themselves at risk so I could have the freedom to do whatever I wanted. They gave me their strength and time.

My mom recently lost her sister Ana, my aunt. She was the sweetest person ever. I can’t help but think that my mom leaving her country took precious time away that she could have spent with her sister.

My dad working in the heat is something I can never truly express enough gratitude for because I know that whenever I’m in the heat for more than 10 minutes, I’m exhausted. But this story isn’t unique. There are so many people like me who have or had immigrant parents who left their country to give their children a better life. To all the parents who took this risk, I want to say thank you.

Their sacrifices are immense, and I want my films to be successful so I can give back to my parents. My success isn’t just for me; it’s for them too. Just as they wanted their kids to succeed, I want them to relax. So, when my movie comes out, you better stream it.

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