Meet Shift Orion

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Shift Orion. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Shift below.

Shift , thank you so much for making time for us. We’ve always admired your ability to take risks and so maybe we can kick things off with a discussion around how you developed your ability to take and bear risk?

Risk is often perceived as a scary concept. People are accustomed to put focus on synonyms like “liability” and “peril,” but the list of counterparts also includes “prospect” and “opportunity.” Sometimes taking a step — or a leap — through fear is the only way to get to a safer, stronger, and more rewarding place in life.

I’ve always been comfortable with predictability and simplicity but I’ve also always been a trailblazer who is drawn to other trailblazers. Honing a balance between caution and courage on my weird little journey in this weird little world has been blessed with disproportionately irregular situations compared to most of my contemporaries and role models. Sometimes I’m able to traverse them with company, support, and illumination from cherished mentors, cheerleaders, and muses… but sometimes the only way forward is to forge a path alone without a clear direction.

I use metaphor and meditation to get me through the scariest moments. One of my go-tos is surrendering to the idea of being a small character in a platform game, running along a fiery, underground dungeon level that keeps moving forward even when I want to pause to understand my surroundings better. To avoid deadly obstacles or being pushed into obscurity, I must jump between shifting landings that start dropping under my weight the second my foot touches them. To help, I might find power-ups and allies — maybe a friendly dinosaur who can keep me company, bear witness to my journey, help me reach higher platforms, and eat dangerous enemies — but I’m constantly watching for spikes, fire, and monsters.

I tend to connect with ambitious, precedent setting mentors who lead me to uniquely challenging opportunities. As a teenager, independent study afforded me the freedom to tour with a performing arts troupe teaching acting, choreography, storytelling, and performance techniques to other kids. We had strict rules and stayed in assigned pairs at host homes at each destination. We worked with thousands of kids and traveled to almost every one of the United States before I was old enough to apply for a driver’s license.

Leaving my predictable home in Marin County, California in 1999 at 14 years old… to fly across the country without my parents… for 6 weeks… with people I didn’t know… to drive to dozens of places I had never been… through the northeast, midwest, and southern states was definitely risky — especially as a mixed race, homeschooled kid growing up in a conservative house in a privileged and diverse community.

While the other kids and I ultimately made it back home in one piece with incredible experiences, applicable skills, and cherished relationships, we also faced cultural clashes, health crises, and sometimes undeniable neglect from the adult leadership who were responsible for our wellbeing. Shortcomings from the leaders — a childless married couple who were in the Quiverfull Movement and had big ideas for the legacy of their national youth program — set the tone for these tours to become where I first learned I can mitigate harm from people in power by speaking up in situations when no one felt safe to advocate for themselves. Seeing what grew from my efforts to defend my vulnerable peers gave me a foundational pride that has anchored me through the waves of fear that come with facing risks in other ways — especially when engaging in tough dialogues with those in authority in hopes to build relationships based on earned trust and mutual respect.

I left that group with great timing to slide into Novato High — a public school with abundant geysers of performing arts resources, teachers, and talent — where, as a sophomore in 2001, our music department was selected to perform at the opening weekend of California Adventures and get mentorship from a renowned Disney film composer.

I was used to touring in big vans or small buses with strict schedules and structure, but this trip, group, and bus was much bigger and more spectacular. Between the choir and band students, there were 40-50 of us. It was a massive difference from the tightly monitored tours of 10-18 kids I was familiar with. We stayed in motel rooms and had some liberty to roam “off-leash” when we weren’t preparing for our performance and workshops. Because we were performing and training at Disney, we were authorized to go through secret passageways between the theme parks and studios. The trip was trippy.

During our workshop, the Disney composer — who I’m fairly certain was Alan Menken… but even after asking former classmates, I have not been able to confirm or deny — gave us an exercise. All the choir members, around 35 teenagers, had to stand in a random array and sing a songs. As a choir group, we were used to standing in organized sections… so this was already novel and awkward in a fun way. Then, we had to close our eyes and sing. Next, we had to sing while walking with our eyes closed.

That sounds like a recipe for disaster, but we didn’t have any collisions. In fact, I, personally, felt like I was able to see with my eyes shut. That sentiment was echoed by the other choir members I spoke with. Cutting off our vision while projecting our strength — our voices — activated capacities we didn’t know we had until we were guided to step forward without being able to see what was ahead. Stepping into the unknown with confidence and faith evokes unknown power.

Folks love to talk about “comfort zones.” I think that’s because people passively examine them while they spend time in them and commonly think it’s logical to stay in them unless there’s a reason to leave them. I think a lot about “discomfort zones” and how they help me. It takes a push — either from within us or from our situations — to move out of our bubbles and try a new approach, establish a new pattern, nurture new types of relationships, or even create a new lifestyle — moving to Los Angeles in my 30s to align my environment to match my goals has been precarious but it’s ultimately fulfilling me beyond my expectations.

Making the choice to get back up a 10th time after 9 falls feels like jumping out of a plane every time I have to do it. I see taking risk as an imperative component built into the practice of living better and better versions of our best lives. Being able to face jeopardy and challenge limitations didn’t come easily… or really by choice. I think I’ll always have a little purposeful anxiety about pursuing risky goals but now I try to use it as a map of possible things to be aware of as I move forward instead of seeing anxiety as a sign to stop.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

In 2020, I started a media analysis and production company called AMASStudio LLC that creates and supports authentic storytelling and conversationalist productions. We provide production services, partner with other storytellers, and make in-house audio-based and motion picture media.

A film I produced this year is scheduled to screen in the fall — it’s a sci-fi short called A Matter of Poultry written and directed by Nandini Bapat about an average American white guy who gets knocked up by an alien parasite just after landing his dream job, forcing him to face legislature that impacts his bodily autonomy and giving him flashbacks to that one time he didn’t want his teenage girlfriend to get an abortion.

I’m also working on some horror, comedy, drama, other sci-fi productions, and — my forever passion — audio theater and podcasts.

In 2022, I fell into a bit of a rut with music that — as of this interview — still has a bit of a grip on me, but normally I write songs, sing, perform, and produce music. I’ve been blessed to coordinate and perform alongside a diverse array of musicians — like aligning in my former band, Nervous People Looking At Nervous People, and opening as a solo act (billed as The W.G.C., and EDM and soundscape DJ project, and Luciferous Shift, an acoustic act). A little demo album I recorded in 2021 called Great Organizing Dynamic releases on September 11, 2024 at all the places music is on the Internet. It’s a mostly acoustic version of genre-defying alternative pop soul punk. I also make scores and soundscapes. Recently, I’ve emerged from a songwriting dry spell of almost 4 years to write a song called Mercy that I’m working on getting produced now. It’s got me revisiting the idea of performing music again. Maybe I’ll take that leap and get back into it soon.

I love visual and audio design, using my body and personality to create narrative performance, and collaborating. I take every opportunity I can to attend and work with concerts, premieres, festivals, and conventions. I stay plugged in with collectives and programs for writers, performers, and producers where I get to regularly act, spend time with other artists in person and online, and get and give feedback on performances, stories, and scripts.

I’ve gotten to act, crew, choreograph, learn, and teach immersive productions with audience interactive programming, and support loved ones and clients in starting and developing as creative professionals.

One of my strengths is highlighting and supporting other people’s strengths, and one of my favorite places to exercise that is teaching performance and arts technique. I’ve worked with people who think they aren’t musically inclined to sing and play guitar — sometimes they end up so confident with their progress during creative coaching sessions that they debut public performances. I’ve coached people in story development and building momentum to materialize their ideas. Someone I’ve worked with for years on character and world building, whose story concepts are often casually mind-blowing, recently asked me to teach him to use screenwriting software so he can move closer toward production. I’ve designed adaptable techniques to coach to different abilities and practice styles. I’ve gotten to work with people seeking to navigate around their uniquely challenging mobility and communication limitations. I’m always stoked to offer suggestions for approaches, tools, events, communities, and other resources for creative people to build traction and trust in themselves.

I’ve always been into building bridges between people, especially people who historically have been culturally distant or even conflicted. Translating experiences that are difficult to communicate is a major passion that I happen to have a knack for sometimes. My tendency to dive head first into untangling complicated obstacles gives me a lot of opportunities to exercise this interest.

Last but not least… I’ve been increasingly drawn to operational, financial, and business elements that act as — depending on who you ask — gates and/or bridges for connecting creators to broader tools and audiences.

In the wake of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, I’ve been inspired to focus on sustainable economy initiatives so I’ve been working on building a nonprofit program to provide grants for cast and crew payroll on micro and ultralow budget productions. There are so many great stories that could be more effective if they had capital designated toward paying their powerful teams. The independent film community is the core of the film world so I’m working to raise the tide for my industry peers hoping to help more stories be sustainably told. I’m having great response with this project and I’d love to connect with anyone who digs it.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I’ll give you:
1) A Quality
2) A Skill
3) An Area of Knowledge

1) First, I’ll say… It matters to me that my praxis aligns with my purported principles, and I like to encourage the people in my community to consider how their behavior aligns with who they want to be perceived as. I’ve always had a quality of being adaptably firm about boundaries and focus. That has helped me balance being grounded and ambitious with thinking “outside the box,” especially while collaborating with and supporting others. For example, it’s helped me strategize big visions for my potential impact, personally and for my business, giving me a realistic lens as I navigate tools and pathways to more synergy and success. It also helps me maintain a role as someone who my community can trust to call them out on their own shortcomings and be patient with them while they work through the spectrum of choices between doubling down and committing to change.

2) My skill for teaching myself whatever is needed and finding aligning people to partner with to reach any goal has carried me to some fantastic opportunities.

3) An area of knowledge — I was a birthworker supporting pregnancies, labors, and births — where I simultaneously blended in and stuck out like a sore thumb… or shined bright like a diamond, depending on who you asked. I learned skills that translate seamlessly to creative professional work. Empathy, patience, and attention to detail are key in both environments. Understanding physical and emotional challenges and being accustomed to a hurry-up-to-wait rhythm helps me collaborate on complex projects with tight schedules. Working with multifaceted vulnerability and stress are present in both realms too. Everyone has personal and professional hurdles that require patience and resilience while navigating the often unpredictable and demanding world of creative work.

My best advice for anyone early in their journey is…:
— Stay open to changing your plans to anchor them to the reality at hand…,
— When you have to be critical try not to be punishing (with yourself and others)…, and
— Try not to run to or away from anything so fast that you leave important parts of yourself behind.

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?

You bet I am! Collaboration is key. I’d love to connect with anyone who’s into supporting a non-profit program to fund cast and crew on micro-budget productions in Los Angeles.

Beyond that, I’d love to meet more creative professionals! I love strategizing with productions to maximize impact and profitability while being self-aware and ethical. Whenever I can, I connect aligned projects to talent and resources from my network. I help with building cultural competency, narrative and character depth, publication and production plans, and supporting technical formatting and design. I’m always excited to expand my network with people who are interested in any of that.

If you’re interested in connecting, I wear many hats — producer, writer, editor, consultant — and if I can’t do it, I probably know someone wonderful who can.

I’m also looking for musicians for my steamy dreampunk music project, SoundScapeGoat!

To connect with me, you can email me at [email protected] and at ShiftOrion.com! You can also find links to my current projects and samples there.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ShiftOrion.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shift-orion/
• Twitter: @WaterForFire
• Other: https://www.reverbnation.com/thewgc
  https://www.reverbnation.com/luciferousshift

Image Credits

Gita Rose; Daphne Moore, Shannon Gallogly