We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Bev Chukwu a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Bev, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
I come from a family of Nigerian immigrants. That alone, knowing that I come from a people, who have overcome colonization and genocide, is more overwhelming than resilience-inspiring.
Instead, my resilience comes from days that turned into nights watching my parents work thankless jobs at healthcare facilities, while also pursuing degrees in higher education. For the first 23 years of my life, my mother was in school as long as I had been. She completed her BSN and MSN despite language barriers that inhibited her ability to succeed at timed tests. My dad, older sister, and I took turns assisting her with her journey; I was typing nursing care plans at the age of 13! At that same age, I had my first panic attack due to lack of sleep, and I resented my mother for making me take care of her academically. Unbeknownst to her, I had also assumed the position of the “older sister,” subbing in when my actual eldest sister was suffering from self-harm and clinical depression, all because our home situation had become a mixture of repression and never-ending stress.
To survive my home situation, I read and watched stories of experiences that vastly differed from mine. I would mimic these stories, writing them in my voice until it felt like the characters’ lives were mine. In that way, I quite literally wrote my way out of my toxic upbringing. Time and time again, I find myself writing my way out of negative situations, feelings, and encounters. If I want something, I visualize and put that goal into words because that form of manifestation is what saved me as a kid.
When I wanted to join the drill team, but my parents wouldn’t let me due to our financial burden, I strategized and wrote my way into convincing my parents I should join the team. When I wanted to go to a college far from my childhood, I put all my energy into researching college essays and building an undeniable resume. When I told myself I would pursue screenwriting professionally, I wrote that promise to myself and refused to “fail.”
My resilience comes from knowing that I am indebted to my younger self, who came from hardworking roots but also had to imagine futures for herself in order to survive a rather strict childhood. My parents never gave up and are working well into their 60s. Their parents did the same. I am no different, even if my goals are. Each generation of Chukwus has created the life they see for themselves, but first, we had to manifest it.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am a queer Nigerian American writer, filmmaker, and script consultant. By day, I work under the Head of Film at the Austin Film Society, a non-profit organization founded by Richard Linklater (BOYHOOD, BEFORE SUNRISE, DAZED & CONFUSED) that creates life-changing opportunities for filmmakers, catalyzes Austin and Texas as a creative hub, and brings the community together around great film. By afternoon/night, I am a full-time filmmaker. Through AFS, I learn the business of development, festivals, and distribution; through my filmmaking, I build community and learn how to best execute my artistic vision.
Following the 2023 strike, the film industry had gone through an enormous level of constriction. I knew it wouldn’t make sense to make my transition to LA, and, honestly, I was relieved. Post-strike uncertainty allowed me to transition fully into film, but I was able to do so through an alternative route of advocacy and community education.
More than anything, I strive to share my love of screenwriting with other Black and brown folks, who may be too intimidated to have their work received at such a high level of visibility. Through my consulting work for Pipeline Media Group and my individual script services — these details are available on my website www.gozieworks.com — I help others turn their ideas into scripts and encourage them to find room for play.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Diligence, curiosity, and openness to experience!
You don’t have to wake up at 4 AM and write for three hours every day. Diligence is about intentional consistency. I’ve learned that even if I only write twice out of the week, I consistently put in the TIME and EFFORT to move my projects forward in other ways, such as research, outlining, community-building, and intentional rest. Rest is still writing!
In terms of developing and improving curiosity, I recommend that artists think hard about what they THINK they should write versus what they actually consume. Often, when we are getting started, it’s easy to feel burdened by the notion of success, so we write toward topics we think will get us the most accolades. In reality, our best work comes from leaning into genres we consume, subject matters that terrify us, and themes that dredge up questions.
Lastly, if you find yourself struggling to be open to experiences, that might indicate an excess of anxiety or ego. It’s tough receiving feedback on our personal work because we want it to be meaningful and impactful right away, but the work won’t get better if we don’t allow ourselves to “fail” or receive feedback from others. Remember, that if others are contributing with questions, comments, and/or concerns, that’s still a sign of investment. It’s a blessing to have people in your community invest in your work, and the way we receive that feedback (with open or shut arms) directly affects how others will show up for us in the future.
How would you describe your ideal client?
As someone, who is looking to expand her script coverage clients, I am most interested in working with writers, who are willing to drop their ego in favor of “play.” I want to work with a queer and/or femme writer of color, who is ready to take the next step in their career by digging deeper into their craft.
For context, one of the most life-changing experiences I had was sitting down with my mentor (a professional sci-fi television writer), who sat with me through a 2-hour notes call, where we interrogated every aspect of my feature script that eventually helped me win BlueCat Screenplay Competition. That same script got me my first managers, who I had for three years.
To quote Meg LeFauve (INSIDE OUT), digging deeper can feel like “diving into lava,” but it forces us to get to the root of what we are trying to say. The more we understand the values we stand on, the more that our audiences will too. And trust me, there is a major self-confidence boost that comes from standing in your truth and having to tell that truth to a stranger over and over again. That is half the job of being a screenwriter, and I look forward to working with a new client, who is ready to take this journey.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.gozieworks.com
- Instagram: @bev_gozie_chukwu
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bev-c-5340b6110/
- Twitter: @BevChukwu
Image Credits
Green backgrounds – Credit: Dani Parsons Library headshot – Credit: Cristin Stephens B&W set photos – Credit: Chris Taylor
