We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Cortney Wade a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Cortney, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?
Being in the entertainment/production world working on so many different production sets, there have been plenty of instances where I am the only one in the room that looks like me. But I never allow that to dull my sparkle. There was a time I used to shrink myself and felt like I didn’t have good ideas to offer, but that was the farthest thing from the truth! “Your gifts will always make room for you no matter what room you are in.” Now, I allow myself to shine when walking in any room or no matter where I am, or who I am around. I know what I possess, what I am capable of and my God given gifts and talents I bring to the table. When you know who you are and your identity is in Christ you are able to walk in everything God has called you to know matter who you are around. Everyone is different and have their unique gifts allowing us to function properly in our walk of life. What I bring to the room may be different from what someone else brings but we both are still effective in what we are saying and our voice matters. We are all vessels being used in such a mighty way to make our own impact. Once I realized how powerful my voice was I no longer allowed myself to shrink in any room because I know what I offer and it’s always something more than remarkable.
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?
As a child, I always loved being in front of the camera and behind the scene creating a production, whether it be a singing music video with childhood friends or a family trip to Disney World capturing and narrating every moment on camera. Needless to say I have always loved making memories and telling impactful visual stories.
Now as a producer, filmmaker and writer the passion I have for telling impactful stories continues to thrive.
I truly want people to capture the vision behind anything and everything I create as a producer. What is most exciting about putting out creative and impactful content is showing others how important it is for every person to tell their story because everyone’s story holds so much power. I have been in the TV industry as a producer and director for 10 years and have been in the filmmaking scene for about two years now. I started my production company C.A Vision Media in December of 2020 where I am still creating content that story-tells through films, documentaries, docu-series, talk shows and positive, purpose-filled media. My desire is to connect culture, purpose, inspiration, and making a vision come alive. Our motto is “Each person’s story has value and sharing their story in any capacity breaks down barriers.”Which leads me to my newest project; I am producing and directing a documentary, called “Transparent Colors” focused of the Black art scene in Nashville, TN. This documentary will highlight and bring to light Nashville’s black art scene, by showcasing notable black artists and their work that has made an undeniable impact on the Nashville creative community. It will be feature stories from these artists, along with art appreciators and space-makers, that speak on the past, present, and future of Black art in Nashville.
Even as a writer, I have dove into writing film screenplays as well as a book, called “Is Singleness Ghetto, or our we blooming?” The book discusses how there are so many people in a waiting season, wondering when God will guide them into the next season of life. I encourage the reader to know that God wants us to enjoy the journey and still wait in expectation for His promises, but sometimes we sit and sulk in the current season we’re in. In “Is Singleness Ghetto, Or Are We Blooming?” I desire to shine a light on your current season of waiting in hopes that you see the beauty in it and see that you are blooming along the way.
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?
The three qualities or skills that were most impactful in my journey were my organizational skills, communication skills, and out of the box creativity. Each of these skills speak to my journey as a producer and each one of them were crucial in every-project or job I was hired for. My advice is to step out and throw yourself into what you are desiring to do, because you won’t learn by sitting on the side-line you will definitely learn by doing and failing at something but being able to courageously get back up and learn from those previous mistakes so you can keep working at your craft.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
When feeling overwhelmed, which has happened to me often, I take a look at the amount of work I am saying “yes” to and take a step back. It’s okay to say no and decline work if you are overwhelmed or you feel like you are overloading yourself. What I have learned over the years is when you overwork yourself you’re not at your best and tend to not do your best work, it’s just not worth it. I had to realize this journey is a marathon not a race and I’m learning so much in this journey through each bump in the road but taking my time and not rushing the it is incredibly rewarding. Burn out is real but so is rest. It’s better to say “no” to the something that will overwhelm you and just believe that another great opportunity will present itself rather than overwork yourself and not be able to work to your fullest potential.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.cavisionmedia.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cortney_pearlywhites/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cortney-wade-82896866
Image Credits
n/a
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
