We were lucky to catch up with Debbie Vu recently and have shared our conversation below.
Debbie, 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.
Diagnosed at 24 years old with bipolar disorder, I had an identity crisis because of the deep stigma surrounding mental health. Before then, I was exercising my creative skills on a regular basis. Then when my mental health was at stake, the creative block set in and I didn’t stand a chance. By framing it as a mental “illness” and bipolar “disorder”, there’s this confusion with how to “treat” it. I had to shift the way I thought of it. I am not supposed to “cure” it but really, I’m supposed to “manage” it because it’s my reality. Being bipolar is an existence, not a temporary health status. Writing was how I got through the hospitalizations. Being admitted for a total of 8 times has taught me about resilience and determination. I have so much to live for and I am not settling for less.
The following two years of being diagnosed was the hardest time of my life. I preferred sleeping over being awake because my dreams were more exciting than my reality. At 25 years old, I got into a volunteer service program in Atlanta. I had a spiritual revelation when a doctor came to lead a training. He said something so profound it shook me to the core. He said, “People who have been hurt the most have the most to offer.” That triggered my second manic episode. I had to leave the program which was heart-breaking for me but necessary. Then, I got into another similar program in Durham, NC where my home life and work life were harmonious. Then I met my fiance who fulfilled my love life so with all three pillars satisfied, I believe I achieved Nirvana on Earth.
It was in Durham where I started my first business and video production company called IronWorx Media. I started coming out of my creative block slowly but surely. I handed off the proverbial camera to my colleagues and interns instead of operating it myself while I managed the film shoots behind the scenes. I picked up screenwriting again and self-funded my own written word. I produced 7 short films and supported my colleagues as they created their directorial debuts. I won over 20 awards for two short films that I wrote, directed, and produced including best narrative short film, best director, best LGBT film, best actress, best action film, best original music, best editing, and best cinematography among many others. Expressing myself through the visual medium is how I purge traumatic feelings and grow from experiences, whether good of bad.
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?
“Iron Sharpens Iron” was the inspiration behind my video production company, IronWorx Media. My colleague/friend and I were filming a scene in a subway with two actors and two extras. It was just the two of us as the film crew and the thought that the two of us sharpened one another didn’t leave me. Life came full circle when I sought to use my video services to support nonprofits and small businesses in creating documentary-style content to share their stories of hope and inspiration which I learned from my education at UNC-Chapel Hill.
UNC-Chapel Hill taught me how to produce videos from idea to final deliverable. I hoped to be a news anchor after my parents suggested I steer clear from majoring in dramatic arts and creative writing and pursue something more “practical”. Learning to be a generalist was a double-edged sword. Looking for a job in my field was a huge challenge because it was like I was never enough. Even though I had a strong set of skills, there was never a mold that worked with my experiences so I decided if no one would give me opportunities, it was up to me to create them for myself. Then, I wanted to create opportunities for others and that became the driving force of my production company where I run a robust internship program and collaborate with a wide roster of filmmakers of various specialities.
The first step on a film set sealed my fate as a filmmaker. I lived in San Francisco when I met a screenwriter at a networking event that I volunteered to film. He invited me to join the crew of his upcoming feature which I gladly accepted. I decided to save up my money and quit my assistant manager job at Hollister. I worked on two feature films before moving to Brooklyn where I worked on another two feature films. My then-boyfriend dumped me on my birthday and it was a wake-up call. Instead of helping others fulfill their filmmaking dreams, I decided to take my fate into my own hands and I produced a narrative short film about a breakup inspired by my own breakups and a series of short documentaries on body-builders.
Making films to express myself is a form of therapy. Drawing from my own experiences, I know I make a profound impact on the viewers of my films. I want to create conversation starters so that we can relate and learn from one another. My hope is to be someone’s favorite director but I don’t need to wait for that because I am my own biggest fan.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Finessing communication, creating opportunities, and practicing delegation are among some skills you should have in your tool kit as an entrepreneur.
The key to communication is making sure that the person that is meant to receive your message understands your message. Growing up, my dad would lecture me in Vietnamese which I’m not fluent. Eventually, I would run out of the room and lock the door behind me. He didn’t care that I didn’t understand but he would get madder because I didn’t understand. My reaction to his message was not what he wanted. He wanted to be understood but he didn’t care to make sure I understood so it was a toxic cycle. Don’t give up if you want to be understood. Simplify or reword. This kind of communication adjustment also applies to people who do not share the same fluency of language.
What’s the quickest way to finish a maze in a kids’ magazine game? Start at the end and reverse engineer the path. Visualizing the end can help you get there faster. I got to where I am because I came up with some cool ideas and manifested them. All you have to do is make something up and do it. Not only do you need to visualize, you should vocalize. Speak your truth. Share your ambitions. Shout it out to the world! You never know who might be listening.
Not only should you create your own opportunities, create them for your colleagues and your network. Build your flock because you will go so much further with a team than alone. I had to learn how to delegate to keep thriving. By finding the people to do the things you don’t want to do, you can share the opportunities that you came up with. Everyone wins!
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
My parents supported my creative storytelling journey when I started taking theatre arts classes in high school. They came to see me perform in my first play as a weeping widow in a murder mystery. Before then, I was in chorus and my parents never came to my performances so this particular time was very special. I came up with an idea that there would be someone behind the couch where I sat and they would pop up their hand with a tissue box while I wiped endless tears. My parents resented my tears since I was literally a cry baby so for my mom to see me crying in a different light, she really enjoyed herself. That physical comedy didn’t require language proficiency so despite our language barrier, this solidified as a fond memory for my mom.
When I got accepted at UNC-Chapel Hill, it was time to think about my major. I told my parents that I wanted to major in dramatic arts and creative writing but they insisted I try something more practical. I figured that I would put acting and writing together and pursue journalism to become a news anchor. This intervention from my parents directed me down the path of a filmmaker which also led me to act on screen and dive into screenwriting so it all worked out! I am so thankful that my parents redirected my passions to only end up fulfilling new opportunities.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ironworxmedia.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ironworxmedianc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/debbie.vu/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbienvu/
- Other: https://vimeo.com/435942792
Image Credits
Craig Worthington
Anthony Fitzpatrick
Matthew Zamorano
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