We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Heather Hemsley a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Heather, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
It was definitely a journey for me; in fact, I’m still on that journey. I’m an introvert, and ever since I was little, I’ve compared my timidness and poor verbal skills to the confidence and well-spoken nature of my extrovert friends (and all the extrovert celebrities I’d see online). I was always a creative kid, and from an early age my imagination was wondrous and my written communication was flawless; but I never had any of the qualities I desired most. I could write a novel, but I never thought I would be someone to take charge of things, lead groups of people, or possess excellent verbal communication. Early high school, I resigned myself to being this way forever, and determined to become a novel editor. I wouldn’t have to interact with people to do my job well, and I could be alone with my creativity. I always had crazy aspirations, or felt it was my calling, to speak in front of crowds of people, write and pitch my own TV shows, and be a confident leader in directing / teaching roles. But I thought they were just dreams. My self-esteem was pretty low.
My mom, however, saw something in me that I couldn’t see. She eagerly encouraged my creative drives and would constantly affirm leadership qualities in me. When I gave a stuttering speech, she called me “confident” and “bold”, highlighting the things I did well. When I timidly led a group of students for a school project, she called me “leader” and “influential.” I thought she was just being kind at first, but over the years… I began to believe her. Maybe I WAS those things, or had the potential to be. Senior year of high school, the ASB director told me to run for president. Everything in me screamed, “No! You don’t have what it takes!” But another side of me was compelling me. Maybe I DID have what it took! So, with the encouragement from my amazing twin sister Hope and my mom, I ran for president — and won. All my senior year, I was pushed to make speeches and lead events. It was a little uncomfortable at first, but I could tell it was where I belonged, even if I was learning. I grew more articulate, more confident, and more proud of who I was as I stretched myself. I liked the person I was becoming, even if I was still in-progress. I’m still on that journey every day: I question myself constantly before directing a film or giving a speech. But there’s always that voice in the back of my mind reminding me to push myself and do it anyway because it’s my calling, and I have what it takes — even if I don’t feel it.
Here’s the thing about my mom: maybe I wasn’t the things she was saying I was. But because she believed in me, I felt like I could become that person.
What I’ve learned over the years on this journey:
(1) Don’t limit yourself. You’re capable of things beyond your imagination if you don’t put yourself in a box. Yes, I may have started out shy and lacked certain skills; who cares! I’ll just throw myself into situations that require me to learn those things, and I’ll get better. I may suck now, but that doesn’t determine my future.
(2) The funny thing about confidence is that if you put on an appearance of confidence, people can’t tell the difference. “Fake it ’til you make it” definitely works in this situation! If you pretend you’re confident, you’ll start to become confident, and people respect that.
(3) Find people who will affirm the good things in you, and who will be faithful to support you when you’re feeling low. Don’t hang around people who say they’re being “realistic” or will tear you down when you’re trying to follow your calling.
(4) Force yourself to do things you shy away from but are feeling called to… you’ll find when you push yourself that even if it goes DISASTROUSLY wrong, you get better each and every time you try.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am an independent screenwriter and director who loves action dramadies, fantasy, and children’s content. More specifically, I specialize in animation television geared towards older kids and young adults. I am passionate about conveying meaningful themes related to tough topics in our world today in fun, artistic ways.
I’m a SoCal native who first had exposure to film through a few independent sets in high school, where I was taught how to script supervise. I’ve always loved storytelling, but I was drawn to the visual beauty of film and how engaging it is! I’m new to the industry, but I’ve certainly hit the ground running. I’ve written and directed multiple short films, as well as continued to script supervise on the side. I’ve had the immense privilege of being an intern staff writer on an animated kids television show, and was a development intern with Writers Spotlight.
What’s most exciting about my work is that I’m able to convey complicated worlds and themes in a way that rouses my audience. I design my stories to captivate and inspire, while at the same time demanding attention to certain issues or morals. Stories are beautiful ways of refreshing the mind, but most importantly, they are a powerful avenue in reminding audiences what is important in life. And of course, what’s most exciting for me is seeing something I’ve written come to life via the live-action or animation avenues!
I just finished a fantasy short film I wrote and directed last summer; it’s currently in its festival run, and has won three honorable mentions in worldwide festivals for Best Screenplay and Best Fantasy Short. I am also halfway through pre-production on an animated fantasy short film I am producing and directing.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
(1) Resilience. I’ve received a lot of tough criticism on my scripts and have encountered demeaning (sometimes well-meaning) people. It can really wear you out or discourage you from moving forward. Resilience — paired with perseverance — have been absolutely essential for me in my journey, and is necessary for the entertainment industry. To develop this quality, remind yourself of why you entered the industry you’re in in the first place, and ground yourself in it. In addition, view every obstacle or critique as an area of improvement, not a fatal flaw in yourself. Separate disparaging comments from your identity, and put all the emphasis on how that note will help you grow in your work. Even the most nasty person giving comments on your work won’t be able to phase you, because you’ll be able to assess the note, see if there’s value in it, and learn from it without tearing down your self-esteem.
(2) Collaboration. As a very self-dependent person, I always thought I could do everything by myself; but what I’ve learned is that I NEED people in order to make a solid script or a quality short film. To make it visual: I can’t be the director, cinematographer, gaffer, and PA: I need a team! And not just any team… intelligent, hard-working, talented people. Find people you can depend on and who you admire, and surround yourself with them. Never be too timid, prideful, or self-reliant to ask for help. You need someone’s help in one way or another to do your job, even if it’s just to give feedback on how you’re doing every once in a while. It doesn’t mean that you’re not skilled enough; but no one person can do everything themselves. We were made for community, especially in art!
(3) Boldness. I love fantasy and action films, but not a lot of my peers tend to make those films. I questioned when making my short film whether I should even try to do medieval fantasy and include sword-fighting sequences. However, those things excite me the most, and so I went for it regardless of what other people thought! Be bold in your own unique vision, even if it seems impossible. You never know what’s possible unless you try, and it’s always better to shoot for a vision that excites you than nothing at all.
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?
It’s already made evident that I love collaboration! I would love to connect with anyone in the film industry, specifically if they’re into young adult animation. I’m looking to collaborate with motivated individuals who are passionate about bringing hope into the world through art, and who have some sort of experience in the animation development realm. They can reach out on any of my socials (LinkedIn is best)!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.heatherhemsleyofficial.com/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-hemsley/
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
