Meet Hope Byrd

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Hope Byrd a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hope, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

It took a while, honestly. After years of dreaming and imagining the life I am living right now, to see it in front of me has felt a little strange. When I feel anxious or have imposter syndrome I try to remind myself that I deserve a seat at the table and that I bring a unique skillset that no one else can. That your own personal expeirences separate you from everyone else and give you something that no one else can replicate. That alone drives me out of the “imposter” holes I dig myself into.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

My name is Hope Byrd, and I am currently a film major at the Savannah College of Art and Design. I’ve been obsessed with film from as young as I can remember. As a kid, instead of having a security blanket or stuffed animal, my security became my hand-me-down flip camera. I grew up filming, editing, and posting videos on youtube which really sparked my interest for filmmaking and content creation. However, in the past when working on set, I found myself and other women talked down to and not being taken seriously, regardless of our experience or knowledge. As a woman in film, I understand how difficult it is to have your voice heard in a male dominated industry. I create content for girls who are aspiring to get into film but may only see their male counterparts in the spotlight. I want to create a safe place on the internet for film girlies to feel and breathe their feminine side and not feel as if it is weighing them down or that it causes them to not be taken seriously on set. I hope to inspire young filmmakers to persue their dreams regardless of what the industry may try to tell them. In the future, I hope to launch my own production company focused on empowering female filmmakers, actors, and creatives.

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

Being a good listener, personal confidence, and determination.
In order to be a good leader, you must be a good listener. Those who bulldoze their way through projects without taking into consideration any of what their team has to contribute are missing out on so much. One of the reasons that I love filmmaking so much, is just how collaborative it is. People call film the most collaborative artform for a reason.
You also need a drive, a “why?”, a reason that you are doing any of this at all. Knowing your purpose will drive both your confidence and determination. Remember that you always deserve a seat at table. Your voice is unique and your lived experience automatically set you apart from your peers and provide you with an irreplaceable skillset.

If you knew you only had a decade of life left, how would you spend that decade?

I would create as much as possible. Every idea for a screenplay, documentary, narrative, short, feature, advertisement, ANYTHING that comes to mind, I would create. I think the most powerful thing about art is that it plays a role in history. Every piece that everyone creates can be contextualized in their time period and current events. Art history is human history, so create art everywhere, tell your story, share your feelings, express yourself no matter how big or small your current audience is, your work will never be forgotten in the grand scheme of time.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://hobyrd20.myportfolio.com/work
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/h0pebyrd?igsh=dHV6ODVjenRtY2hy&utm_source=qr
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@hopebyrd?si=nM0LVOoCOMVyDxMs