Meet Maalik Evans

 

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Maalik Evans. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Maalik below.

Maalik, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.

Going to the movies a lot, traveling, music, constantly reading books and scripts, being around loved ones. But the biggest one that keeps my creativity alive is really living life.

Living life is so underrated for a creative, or anyone for that matter. I think some creatives get caught in that trap of locking themselves away from the world to get new ideas, and maybe that does work at times, but more often that not I find that when you just go out and really live life–it fuels you so much more.

Writing things down is another one. Sometimes spitballing ideas and freeform writing leads me to the script I need to tell.

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?

So my work often focuses on the intersectionality of identities, sexuality, nostalgia, coming-of-age, violence, family dysfunction, mental health, and trauma.

I’m very excited about a new short film that I just released on YouTube called Things Left Unsaid. It’s a romantic drama revolving around a guy who’s dealing with the aftermath of losing his boyfriend to suicide and reflecting on their relationship and the missed signs leading up to the tragedy.

It’s a very personal story to me, so I’m proud of what the cast, crew, and myself were able to accomplish with the film and that it’s resonating with people in a real 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?

Actively listening, reflecting, and being honest with myself are qualities that I have found most impactful for me on my journey.

If there’s any advice that I’m qualified to give, I would say, just be yourself. Maybe that’s too simple or cliche, but I find it easier to navigate people and spaces when I’m just myself.

What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?

Honestly, pausing. There are definitely moments where I want to be reactionary, but then I hear my Aunt Sonja in my head–Pause. So I think that’s definitely helped me out in the past year.

There’s a line that David Carradine says in Kill Bill Vol.2 that lives rent free in my head now as I’ve gotten older: “Some things, once you do, they can never be undone.”

So I think pausing helps prevent me from saying or doing things that cannot be undone, if that makes sense.

Contact Info:

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Resilience
Where does your optimism come from?

Optimism is the invisible ingredient that powers so much of the incredible progress in society

Confidence
Stories of Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

Learning from one another is what BoldJourney is all about. Below, we’ve shared stories and

Resilience
The Power of Persistence: Overcoming Haters and Doubters

Having hates is an inevitable part of any bold journey – everyone who has made