Meet Tessa Morell

We recently connected with Tessa Morell and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Tessa, so excited to have you with us today, particularly to get your insight on a topic that comes up constantly in the community – overcoming creativity blocks. Any thoughts you can share with us?

When I experience writer’s/creativity block, I have to force myself to try something new or different. I go to a new environment outside of my home and listen to music that reminds me of the subject I’m writing about. Usually, the most effective method for myself when I’m stuck is to just brain dump onto the page. I don’t think about what I’m writing, what it means, the grammar, nothing. I just write it all out. I can then go back and find points within the dump to expand on and organize. Overall, a change in environment, immersing myself in the work, and forcing something (anything) to come out is the most effective way to overcome writer’s block.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

My name is Tessa Morell and I am a self-taught photographer, videographer, and filmmaker based in Savannah, GA. My passion for filmmaking has been present for as long as I can remember but it was in 2016 that I started creating silly short films with my friends and in 2021 created my business and began submitting my self-produced short films to competitions and festivals around the world. Due to my ongoing success at film festivals and never-ending photography portfolio, I was accepted into the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2022.

Filmmaking is something that has always been a certainty for me. It was when I first watched the movie Frozen (2013) that I decided I wanted to direct movies. I felt so inspired by the world-building, unique story, and successful female director that it was the only option that felt right for me. It was in high school that my filmmaking journey began to take off. I wrote, directed, shot, and edited several short films with my friends that can still be found online today. I would submit these films to festivals and have screenings of them at my local movie theater. Additionally, my short film “After Dark”, a project about violence against women, participated in many festivals and won monetary rewards from organizations such as ConnectHer.

It was around this time I began working as a freelance artist, photographing and videoing senior portraits, weddings, sports, and more. I’ve learned so much about creative projects outside of narrative filmmaking and continue this work today in Savannah, Georgia. Getting my bachelor’s in Film & Television at SCAD, I am learning from industry professionals where I’m able to build my skill set and perfect my craft.

Today, I work as a freelance videographer for Public Tennis Inc., a non-profit organization that helps provide disabled athletes access to tennis instructions, practices, and gameplay. Additionally, I am preparing for the production of my senior thesis film, “Mourning Dove”, a family drama about a young girl named Hound and her relationship with her alcoholic father through the activity of hunting and butchering deer. This is my largest and most passionate project to date and I couldn’t be more excited about it.

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?

A wise friend once told me “Ask for what you want. The worst they can say is no.” and that’s something I try to live by when approaching new opportunities. If there is someone I want to talk to, someone I want to see my work, etc, all I have to do is ask because the worst they could say is no, but you never know what lies ahead of you if they say yes.

The ability to have confidence in yourself and your work can be very impactful to your success and general journey. Imposter Syndrome is something most people experience at some point in their lives, even more so for artists, and it can be debilitating. If you have confidence in your abilities and your work, so will others.

The last quality I find important is the willingness to learn. It becomes easy to compare yourself to others and believe that they have it all figured out or know everything about their craft, but it’s simply not true. The best creatives are ones who are always open to learning and aren’t afraid to admit when they don’t know something. That’s what we are here to do, learn.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

I read the book “Letters to a Young Poet” by Rainer Maria Rilke before coming to college and I think that is the prime time to read it. It’s about the preciousness of a young creative mind and touches on the pressures of society and the human experience as a whole. This is a book I skim or re-read chapters of when I need a reminder of why I’m doing what I’m doing.

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