Meet Wesley Middleton

We were lucky to catch up with Wesley Middleton recently and have shared our conversation below.

Wesley, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

It’s been a journey. I spent years being driven by my ego, hemmed in by fear, and fixated on fitting into prescribed social and professional roles. Through patient and persistent practice — and plenty of trial and error — I’ve gradually unwound into myself. I’ve forged a deep sense of freedom about who I am and what I want. And I’ve learned to listen to my spirit, which to me, is the core of resilience.

I’ve made this shift through years of study with a spiritual teacher who is one of the most grounded, fearless, no-BS people I know. The practices I’ve learned are rigorous, simple, and liberating, and grounded in a technology called Real Magic. They work with principle of polarity: identifying an obstacle, illusion, challenge, or block — in other words, what you don’t want (point A); then identifying its opposite, what you DO want (point B) — and focusing your attention on Point B. Simple, right? Right! But not easy. It does get easier with practice, however. So I practice a lot! I do a daily mantra practice, a guided meditation practice, and a short writing practice (longhand writing, in a physical journal)…and throughout the day, in moments of challenge, I remind myself: focus on Point B.

My other resilience practices: long walks, especially hikes in nature or at the beach; working with tarot cards; high-intensity exercise; experiencing excellent TV, film, theater, music, and art; eating a high protein / high fiber diet; cooking; doing dishes (a clean kitchen warms my soul!); and hanging out with my wife.

Finally: as an out queer woman living in an age of increasing anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric and policies from the highest levels of our government, I feel I have no choice but to be resilient — not just for myself, but for others, especially young people who may have little to no support from their famillies. I want to help show them that they can live their dreams and find a place in the world without sacrificing their truth. More precisely: I want to show them that by living their truth, they can not only find a place in the world, but make the world a richer, more beautiful place.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I work as a TV producer, helping make documentary series focused on true crime and history for networks like A+E, Oxygen, and the ID Channel. My roles run the gamut from archival research to casting to field producing to post-production, depending on the project. The subjects run the gamut, from Murder in the Heartland to It’s often intense but rarely boring! I enjoy the variety, and I love that I get to tell real stories about life-changing moments in history and in individuals’ lives. I’ll admit that I’m not fascinated by crime, but I am fascinated by the persistence and attention to detail that it takes to solve crimes, and by the ways that individuals, families, and communities manage to overcome betrayal and loss. And I’m absolutely fascinated by history, especially the narratives and movements that are often overlooked.

I’d love to work on documentary films and series about musicians, artists, and/or political leaders creating groundbreaking work and positive change in the world — that’s a goal for me this year, to work on at least one new project like that!

I also write plays and TV scripts. My plays for young audiences have been produced by theaters around the country — Tomato Plant Girl, Degas’ Little Dancer, UNSORTED, and #SuperShinySara — and other plays like the more recent adventure fantasy Baba Yaga Comes Home, that I’ve shared in readings and workshops. UNSORTED is especially near and dear to my heart because it’s a play about gender expression commissioned for elementary school-aged audiences by a Missouri-based theater company in 2010 — a brave and caring choice on their part — and the process of creating it was a total joy.

My TV pilot No Stranger There, an hour-long drama about a trans male LAPD detective who returns to his tiny Appalachian hometown in search of his missing sister, was read in the Brooklyn-based Queer Lab Series last May. I’m revising it and sending it out to interested readers. I’d love find a company willing to produce it. It’s a story of growth, empathy, and belonging, and while I started writing it years ago, it feels especially timely in this moment.

I’ve also dabbled in standup, which was fun, and these days, I’m moving into writing fiction and poetry. I attended an amazing writing retreat in 2023 led by a yoga teacher, writer, and former TV producer that gave birth to a new project about stones that I’m very excited about. I’m also working on a short solo piece about climate grief.

AND I’m a tarot reader. To me, tarot is one of the most accessible, potent, and transformative tools we have for navigating the questions and challenges of our lives, a way of connecting people to their own intuition and guidance — something I’m always delighted to do.

You can find me and some samples of my work on my website, wesley22.com. You can schedule a tarot reading with me there too! I’m also on Instagram as @writerwes.

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?

1. Desire for self-knowledge and self-betterment
2. Curiosity and a willingness to learn new skills, move to new places, and take on new roles
3. Non-defensive, stick-to-it work ethic

In terms of advice…remember, we’re all afraid. We’re all unsure or insecure in certain moments. Choose to know yourself and choose fearlessness. Don’t be afraid to try and fail. And don’t condemn yourself when you do! Practice generosity, but stand in your power. If all else fails — or even when it’s all going great — always choose to take care of yourself. That’s one of my favorite mantras. “I choose to take care of myself.” So simple, so solid. It focuses you back on yourself and what you can do — and away from what other people might think about you. Another powerful mantra (the most powerful, imho!): “I choose to be true to myself.” Work with those two every day. You’ll start to feel a difference.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

I would love to partner or collaborate with individuals or companies making smart, compelling, inspiring documentary films or TV docuseries in the US or anywhere on the globe.

I’m curious about almost everything and love learning about new subjects through my work. These days, I’m especially excited about: stories of pivotal moments in history, told in a new way; responsible nature and travel documentaries; and portrayals of artists, activists, spiritual teachers, magic practitioners, and other individuals who have impacted the world through their work — especially women and members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://wesley22.com
• Instagram: @writerwes
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wesley.middleton
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wesleymiddleton/

Image Credits

Kate Rentz
Collages by Liv Wickedly (@livwickedly)