Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Donté Larry. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Donté, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
For me, resilience is more than just a buzzword, it’s how we, as a community and a people, rise above our circumstances and create a better world for future generations. We must fight for a brighter future, and that responsibility weighs heavily on me. Young people are experiencing some of the hardest times seen in generations. Housing is unattainable in every state, corporate greed and price gouging are making basic necessities unaffordable, and wages have been stagnant for decades. Meanwhile, labor is exploited to further enrich the ruling class. I find my resilience by staying true to myself and expressing myself through my art. In a profit-over-everything system, we are conditioned to value ourselves purely on how productive we are in the system, stripping us of our value as humans and our value to ourselves and each other. But we are already valuable, powerful, and able to create an equitable world that values our humanity, not simply our value to shareholders. This hope and vision of what we can accomplish together fuels my resilience and my fight for our collective future.
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?
I am a mixed-race filmmaker, project manager, and logistician based in Brooklyn, NY. I was born in Washington state to a black father and white mother and was raised in rural Tennessee. I spent my undergraduate years at the University of Washington, where I majored in Sociology with a focus in gender and race theory, and their intersection with crime and policing. Following graduation, I commissioned as an Officer in the United States Marine Corps, serving 8 years on active duty. During this time, I earned the Project Management Professional certification, demonstrating a mastery of project management concepts, tasks, and techniques that are applicable across virtually any industry. My training and experiences were crucial to the development of my leadership, organization, and team management skills. It also helped develop my professionalism, adaptability, and strong work ethic. However, I began to realize that I had unique qualities and creative abilities that I could best use to contribute to the world from outside of military service. After leaving active duty, I attended the New York Film Academy, earning two certificates in filmmaking and cinematography. I continue to explore theories of race and society as I progress in my career, using film as a medium to share my creative and personal analysis with the world. My mixed-race heritage and formal education have given me a unique lens through which to experience such vastly different communities, and have inspired me to create films that will speak to people who may not see themselves in their surroundings.
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?
As an artist, it’s easy to promote skills such as “creativity” or “insight”, but the truth is that the skills that have been the most impactful in my journey are qualities that can be applied to any circumstance or industry: communication, leadership, and decision making. I’ve seen too many filmmakers struggle and fail simply because they were unable to either adequately communicate their vision, properly manage their team toward the end goal, or employ decisiveness at critical moments in the project. Even solo artists, such as painters or photographers, will inevitably find themselves working with or leading others as they work toward their own success. I can’t overstate how detrimental it can feel if you’re ill prepared for that time. I encourage anyone early in their journey to find time to lead and inspire others, and deliberately work on your public speaking and communication skills. Lastly, be honest about your weaknesses and make a plan to improve those areas. Remember, you’re investing in your future self. And that future self will thank you later.
We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?
Regarding strengths and weaknesses, you should absolutely continue to hone your strengths, especially if they’re connected to your desired goals or dreams. For me, I’ve found that directing a cast and crew toward my vision comes rather easily. However, you can’t neglect those areas in which you don’t feel as strong or comfortable. You must find time to focus on and improve your weaknesses. Oftentimes in our current economic and social system, it seems better to be a specialist or uniquely qualified in one area. I truly believe this is a mistake, though. The more tools you can sharpen in your toolbox, the more prepared you will be to adjust when you’re hit with the unexpected, as will inevitably happen. Renowned chemist, pharmacist, and microbiologist Louis Pasteur once said that “chance favors the prepared mind.” You owe it to yourself and your future success to be prepared for anything; this means sustaining your strengths and improving your weaknesses.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dontelarry.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dontes.crafts/
