Where does your desire to express yourself through art come from?

My desire to express myself through art arises from the mission of the nonprofit that I joined in 2010 and now lead. Seeing for Ourselves trains marginalized individuals to take control of their own public narrative by documenting their lives or concerns photographically. 

What are your goals as an artist?

My goals as an artist are to promote these new visual narratives, which I can best do in film. Our short documentary “In a Whole New Way” promotes the new imagery produced by justice-involved New Yorkers while showing how their efforts transformed their lives.

What is your opinion on the cultural industry?

The cultural industry is in my view dominated by studios, global media companies, billionaires, and celebs—not a very hospitable ecosystem in which independent actors can thrive.

Do you think independent artists today have enough opportunities to share their creativity?

I don’t think there are enough opportunities for independent artists to share their creativity, which is why I’m so grateful to Wild Filmmakers for creating a welcoming space.

What new project are you currently working on?

I’m now putting the final touches on “My Climate Future.” This short doc commemorates our nonprofit’s effort to have high schoolers roam their local environments with cameras and try to imagine the impact of climate change. Youth are another marginalized population in that they have been largely excluded from the national conversation in the US around climate change—even as they have the most skin in the game while not causing the crisis in the first place!