We were lucky to catch up with Chynna Williams recently and have shared our conversation below.
Chynna , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
I didn’t realize that I wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path until later in life. I studied abroad in Italy during my undergraduate program at California State University, Chico, and fell in love with the city and country. The beauty of the architecture and deep history was very inspiring and it made me want to craft rich historical worlds of my own. It was during my semester abroad that I began writing and creating fantasy stories inspired by the real world but also when I began telling my own adventures and stories. When I got back to the States, I realized I wanted to do more with my life and tell stories from my experiences and perspectives. Since growing up I never saw or read a lot of books from similar experiences of my own.
Chynna , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I mainly got my start in the industry once I earned my MFA in Screenwriting at the New York Film Academy in Burbank, CA. I knew it was going to be a challenge to get into the industry solely on my own accord without any knowledge of the entertainment industry or any connections. I wanted to learn the craft and get better at writing but at the same time, I also needed to make connections. During school, I gained a lot of experience as a writer, director, and editor. I also realized that I found my true passion and knew that this was the right decision for me. So, with all of that in mind, a lot of my focus is on writing and directing and that would be the main experiences I could provide. But, I have also gained social media, video editing, and community engagement experience. Lastly, I am most proud of completing my Master’s degree in a field I love wholeheartedly. I love film, television, and creating Fantasy stories from new and diverse perspectives. I have become a much better writer since going to school and have truly found my voice and that improvement has clearly been noticed. Two of my projects– a web series called “The KVerse” and my fantasy pilot called “Blood Bond,” have both made headway in the competition circuit. I mainly create rich Fantasy worlds with paranormal elements and focus on P.O.C. female leads. These are the types of stories I grew up reading and are the main stories I want to tell. As these are my main focuses in life right now I want to gain more experience within the entertainment industry. I am interested in writing, music, reading, and photography and want to utilize my creative side more in my future endeavors.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
I am extremely proud to be biracial, I am half-Black and half-White and come from many different cultural backgrounds. I am very appreciative of where I come from but it definitely hasn’t been easy. I have dealt with a lot of racism and microaggressions in my life but it has become more apparent since moving to Los Angeles and going to film school. There are many people in the world who think they are better than you or the experiences you’ve lived in aren’t real and it is happening everywhere to many minorities. It always comes as a shock to people when I’ve tried to explain my experiences to these certain people.
There was a specific moment during my graduate program when I had to explain to a fellow student that what he was saying was incredibly wrong and hurtful. I wrote a story that was set during the 1950s Jim Crow South, a time that was very brutal and hurtful to many Black people with the Jim Crow laws in place. Unfortunately, what I was telling him about how Black people were treated during that time wasn’t getting through to him. He thought everything I was saying was untrue. It was a very difficult experience that I had to be put through as I was the only one who was really speaking out against him. It may have been difficult but I also grew a lot from that experience and it made me realize that I didn’t want to be silent anymore. It made me want to take action and create stories to share these experiences that so many people don’t believe are true. This experience and countless others that occurred while living in Los Angeles and during my graduate program made me more confident. But it also showed a side of resilience that I didn’t know I had.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
Since going to graduate school and figuring out what I want to do with my life, my main goal is to eventually own a Production Company under my name. This is a huge life goal of mine because I really want to highlight a specific genre which is Fantasy. But I also want to provide roles for Black people and other diverse groups of people who aren’t showcased in that genre very often. I want to write most of the stories I create whether they be shows or movies and provide more opportunities for Black or bi-racial artists. Growing up I didn’t see that very often in the stories I read or watched and while diversity in the entertainment industry is getting better it is moving at a slow pace. I want to do as much as I can to make that process grow faster and to make it more of a norm for the Fantasy genre.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://chynnaw16.wixsite.com/chynna-williams
- Instagram: chynna.writes94
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/
- Youtube: @chynnawilliams1233
- Other: Tik Tok — https://www.tiktok.com/@chynnawilliams94?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc