We recently connected with Aleia Kristene and have shared our conversation below.

Aleia, appreciate you joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

Since I can remember I’ve always been a go-getter and a risk taker. Going after what I wanted or desired was always second nature for me. If I envision it, I can achieve it. If I don’t have the blueprint, I will figure it out. The first major risk that I took in my life was moving from Florida to Atlanta immediately after college. I did not have much of a plan except to somehow get my foot in the door of the film industry. Word on the street was that Atlanta’s film industry was on fire so I took the chance and set out on this journey. I was lucky enough to find a friend from college that allowed me to stay with her while I got on my feet. Not knowing where to start in regards to getting an opportunity to work on set, I decided to see if I could put my degree to use and apply to a few corporate jobs in the meantime. Weeks began to pass and I still had not snagged a job. Nearing the end of my first month in Atlanta, I decided to reach out to a film producer whom I followed on Instagram after I saw that he was location scouting in Atlanta for a new film. That conversation led me to finding out that they were looking for a Director’s Assistant for the film, and that’s how I snagged my first job on the crew of a movie. During that first job I worked with superstars such as Mike Epps, T.I., and Teyana Taylor. I even met my idol and producer of the film, Queen Latifah. While working as the Director’s Assistant to Erik White I took home a lot of gems and made lasting impressions on everyone that I met. From that experience, I was able to snag jobs on set of many films and television shows in Atlanta as a Production Assistant. In all honesty, if I had not taking that risk of moving out of Florida and going to Atlanta, I would not be as close to making my dreams come true as I am today. I feel that leaving a city that does not benefit you or align with the plans or dreams that you have for your future makes a huge difference! It takes a lot of courage, but in the end it is completely worth it. Taking that jump helped me tons when I made the even bigger jump and moved to Los Angeles after living in Atlanta for 2 years. Although, LA is definitely a different ball game (Haha), I would not be who I am today without that initial risk. I made lifelong connections with people that I met while there and gain lots of experiences that prepared me for the next step of my journey. Being this far away from my family and everything that I know placed a different type of hunger on the inside of me.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

If you were to hear me talk, you’d know that I was from the South. I was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida & I rep Florida every chance I get. In 2017 I graduate from Florida A&M University, aka the Best HBCU in the Nation. I am a screenwriter-director, author, actress, & entrepreneur. Although I wear many hats, writing is truly in my DNA. I have been a storyteller since a very young age. The home videos of me as a 4 year old standing on the bathroom counter reciting lines from “Friday” just to see my mom laugh prove that I’ve always wanted to put smiles on faces. I wrote my first script at the tender age of 9. Growing up I treated screenwriting as a hobby due to the fact that I wasn’t aware that this was possibly something that I could pursue as a career. It wasn’t until my sophomore year of college, 2 years into my pre-physical therapy curriculum, that I realized I wanted to get back to the thing that fueled me as a kid. Upon graduating I took the leap of faith and moved to Atlanta to gain experience in the industry. While in Atlanta I gain tons of experience working on set of many films and shows including Star on Fox, Black Lightning, and The Hate U Give. I built connections with folks in the industry and was able to build a network of creatives around me. That led me to writing, directing, and co-starring in my short film “72 Hours”. Many of the actors in the films were actors that I met in Atlanta who were background extras on many of the same productions. Since 2019 I have been making a name for myself here in Los Angeles. In spite of the state of our world shifting, I signed with a literary manager in 2020 and also wrote and released my first book ‘Loss & Found’ during that same year. In the book I walk readers through my journey of how pain led me to finding my purpose in life. In my case, rediscovering my purpose in life… because I feel like deep down I always knew it. I have grown to know how much bigger my assignment truly is.

I recently launched a 30-Day Screenwriting Course that I am extremely excited about. This course is for those interested in learning how to write a script, those who have a hard time finishing a script, or those who simply have an idea but want to figure out how to get it on paper. During the 30 Day course it is completely hands on as I guide and coach the writer through each step of the process. More information can be found on my website www.aleiakristene.com.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I know for a fact that my risk-taking is not very favorable by anyone who is a non-creative. I believe that as a creative, risk-taking is just something you understand and respect when you see another creative does it. As a creative, you’re my encouraging of it to other creatives because you know how much courage it takes and how hard we fight to even be able to do what we love.

Being a creative takes a different type of faith and also a different type of resilience.
As a creative I feel like you hear the most “No’s”. You get the short end of the stick in a lot of situations including financially, especially when first starting out. I think a non-creative has to understand the courage that it truly takes for a creative to continue pursuing something knowing that it may not make them full in the belly, but it keeps them full internally, emotionally, and spiritually.

Being a creative is spiritual in a lot of ways. Much of this journey is very lonely. Even if you’re a creative that has to interact with others, a lot of the loneliness is behind closed doors. A lot of self-doubt, a lot of tears, etc. I want all non-creatives to know to remember to pat a creative on the back, share their post every once in a while, offer a lending ear… because it’s not an easy journey.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect for me is hearing how my work has affected someone or made them feel. The amount of love I received from the release of my book ‘Loss & Found’ was truly incredible. People of all ages from all over were reaching out and thanking me for being vulnerable and sharing my journey with the world. Every DM, comment, or email was a reminder that I am doing what I am supposed to be doing.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.aleiakristene,com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleiakristene/?hl=en
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/aleiakristene