We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Cecilia Dondorful-Amos. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Cecilia below.
Cecilia, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is an ongoing body of work called “Apeirophobia” Aperiophobia means fear of the infinite. I used to be afraid of the certainty of death and the certainty of either eternal nothingness or heaven. I disliked the idea of being trapped in time, but I’ve come to terms with it because I won’t be experiencing it alone. Apeirophobia started off as a digital space that evolved from observations in the college party scene as a black neurodivergent woman, to a world I’m actively creating through multimedia projects. It’s meaningful to me because college was a time of profound isolation but hypervisibility, everyone knew who I was but actively excluded me from spaces. Viewing everything from a semi-satirical but wildly truthful lens is what got me through college. Then the project naturally switched gears into a space of radical acceptance, coming to terms with my gender identity, sexual assault, and relationship with alcohol and party culture. Also an outlet to allow myself to take up space, by becoming a fully fledged artist and embracing my oddities as a person with Audhd.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Cecilia Dondorful-Amos. I’m a freelance Cinematographer by trade as well as a photographer, writer, visual artist, and a model when I feel up to it. I often call myself a “radical observer” to summarize the philosophy behind all of my creations. I call myself this because I have been forced to assume a position of hyper vigilance and master pattern recognition to protect myself as a black neurodivergent woman. But lately, I have been taking that position and actively reclaming it as a conscious decision to pause, take up space, observe, and contextualize my findings in my art. I would call myself a socialite and end up in many interesting situations and like to reflect on them through prose, screenplays, poetry, and photography projects.
I have always been a filmmaker before even realized, making stop motions with my little sister at 8 years old and posting them on youtube, but writing was my first love. I would spend hours writing stories about my classmates in second grade and my teacher would read them to the class. Filmmaking as a profession found me later in life in High School and in my Senior year of College is when I took it seriously as a career.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
I moved to New York with no connections or money but felt called to go. I needed a change of scenery, I felt stuck being back in my home town. I had dreams that I wanted to pursue but it required pressure and being surrounded by likeminded people. I made just enough money to pay for the deposit for a sublet that lasting for a month and maybe 800 more dollars and just up and left. I was so nervous but so excited to be challenged. And, boy, I was. I survived on tuna, sourdough, peanut butter, and eggs but I was everywhere. I networked at art galleries, cocktail parties, even in the deli. I ended up in places I never even thought I would be, I walked multiple shows during fashion week and ended up on Vogue. I met some people that will be people I will work with for the rest of my life in film socials. I learned how to be thrifty and put myself out there and unapologetically stand in my power and identity as an artist. In NYC, everyone I met had a drive. Even if they were a damn hullahooper, they took their craft seriously and I respected it so much. It motivated me to also take myself seriously
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding thing about being an artist is the feeling like I’m walking in my purpose whenever I create. Even when things are tough and aren’t going as planned, if I were to die in this very moment, I know that I have done anything in my power to make my dreams a reality.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.notion.so/Cecilia-Dondorful-Amos-31f3b8c707358013baecf6a162480b75?source=copy_link
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sardinnnesss/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cecilia-dondorful-amos/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CeciliaDondorful-Amos
- Other: Photo by – Stefen Pompée
Image Credits
Personal image – Stefen Pompée
4th Image: Uday Narayanan