We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dee Dee Stephens. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dee Dee below.

Dee Dee, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

I am taking 5 years to separate my art from income. I consider this a risk because I am no longer actively auditioning so there’s a chance that my industry contacts will dry up. You might be wondering why I would do such a thing. Well let me tell you why. Covid scared the crap out of me! In February 2020, I moved in with a man I was dating at the time. Things were serious in our relationship and we were talking about getting married. When the pandemic hit, we put together a financial plan for me to start teaching while being an artist. He was in a financial position to cover the rent and household bills. But that got me to thinking,,, what if the pandemic hit at a time when I was on my own? I knew I wouldn’t have been able to support myself financially because a lot of the acting work dried up during the pandemic. That’s when I decided that I wanted an income that had nothing to do with my art. As I started building toward that, I also realized that when I was creating for money, I had a very desperate approach to my art, I NEEDED it to work, so that I could pay bills and that attitude consistently took me out of the moment. I was basically sabotaging my own big opportunities because no one wants to hire an artist with that level of desperation. So here I am, taking a major break from acting to build my finances. I often think about artists like Peter Dinklage, who fully committed himself to acting no matter what; I wonder if I’m taking the right path. But I guess I won’t know until I get back out there.

Dee Dee, 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’m an actor, comedian and producer. My family immigrated from the Caribbean to San Jose, California where I was born and raised. I pursued a creative career because I was unhappy in corporate America. I was on my way to becoming a successful financial advisor in the Bay Area but I hated my job so much, I could barely breathe! That’s when I made the decision to move to LA to pursue acting. I got accepted to the masters in acting program at the University of Southern California which was an amazing program. Since graduating, I’ve worked on several projects both on stage and in front of the camera. I’ve also been led to be an arts educator for the next generation.

I believe that art can change the world, so I choose to change the world for the better. I create female centered films that discuss everything from masturbation to spirituality. I am most interested in how these films get made, wanting to keep creative control over my artistic vision. I’ve learned that the entertainment industry can be soul sucking so I’ve had to become very clear on what I am and am not willing to deal with professionally.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)

I think block chain technology (the thing that NFTs exist on) will be the wave of the creative future. There are a lot of opportunities for artists to create multiple financial streams of income. I’m still learning about this space but I’m really excited for the possibilities in this space.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I was pretty naive when I came into the entertainment industry both about business and about life. I think I had an idealized image of the entertainment industry; I thought everyone did the jobs they loved. This is not true. There are so many folks who hate what they do in entertainment and that can lead to a lot of callousness. I had to learn how to protect myself in all areas; trust but verify!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.deedeestephens.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ddstephensacts/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deedeestephens/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ddstephensacts
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgWf1qPMrUD6JEhUJIrEacg
• Other: https://linktr.ee/ddstephensacts