We were lucky to catch up with Elisheva Novella recently and have shared our conversation below.

Elisheva, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

Definitely Time Skipping. During the pandemic, I was struggling with my mental health. I’m multi-neurodivergent and wasn’t able to get through college, regardless of my efforts. The lack of a traditional path was really hitting me at that point. But I managed to channel a lot of that frustration into poetry. I created a free verse-poem about wanting to skip ahead in time to the end of life. Watching a hypothetical future husband be put into his grave after a long life of letting others take the reigns. Finally realizing that, at last, I’m free. Dancing, creating a mess, making wild art to my heart’s content and knowing that no one would be watching me anymore. The invisibility forced onto older women might be lonely, but I could also see it being freeing.

The lack of care or expectations at the time granted me the confidence to turn this story into my first film. I met creatives in all different parts of the filmmaking community, got into festivals all over the world, and most importantly, learned how universal my story really was. I heard from women of all ages who saw themselves in this nameless woman. This really became a push for me to step out of my own way and realize that all stories are universal. We can worry all we want about our writing, our art, our stories, being “good enough.” But the more you lean into authenticity, the more you can hit those sweet spots that no one had the courage to speak out loud.

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

I’m most comfortable with the term “multi-disciplinary artist,” but publicly what I’m “known for,” is writing and directing short films. I am also an actress, a model, and, pretentiously, an enjoyer of artistic experimentation.
For many years I acted in theater. In 2018 I started virtually studying with an LA acting coach and also took classes at a local community college. In my free time (and time I was supposed to be doing other things) I was finding monologues and breaking them down bit by bit. Learning how to transform my inner world to be in line with my characters’ experiences. Any actor will know what an incredibly immersive hobby this can become.
But I remember feeling held back. In acting, you’re at the mercy of how others see you. I wanted to go bigger. Create more exciting projects with more exciting roles. I knew I wanted to try my hand at filmmaking, but it’s one of the most gate-kept art forms out there. I tried directing with friends but it wasn’t everyone’s priority. I wrote for a TV producer but that fell through. I was just trying a lot and letting everyone knew this was something I wanted until finally I spoke to the right person who said “whenever you’re ready, let me know and I’ll connect you to a crew.”
And so I’ve worn different hats. Wrote and directed “Time Skipping,” and “The Owl.” Acted, set decorated, production assisted and assistant directed.
Every time I get interviewed about myself I have to make it clear that I am not going through this with the intention of being “a professional.” I love watching my film friends rise up in the world but when I step into that role, my creativity stops flowing as fluidly and that’s exactly what got me here in the first place. I love to speak on behalf of all those creative souls trying to find their place. If I can serve as an embodiment of a woman taking charge of her life and her passion and inspire, then being seen and heard is worth it.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

We’re living in a world that pushes practicality. You can even see that in the buildings, the schools, everything being built around us. This is a form of control. Because in a society with a thriving creative ecosystem, people start to dream and think bigger and that is the enemy of capitalism. It’s easy to see art as unimportant when everything is reduced to “work harder,” “survive.” But we need more than that in order to grow and make the most of ourselves and our world. The more that creatives can be immersed and given free range to use their unique perspectives, I everyone benefits.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Stop looking for critique on every single element of your work. And when the criticism comes, you do not to need to listen. There are so many “rules” out there about how to write. What makes something “good” or “bad.” There’s also a lot of people who love to play the role of the expert. Feedback can be great in the beginning stages when you’re learning, but I really had to learn to wane myself off of that. You might get a whole list of opinions from that one person who doesn’t get it. But once it’s out there? The people it was meant for will flock to it. If you have good instincts, start letting go of that need for correction. There was nothing to correct in the first place.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @elisheva_novella
• Youtube: @iampomegranates

Image Credits

First photo: Adrianna Newell
Last photo: Still from Time Skipping by Lakota Ruby-Eck