Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Khaliah Rose. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Khaliah, thanks for joining us today. One of the toughest things about progressing in your creative career is that there are almost always unexpected problems that come up – problems that you often can’t read about in advance, can’t prepare for, etc. Have you had such and experience and if so, can you tell us the story of one of those unexpected problems you’ve encountered?

One of the most unexpected problems that I have faced as a creative is learning how to say “No”. When first starting off in the film industry I was ready to take off and learn as much as I could from every opportunity that came my way. Whether I needed to drive over an hour in rush hour traffic to make it to a set or had to go straight from school on set and not get home until 4 am. I believed that for every opportunity I needed to say ‘Yes” because if I did not then how could I make it in an industry that is so demanding of people’s time that I would fall in between the cracks. However, I had to really take a step back and look at myself because I was taking on too much all at once. I am a full-time college student and I have a part-time job that each took up so much of my time that I barely was able to make time for myself because I was running all over. Nevertheless, as my journey has continued in the film industry I learned to finally start saying “NO” to projects and start taking time for myself because nothing is more important than my mental health. I realized that my most important project was myself and trusting that God has a plan for me and that I need to continue to have faith that he will guide me on the right path.

Khaliah, 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 specialize in film directing and also photography. My main goal in life is to tell stories through film and photography. Growing up, I was never a good writer but I always knew how to tell stories however I needed to find an easier way for me to tell the stories that I cared about. Being able to pick up a camera and tell all types of stories captivated me at a young age and as I grew older I knew that I wanted to become a director. I went to Dekalb School of the Arts Highschool and there, I had a concentration in the media/film department. I got to work on so many projects ranging from music videos to documentaries, and also short films. My brand focuses on my community and the network that I have established during my years in the industry. I help many local businesses with brand shoots and I also take photos for my friends’ and family ranging from weddings to birthday shoots and also graduations, I am proud of everything that I have been able to be a part of because I am constantly learning and evolving in my creative journey.

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

I believe that creativity needs to be highlighted more in schools because kids need to understand that there is more than one way to be creative not every kid needs to be an athlete or know how to sing, rap, or dance to let out their creative energy. Instead, schools need to provide more extracurricular activities that help students become more inspired. I was lucky enough to go to an art school that catered to the arts students that auditioned and were excepted into the school. However, all schools need to have more creative arts programs so that more students do not have to wait so late to figure out their desired careers.

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?

Being creative is not a 9 to 5 job instead sometimes there are long hours and other times you are waiting over two months to get onto another set or waiting to hear from another job. Sometimes it is hard to explain to a non-creative that getting into the film industry is less about what you know and more about who you know, Networking is the foundation of the industry and it is hard to find the right connections that will lead you to where you need to go. Instead, sometimes people do not have the best intentions aand then you are left to start all over and find new connections to break into the film industry, That is why people use the phrase “Break into the industry” because you literally have to find back doors and make the right connections just to get your foot inthe door.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Khaliah.Rose