We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Maya Ortega. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Maya below.
Alright, Maya thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
One of the most meaningful projects I worked on was putting on a Drive-Thru Art Show during the pandemic in May 2020 called The Fifth Exit. We had access to a large plot of land, and asked artists to perform music, live paint, put up sculpture, had large puppets, and so much more. We ended up having a sold out “show” where people could be in their own cars while still seeing art and sharing a cultural event with community members when it was the very beginning of what would be a challenging time for many artists. All the artists who performed or showed art were paid through ticket sales, and it was definitely a boost to everyone’s morale during those strange times. Currently, I’m working on a docuseries about martial artists with limb loss or in wheelchairs who compete in jiu-jitsu and are trying to get it into the Paralympics. We traveled to Abu Dhabi last year for a para jiu-jitsu event. It was a life changing trip and experience. The docuseries is called “People of Determination,” because that is what people with disabilities are called in several Arab countries.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’ve been a prose writer since I was a kid. I took a class on television history class in college and the professor gave us the option of writing a script or a paper for our final. I picked a script, and wrote a spec for Seinfeld that integrated technology and cell phones into it. After that, I was hooked, and ended up going to grad school at Savannah College of Art and Design for Dramatic Writing. Ever since then I have been (mostly) episodic scripts.
I also have a lot of planning skills that came in handy when it was time to help on short film and feature film sets. The first event I ever organized was a surprise baby shower for my fifth grade teacher, in the fifth grade. I’ve been planning events for decades now. I’ve used these skills to help run an arts venue and to organize projects. I think a lot about production when it comes to writing, and how easy or hard it would be to film a scene. Sometimes I let that dictate a scene, sometimes I don’t. It comes down to the story.
I’m currently, and quite unexpectedly, working on shooting a docuseries about martial artists with limb loss and in wheelchairs. Directing was not a desire of mine initially, but this project came to me and felt very compelled to do it. While I am not disabled, I have many friends who are and there is a real need for them to be seen as they are in the world.
My real calling and goal is to write professionally. I think the landscape is changing for writing, so I’m trying to stay open to that. I also write in different lengths, from half-hour comedies that I’ve created like “The Gumshoe Gals,” about two twentysomething best friends who become illegitimate private detectives, solving social mysteries—or trying to. The social mysteries range from conflicts with neighbors, queer and straight friendships, how to be in a platonic relationship, when to put up and shut up (or not), and how to grieve. I wrote it because I found out how many times I was wrong about a person or situation, and instead of feeling ashamed, I felt relief. I think being wrong or misunderstanding something is a natural function of humanity, and it should be welcomed as the first step in change. I also wrote a play called “Tip” about a young woman who dies, and finds out in the afterlife that God’s new system for deciding where you go is based on her internet search history. The common thread of my work is writing about women navigating liminality, in the spheres of work, spirituality, womanhood, and society.
My work tends to aim for one thing: to tell a story convincing enough to help people see the common religion of humanity in each other, and aim to be better and more understanding in the midst of life.
None of them have been sold or made yet. But I think now is the time to create and prepare as my career grows.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
I think the biggest resource I need as a writer and creative is time. And time usually requires money. I noticed how many people were leaving my town as a result of rising rent. It used to be a place where you could have cheap rent and afford time to create. In light of this, I came to the city government with a proposal called “Art to Live,” where grants would be given to artist to help cover rent and utilities. The goal was to relieve the first rung of Maslow’s Heirarchy of Needs. I was inspired by the Medici family who housed and fed Michelangelo while he painted the Sistine Chapel. There is plenty of data around the economic value to communities that have robust arts and support for artists. With a lot of work, patience, and community support, I was able to get $170.000 for two years of funding for 46 artists. My goal is to find additional funding for this program, and make it statewide.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
Whenever I’m in a rut, I listen to Terence McKenna’s video called “Opening the Doors of Creativity.” He has a quote that I think about often: “The artist’s task is to save the soul of mankind; and anything less is a dithering while Rome burns. Because of the artists, who are self-selected, for being able to journey into the Other, if the artists cannot find the way, then the way cannot be found.”
It is certainly lofty, but it feels true and relevant to my work. I do believe the way can be found, and I believe it’s crucial to do my part in aiding mankind through storytelling. It can be lonely and frustrating to be a writer. It reminds me that I am not alone, and that no matter what happens with my work, the important thing is that it is completed.
Contact Info:
- Website: mayaortega.com
- Instagram: @thefreecorner
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maya-ortega/
Image Credits
SeriesFest