We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Mercedes Kane a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Mercedes thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
I don’t believe I will ever be done learning. I received an MFA in 2009 in Independent Filmmaking and just earned my second MFA from the University of Georgia this past August in Narrative Nonfiction. Both of these experiences gave me an incredible foundation in the disciplines of both filmmaking and writing, both pushed me out of my areas of comfort and helped me be a better, more thoughtful and vigilant storyteller. But it’s the work I’ve done outside of the classroom setting that has truly shaped me as a creative person. I am very aware that I need to earn the right to tell a person’s story and that can only be done by being with the person and building trust. You can’t learn that, you have to do it. The skills of interviewing, and especially listening, are the most essential skills I have developed over my career – to really lean in and hear what someone is saying and to be genuinely interested. In today’s busy, digital world, so many of us are distracted or too involved in our own lives to listen carefully. But it’s in the listening and learning where stories are told.
Mercedes, 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 have been writing, producing videos and working as a creative director for nearly 20 years now. I received my undergraduate degree in broadcast journalism, but but worked briefly in marketing for a few years before delving into filmmaking and video production. I started my own company in 2017 and now run both Mercedes Kane Creative, Inc. and a 501c3 nonprofit, Daisy May Films. I am drawn to real stories so mostly work in the docustyle space when it comes to visual content. I also write long form articles for magazines, as well as content for executives, corporate communications, newsletters, video scripts and produce videos that feature professionals, patients and people from across the world and across disciplines. I recently worked with an agency producing 27 videos for the Democratic National Convention, and a few months ago I produced a video for the Arthritis Foundation about a little girl’s struggles with juvenile arthritis. Last year, with another agency, I directed a series of videos for Uber that featured their sustainability efforts. I also had three magazine articles published this past year. Sometimes I feel like I’m all over the place, but at the root of all of my work is storytelling and people. I have a very strong work ethic and strive to create work that is authentic. If I can capture the genuine essence of a person, story or even brand in a way that connects with people, I’ve done my job.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
Being in a creative role is very challenging, especially when it’s on you to find work, produce work and then also fund passion projects that don’t often have a client attached to them. It might seem like the rewarding part is putting the work out into the world and hearing from people that it’s touched, or being at a film festival with hundreds of people watching your film – and that is an incredible and almost surreal part of the process – but the most rewarding part is actually in doing the work. I can’t tell you how fast my heart races or how happy I get when someone agrees to let me into their world. Or when I am sitting across from someone they start sharing something they’ve never told anyone else before. Or when I complete a paragraph of a story recreating a scene in someone’s life and I read it back and know I got it right. Those micro-moments that are “all in a day’s work” are what keep me going and make me proud, even on the hardest days.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
As a storyteller, I am drawn to the stories of real people and how they exist within and make sense of the world around them. My writing and documentary work reflects my attraction to both the shared and singular experiences of being human. I hope it provides people with an intimate look at the world around – and inside – all of us. The people I’ve been drawn to profile in both my films and writing are not famous. They’re not retired rockstars or billionaires running for office. Like so many others, they’re human beings living with multiple layers of history, trauma, injustice and desire, hidden beneath a surface of strength and resilience. What makes these everyday exceptions stand out is that they have faced adversity head-on, overcoming unimaginable struggles and changing the world around them in extraordinary ways.
Like the people whose stories I tell, it is my mission to stay courageous, open and ready to use my ever-evolving skills to change the world in some small way.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mercedeskane.com
- Instagram: mercedesmkane
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DaisyMayFilms
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mercedeskane/
- Twitter: @daisymayfilms
- Other: Reel: https://f.io/yuXcoOa3
Image Credits
Jalyn Clemens (shot in yellow dress)