We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Nakia Stephens. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Nakia below.
Nakia, appreciate you joining us today. Too often the media represents innovation as something magical that only high-flying tech billionaires and upstarts engage in – but the truth is almost every business owner has to regularly innovate in small and big ways in order for their businesses to survive and thrive. Can you share a story that highlights something innovative you’ve done over the course of your career?
The most innovative thing that I’ve done in my career has been starting a independent screenwriting label so that, as a collective, multiple screenwriters can take control of their on narratives and find our own lanes. Damn Write Originals is the first of its kind and it is my hope that it wont be the last. I hope that screenwriters find power in the collective and move and grow through community.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
I’m a screenwriter and independent filmmaker from Atlanta and currently based in Los Angeles. I got my start by just starting. After college, I was so determined to write films and make them. I had very little knowledge but I was willing to be a beginner. I studied at youtube university and I practiced by making films with my friends. This eventually led to even bigger opportunities.
Now I’m the founder of the first screenwriting label, Damn Write Originals where we write, develop, and produce stories for and with some of the most culture focused networks and brands such as Aspire TV, Revolt TV, KeyTV, and FoxSoul.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
I once read that the storyteller was the most powerful person in the world, after God; reading those words helped shape my intention as a screenwriter, because with that level of power comes a great amount of responsibility. Once I discovered that I could reclaim the narratives of people like me – Black, Woman, Queer, Marginalized – I knew that little by little, word by word, I could change the fabric of this world.
As an Atlanta native, a lot of my writing is naturally influenced by Black culture and southern flair yet my provocative imagination still allows for me to create worlds without bounds. I am known for crafting character-driven narratives that effortlessly blend elements of heartache, humor, and controversy.
Storytelling is my favorite way to “put the medicine in the candy”. Regardless of genre, it is through storytelling that we can best engage an audience on complex issues by breaking down social barriers and just telling a truth; notice I said “a” truth, not “the” truth.
Often, “the truth” is arbitrary; yet with screenwriting, every time I create, I’m able to focus on “a truth” which is grounded in humanity and perspective.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of my career as a creative is that I get to collaborate with other talented creatives! I love when artists can bring their superpowers together in true Avengers fashion, to create something really dope. Being able to work with and hire people who are just as passionate and then being able watch the results of our alchemy come to life brings me insurmountable joy!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nakiacstephens.com
- Instagram: @screenwriteher_
- Twitter: @screenwriteher_
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/Damnwriteoriginals
- Other: www.damnwriteoriginals.com
Image Credits
Tre Hazelwood, Kirsten Moore, Trent Denson