Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Onnoleigh Sweetman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Onnoleigh, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
I have always been involved in the arts. I started off tap dancing on tables at the age of three and was enamored with film and television since childhood. Acting and dance was my first love that I trained in, but I took and electric detour in my early twenties. I started going to raves in 1999 and would spin glow sticks off of shoe strings. That’s when inspiration struck me and I had a vision to take all the artistic elements of rave culture and put them on stage. By 2002 I was learning to twirl fire and was grabbing every type of street dancer and ballerina I could find to put them on stage to live DJ’s in a neo- psychedelic dance show. This is where I learned to become a producer and spent years putting on all types of events. I learned to be a director and producer through good ole fashion trial and error. There was no blueprint that I was following and looking back, just getting out there in world and having a vision of creation and just doing it, is the best hands on education. One really learns by doing as you remember your mistakes and take the lessons with you to the next project. That’s how you grow as an artist… With that, the most important skill for any type of project, whether it is an event or film production is organization and flexibility. Be prepared and then be flexible for when things do not go as planned. Being creative with solutions and having a strong team with the same mindset I find is an imperative factor.
Onnoleigh, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
After years of producing live events, I decided to take the leap into film and television. I started off as a rambunctious character on multiple reality shows, spinning fire, dancing, basically just being my fun self. After about five years, I decided to get more serious to the craft of acting and started training again in method acting and landed myself an agent with the Jackson Agency. I had a supporting role in the crime thriller Handshake which is out on multiple platforms such as Amazon and Cox. Most recently I was assistant director, supporting actor, fire stunts and fire choreographer for the film Where Is My Mind which filmed in Las Vegas and surrounding areas. I’m a creative producer at heart and have directed and created content and fire shoots in the desert for myself and other artists.
I also launched my own YOUTUBE channel Onnoland, where I film in remote locations such as Death Valley, dry lake beds and Dunes. This is why I use the term multiverse. I don’t just do one thing, I take all my creative energy and produce a multitude of media. I spent years DJing electronic music and creating unique performances, from streets to stages to Burning Man. I also delved into screenwriting and my dark comedy Taxidermist is out on the festival circuit now. As of right now, I am moving toward the direction of producer and director as I feel that’s where my 20 years of experience is now taking me. Everything that I have done as an artist, creative producer has prepared me for my next step in the film world.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
The most difficult part of my journey has been finding the resilience to survive a severe covid infection. In July of 2020, I contracted Covid-19 and would spend the following three months in and out of the hospital. I had everything from blood clots in my brain to memory loss and spent the first part of my journey bed bound for 8 months , then a subsequent year. Unable to walk across a parking lot or lift a gallon of water or take care of myself, I never thought I would be fully functional again. I ended up getting diagnosed with Long Covid and that was the biggest battle, crawling from a death bed to where I am today. I had what I call a life review when I didn’t think I was going to make it. I remember laying in bed, barely able to breathe or move at around month two and had so much regret that I did not go for film sooner. I thought it was the end. There was so much grief in those moments when you are facing death, the thoughts of the life you still want to live. That there was so much in my soul that I still had to share with the world. There was such an immense sadness coupled with a deep appreciation for that life that I did get to live and I wasn’t ready for it (my life) to be over. I had never experienced sickness like I have with Long Covid. If I didn’t fight the way I did to be heard and treated properly within the medical community, I would not be alive. I remember seeing fellow dancers and actors on social media living their lives unscathed by the virus and missing my life, missing a functional body so much. Wishing I could just go back to my former self and former life, again there was so much grief in those moments. I vowed to myself that if I ever recovered and got a second chance at life that I would do everything in my power to go full force into film and live my purpose. In effect, I decided to do everything and anything I could from bed. I would write screenplays and took an acting master class. I also watched one of my favorite actors Scott Haze in as many films of his as I could for motivation. I even reached out to him multiple times regarding his performances and his responses were so kind and supportive. At one point in the journey, I lost the ability to fully stand and walk and had to go to physical therapy. It was humbling to go from owning a yoga and dance studio, dancing on stages and running through Burning Man’s to using a push cart to get around work. The whole experience was devastating on many levels but also forged my character. My first month of PT I would cry when I couldn’t balance for more than a few seconds. I would tell the physical therapists about my former life as a go getter and dancer. I broke down many times feeling defeated. Then I found the determination and inspiration to really dive into rehabbing myself. I watched 100 foot Wave and saw the surfers going through physical therapy after horrible injuries, sometimes rehabbing themselves for up to a year. That’s when I said to myself, however long this takes, you are going to do it. If it takes a year then it takes year. And I did it… I went from using a push cart to standing, to walking and to ultimately filming a fire dance video called Rise on a dry lake bed. Serendipity would have it that there was two RISE signs in the desert during that shoot I was unaware of until I arrived. And here I was using a track by Left/Right called Rise. During this journey and my darkest hours, I landed an agent, filmed a couple more films, wrote screenplays and launched a YouTube all while fighting in a broken medical system. It’s what has kept me going because I will never forget those moments when life was over for me. There has been many people (including myself) that are shocked that I am still alive. But I am here, I am living my second life, and though it doesn’t look the same, I am going for it.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
To inspire and to live passionately with purpose. Also to connect with other artists. There’s a creative force in every single one of us. I would assert it’s the true driving force of humanity. I have always loved working with other creatives and connecting others to their talents and passions. There is something special about seeing other peoples gifts and co-creating with them to build something special. I have a manifesto that I wrote years ago that touches on this that I work to live by: I will work to bring unique artistic styles to the forefront of the Las Vegas dance scenes and beyond. I will hold a vision to cultivate artistic communities, to create one of kind performances and to captivate audiences with visually stimulating art, film, electronic music & dance. I will showcase these art forms where ever possible with a purpose to lead and inspire others to live their dreams and express their passions through all types of art and media. I will continue to break boundaries, raise questions, and provoke emotions in the hearts and souls of many…
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onnoleigh/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onnoleigh.sweetman/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/onnoleigh-sweetman-3012a014/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@onnoleigh?si=aXgUJgHWhVbywyRq
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-485839185/tracks
Image Credits
Personal photo 1 by Danien Jay/ Additional photos 1 & 6 by Jonathan Ruggerio 2 by Darren Haskins and 3 by Shaun Rylee