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

Hi Shivawn, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

At the top of the pandemic I found myself newly relocated back to the area that I grew up in with no friends close to me and the world flipped upside down. I had plans of establishing my production company and creating projects that I felt like the world needed. Faced with the challenges of not being able to work in person and lack of my own social community I started “produced” a podcast called Seated with Strangers. I always enjoyed having dinner with friends but mixing other friends together and connecting them with each other. Seated with Strangers is where I brought three strangers together to have conversations around culture, relationships, money, technology and more. It was important for me to make sure that during this time and even know that people had space to feel seen and heard. From there it shifted into dinner parties that brought people together to reimagine community.

Shivawn, 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?

At just 8 years old I took my first step at writing, submitting a personal essay into a contest at my Elementary School. This was major considering I was the girl who hardly spoke in class. But, I pushed past my fears and laid my words on the line.

To my surprise I won.

After winning the contest I tucked my award into my scrapbook and didn’t formally write for another 20 years. I kept writing but my words were hidden in my journal. I grew up believing that I could be a teacher, doctor or even a lawyer. I didn’t see creativity as a career.

My perspective stayed limited and I didn’t believe there was space for me as a creative until I had a mini crying session at my 9 to 5 which sent me on a journey of obtaining my MA in Screenwriting. From there that’s how I entered into the world of Podcasting. I made a promise to myself after being in the screenwriting program and feeling like I was 15 steps behind everyone else. I knew I wanted to share stories of women that were in the film industry with aspiring filmmakers to provide something like a cheat code.

Since then I’ve been able to create through writing books, producing podcast shows, working on several award-winning films, creative directing and story development for brands and individuals. Every project that I work on whether its a podcast, creative direction or docuseries my goal is to bring people together via my art. I approach working with my clients the same way. I know that their voice matters whether it shows up on through audio or visually and we want to extend their reach beyond their immediate circle.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

When I first started out leaning into my creativity social media wasn’t a marker for success. However as time progressed it become the thing that I measured if my creativity was “valid”. I remember how I began to really pay attention to all of the views and numbers on social media (yes I think social media is a great tool but don’t let it rule you). And I had to ask myself are you worried about trendy or making an impact. The defining moment that brought me to this question was looking at my social media numbers for my Podcast that I produce Seated with Strangers and not seeing any movement on our followers but knowing that we were producing some amazing work. So in that moment God really checked me like are you here to serve your ego or serve your art? From there I had to look at the “numbers” differently. These weren’t just numbers but people who took the time to show up for what I created and I needed to treat them well and how I wanted to be treated. So the biggest thing from that I’ve learned is unlearning chasing the algorithm. Because our numbers may not look like much but our impact as a community is major.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

When I first decided to commit to creativity it was because I had something to say. I wanted my story to help someone whether it was through comfort or helping them avoid the mishaps I made. But as I have continued to create and tell stories through various mediums the mission has transformed into using my stories to bring people together. I remember growing up and having that Friday night line up of what I watched on TV whether is was fresh prince, family matters, sister to sister you get the point. But in that moment I felt seen on those shows but also it was the conversation piece the next day at school or even at home with my parents. Those shows brought us together and that’s what I want my stories to do.   

Contact Info:

• Website: www.shivawnmitchell.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shivawnmitchell/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shivawnmitchell/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/shivawnadrienne
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjfTSq13rnrHLiz9dCdt-2Q
• Other: www.seatedwithstrangers.com

Image Credits
Fringe Creative Co.