 |
 The TRUTH in TruJuLo encourages us all to reflect on the stories that haven’t been told widely enough in media and entertainment – the non-dominant narratives. Especially this month, as we commemorate ThanksTAKING with loved ones, do a land acknowledgment to show gratitude. Here’s a great resource if you don’t have one: IllumiNative Land Acknowledgement Guide. And as you plan for holiday gifts, my boyfriend Vinnie got one of these maps for Mama Trudy – and they’re beautiful: Tribal Nations Maps. I also really enjoy the All My Relations podcast. What kinds of things do you do to speak and share truth about Native and Indigenous Peoples (including yourselves if you are)?WHAT ARE WE UP TO?  |
 We’re starting to pitch RAISING to networks, studios and streaming services! Over the last several weeks the show creator Sian Morson, Brittany Turner (social media & inclusion consultant at Pearl Street) and I’ve worked with the team at Culture House to create a sizzle reel (short video sample of what the show is), and our agent has gotten our pitch deck and reel out to several places. This coming week we have our first pitch. Here’s how the pitch goes down:Culture House gives general info on the showBrittany and I share how important the show is to us at Pearl StreetSian goes into the details of the show, and specifics about Black and Brown women entrepreneursWe open it up for questions!Send us positive energy this week as we head in and do our best to get this show sold and made. I’ll update you on progress next month!  Speaking of holiday gifts, I’ve recently finished reading this gem. If you or anyone close to you is interested – or is already – in the entertainment industry: GET THIS BOOK. Kelly Edwards is an OG in Hollywood development and production and spent the last several years working at HBO nurturing storytellers and landing them studio gigs. And now she has landed a first look deal with HBO, and is staffed on Our Kind of People. I wish I’d had this book as I started out at Pearl Street. It’s accessible and goes into depth on getting projects from the seedling of the idea all the way to screening them. Also (re)listen to her guest appearance on Sista Brunch – most exciting because we snagged her just as she was leaving HBO to venture into the world as a full time writer.  It’s OFFICIAL! The Grammys Inclusion Rider is complete and they will adopt it for the 2022 Grammys. I’m so proud to have continued to work with attorney Kalpana Kotagal, Caroline Joyner at Color of Change, and to get to know and work alongside Ryan Butler to bring this hiring process to the biggest music awards show in the world! Read more about the Grammys Inclusion Rider HERE.   I’m fourteen sitting on a swing in Lincoln Park (visiting our Dad in DC) with my very best friend and big brother, Winston – and we ’bout to do something BIG. He rolls a joint, lights it, takes a puff and hands it to me. All nerves and excitement, I take that baby in and immediately discover there’s a natural resource for feeling like I’m floating in and out of the present moment, helping me sleep, and making me tingly and unconcerned with what others think about me. Not EVERY moment of my Mary J journey has been so nice. There’s the time in Jamaica, again with big brother Winston, when I smoke so much I think the high pitched buzzing of the cicadas is actually a heart monitor – and every time they increase their pace, I believe I’m having a heart attack. Or the brownie incident (who doesn’t have one?) that landed an ex on an IV in an ambulance and kept me high for three days. I got my ‘green card’ in LA as soon as medical marijuana became legal. You basically went to a ‘nurse’ and said you had migraines and you qualified. But there still wasn’t a whole lot of selection, and the people working in the dispensaries were self-proclaimed stoners meaning they were not great at recommending something mellow for beginners. The brownie incident happened shortly after, and I stopped imbibing for a couple years. Then the cannabis industry blew up – recreational became legal here, and there are now high end weed stores in every neighborhood in Los Angeles. And I am slowly becoming a ‘cannabisseur.’ I tend to favor sativa – said to bring up the energy levels – it has a similar effect on me as caffeine. It’s perfect for doing chores on a Sunday, or on a day time hike. When I’m down to chill and let go of work and being on the productive side, indica is there to ensure I do nothing but relax or get a good night’s sleep. The black sci-fi-like contraption leaning on the mason jar you see on the left side of the photo is called The Mighty. This thing is a convection and conduction grass-baking-device and it’s amazing. For better and worse, it’s a bit time-consuming to prepare the small capsules you cook in it, but the dose is just perfect – and you are taking in way less smoke than a pipe or a joint. I also am a fan of edibles – and the brand Kiva makes my favorite ones (the blue tin with ‘CAMINO’ on it). They’re tasty and they have lots of different options in terms of CBD and THC ratios. I know this may not be your thing – but I wanted to share with you that it’s mine – and I’m so glad to have an additional resource for helping me relax or getting me pumped up sometimes. If you are curious – or have advice to share, please feel open to responding to this and sharing your thoughts! 5 Life Lessons I Learned as an Actor I’m loving making these weekly YouTube videos. It’s my creative outlet and motivation for learning filming and editing skills. It keeps me accountable to myself for completing creative projects In this one I share the importance of a quote I read about actor preparation, the necessity of protecting our creative work, and how to navigate your relationship with an agent. I’d love to hear how you navigate these things too – share in the comments over on the TruJuLo YouTube channel!BONUS: Mama Trudy’s New Home Some of you know her personally, others of you know her well from One Drop – but the bottom line is to know this woman is to LOVE her. Her health has been quite a challenge the last few years, and recently we had to move her from her previous home to a new place that can give her health lots more attention. I made this video with her on just the third day since she moved in. I’m happy to inform you that her sense of humor – and badassery – very much remain.Have a wonderful November and talk to you all next month!  Click Here for Booking a Consulting or Speaking Engagement Copyright © 2021 TruJuLo Productions, All rights reserved. |
