Today we’d like to introduce you to Dina Faye Gilmore.
Hi Dina Faye, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I felt incompetent the first 35 years of my life. I spent my childhood and early adult years being tormented by my abusive childhood. Elementary school teachers told my mother that I was retarded, harmful words they used in the 1970’s to describe my unknown dyslexia and A.D.D. I felt like a lost soul all through childhood. I knew I was not meant for the biker lifestyle I was born in to or the traditional gender norms demanded of me. Both sides of my family were humble farmers and blue collar laborers with little or basic education. I dreamt of a better world for myself, so when I turned 18, I put myself in therapy to overcome my past. I moved into studying from spiritual teachers that would advance my mind and spirit. I became a massage therapist for 20 years to be of service to other’s health and that led into working with shamans to become a shamanic practitioner. I also expanded my psychic development abilities with an amazing mentor where I finally felt seen and competent for the first time. I kept taking actions to grow myself and become better versions of me. However, I was still living with one regret, not finishing my college art degree. When I decided to really challenge myself, I uprooted from Texas to Colorado in 2012 to start my own life with deeper discovery. I had failed at college three times but discovered a perfect little education gem in Red Rocks Community College. I desired to prove to myself the fourth time was the charm…it was. The campus was a goldmine of diversity and I made friends quickly. Quirky was the new black and I felt a sense of belonging like never before. My journey with Red Rocks opened my deepest buried childhood dreams of being a filmmaker and director. I had forgotten that I used to build mini movie sets in our apartment living room. When I was around seven years young, I used metal castings that looked like city buildings from my Momma’s machine shop job to build cities. I stole one of my older sister’s Barbies to be held captive, while my GI Joe’s would battle my little green army men for the rescue. I created elaborate stories in my head when I started writing as an escape from reality. I buried these early dreams because there were no women directors in the mid 70’s that I was aware of. Plus, family members drilled into me that I was not good enough, that art was a hobby and not a career. I was raised women were to marry a man, have children, be a homemaker or have a lesser job, and education was not important. Talk about feeling incompetent! I am gay, could not have children, and am a first generation college graduate. I had to believe in myself. I wanted and needed to travel the roads to get there. Colorado was the missing link to my future that my best friend of 20 years made possible by paving the way with opening her home to me. I would not have this level of success had I not taken the leap of faith in myself and accepted help from my best friend. I got where I am today because other women that were not my family believed in me and wanted to see me happy. I had teachers, mentors, and a couple of therapists that wanted to see me succeed. Even when I lost sight of me, I was fortunate to find chosen family, soul sisters, and the LGBTQ+ community to lift me up. I got here because I knew I was not ok. I needed professional assistance to unravel my past for mental health, so I had to learn to use my voice and ask. I learned the priceless value of safe space, miraculous healing, and being the driver of my own life vessel. I found gratitude in my past that shaped the woman I have become, but is simply part of the story and does not define who I am. I hope whoever is reading this can choose to find their light, shine bright, use their voice, and take actions toward their dreams no matter the obstacles.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My life was anything but smooth. I was molested as a child, have nearly drowned multiple times, narrowly escaped a drunk driver with my momma when I was nine, attempted rape when I was 12, survived my suicide attempt when I was 22, and lived through domestic violence when I was 45. I had a multitude of struggles. As I shared a bit before, I wanted to overcome childhood abuse at the hands of a biker father that was a substance abuser to escape his past from serving in the Vietnam War. War changes a person and deeply impacts their mental health. My dad was a highly trained Green Beret Special Forces and was always in fight mode…until he did his own healing later in life. I am grateful I had time with my Dad after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer from Agent Orange because we had a quick and long-awaited talk. He apologized for everything, and I found love to forgive him. This haunted me most of my life to be terrified of my father and disappeared in seconds. I feel his presence around me constantly and that brings me beautiful comfort to have him guarding from the spirit world. My momma had her own traumatic childhood of abandonment from her parents that plagued her entire life and by my father. She has mountains of unanswered questions. Her family kept secrets like an art form and there is no one left of her generation to bring peace for her healing. Momma raised me and my older sister on her own because she did not have spousal support from either of the fathers. She was a thrice divorced woman and judged by our church and society. My older sister helped raise me because momma worked two, sometimes three jobs to provide for us the best to her ability. When my sister moved out at 14 years young, I was eight and started to learn independence. I now had my own room, starting cooking meals for when momma would get home from one of her jobs, and kept the apartment tidy. No wonder I felt like a lost soul because both of my parents experienced these feelings. I was carrying generational baggage that was handed down to them. This is where my shamanic healing and training helped the most. We are more than any baggage you feel yourself carrying. You have to feel it to heal it, not numb by substances or self-sabotage. Those were huge lessons I learned by what I saw, how I was not coping, and found a glimmer of light to cling and climb up. I passed another painful challenge when I found myself in a domestic violence situation in 2016-2017 that could have ended my life. I say passed in an empowered way because I found my self-worth in this toxic and abusive relationship. Overcoming challenges has been a constant most of my life-until I created a peaceful place by relocating back to my roots of Dallas, TX. I needed to return home to recharge and continue to heal what I escaped. I would not be the determined and persistent woman I am today without the extensive work I have done on myself to build a better healthy environment. I had to learn to stand in my power, use my voice to say no, and not give up. There will always be people that want to tell you what to do, judge you, discriminate, and my wish is that they will soften and go within to focus on their own journeys. Every single person on the planet can benefit from self-discovery, healing, allowing love in and breathing hate out. We are a human race that can choose to change for the better of our world and it starts as an inside job.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Since the age of two, teachers always told my momma that I was an artist. I have experimented with multiple mediums; some I love and others I did not gravitate towards. I found solace in art classes in middle, high school, and college that allowed my imagination to soar. I have worked with colored pencils, ink techniques, graphite drawing, acrylics, oils, airbrush, clay, collages, sculptures in paper or wire, mixed media, wood burning, written forms in poetry and screenwriting. Photography and filmmaking are my favorite and became where my heart leans. I was a full-time college student when I completed my directorial debut of “Baby in the Basement” in 2020 that was written by my screenwriting teacher and mentor. Thankfully, we had wrapped filming when the pandemic hit, and I worked remotely with my editor. You changed my life for the better and unleashed my childhood dreams, David-Matthew Barnes! He is a fantastic mentor. Even though I did not write the story, it resonated with me as if I had. Unlike the tragic story, I did survive because there was a grander plan I could not envision then. I am delighted to share this hard story that elicits emotions for growth, change, and awakening. This mighty film made me cry in all the ways, especially from the talent performances. Almost everyone involved were college students and different generations collaborating. My short has circulated the film festivals and has been honored with 20 awards. My most recent milestone was being listed in The Hollywood Reporter with WILD FILMMAKER as “Best First Time Director” for Baby in the Basement. Can you see my eight year-old-self dancing for joy? I have found the entertainment industry has been a tough mountain to climb as a female indie filmmaker, so I have not had the fortune for investors yet. I was fortunate to be approved for an SBA disaster loan that produced two more projects that I self-released. I merged my creative with my spiritual sides and released “Mystic Taxi” on YouTube: https://youtu.be/PPJvHDTxF6M?si=g-2Qs-JPYPvtNuR4. I also created a customized tarot deck for merchandise inspired by the unscripted reality tv show idea that I also self-released on my website: https://
I recently released a completed sizzle reel from my project idea that has been 18 years in the making called “Southern Fried Psychics,” also found on my YouTube channel. I put the remaining footage aside for a while until I have resources to build it into an indie film. The desire is for my sizzle reel to gain interest in becoming an unscripted reality tv series for Dallas/Ft Worth, TX by showcasing the extraordinary psychic talent, share my hometown Southern roots, and our unpredictable shenanigans. Being unscripted allows the psychics to be fully untethered and utilize all their abilities. We also want to debunk negative connotations of psychics, uniting as a team to heighten one another and shoulder the line together instead of the stress of all eyes on one. This project also brings underrepresented voices of women and the LGBTQ+ community.
I have been filming my first documentary style piece “Unlocking the Mysteries of Light Language” for over two years. My film was inspired by my Aunt Patricia Dancingelk Walls, an international speaker, spiritual mentor, artist, author, alternative healer, and empowerment coach. She introduced me to this method as a form of personal growth and healing. I was immediately fascinated and dove in. The film, her immersion weekends, and my friend, Brian Mears were inspired to collaborate and create the first Light Language Conference in the Denver, CO metroplex Summer of 2025. We are still working out the venue details before we can release the specifics, but you can stay informed on our website: https://lightlanguageconference.com We will be showing the completed film at the conference and would love to find a major platform home to stream for global sharing.
I could also be recognized with my award-winning screenwriting pieces, “Chosen Family” and “The Day She Awakened,” both based on my life. Chosen Family is an LGBTQ+ centered script birthed from my real-life events. The painful opening scene actually happened in our little white church, except the enhanced part of me being a twin and having a drag queen godmother. I altered scattered bits as a writer often does. I wrote from the perspective of what happened and how I wished it had unfolded. While that film shown in 1976 scared the life out of me, it later became my driving force of projects I direct and produce. The Day She Awakened is rooted in my actual suicide attempt, coming out to my Southern family, and my version of an M. Night Shyamalan inspired twist delivered in a short screenplay. Both scripts have not been produced yet and I hope they become a reality as a finished film in the future.
My goal moving forward is to obtain investor partnerships for funding and move out of limited solo resources. I love meeting executives wanting fresh content built on a platform of healing opportunities, choosing to invest in female perspective, and an advocate for the underrepresented LGBTQ+ community—championing my work. I am most proud of completing films despite all the challenges in the industry for women, the rejections that ignited my determination, and clearing the hurdles of life that led to fulfilling my dreams. I believe what sets me apart from others is a combination of attributes. I combine my artistic and spiritual abilities, encourage eliminating toxic work environments, ego, or power plays rampant in our industry and needs dismantled. I live by the rules my momma taught me of leaving a person, place, or thing better than you found it while forging my trail of healing magic infused in every project.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
There are a myriad of people deserving credit for contributing to my success in being an inspiring human and being an advocate for myself. I have had the pleasure of exposure to several empowered women in my teenage years and a plethora of others within my 53 years of existence. My momma has been instrumental in showing me love, work ethic, and my biggest role model of perseverance. She is continually my greatest cheerleader. Thank you, Momma. I love you!
I called her my Aunt Dot because she was my mother’s best friend’s daughter. Dot shared the same birthday as my momma, and they were like sisters. She was the first successfully independent woman I knew as extremely intelligent and a legal secretary. She was famous for her empowered pep talks, dressing to the nines, being unapologetically female, and her elaborate self-care routines. I often find myself resembling her coaching style when I am directing. I know she watches over me in the spirit world.
My younger sister, Lauri Faye has shown more strength than any woman I know. She has been through more than I could possibly describe and is handling her terminal cancer like the badass she is. We share the same father, but she had a different mother, and we did not get to grow up together. We went 16 years without seeing one another. She reconnected with me when she was 17 and we have become very close. If I were a twin, Lauri Faye would be the closest to that yet very different. She has also been a strong cheerleader in my life and never stopped believing in me. I hope I make you proud. I love you sis! Thank you for being you and for finding me. The true Gilmore Girls.
I never shared my writing due to lack of confidence until I took my first screenwriting class in 2011. I finished the course, stopped sharing because of my disbelief in myself. I ventured back into screenwriting classes in 2018. I met my greatest writing mentor to date, David-Matthew Barnes (DM)…the same mentor and writer of “Baby in the Basement.” He forever impacted my life! We were required to share in every class, so I could not pass without doing so and I was not about to ruin my 4.0 GPA. His teaching and mentoring style encouraged my writing with compassionate and constructive feedback. His only motive was for his students to improve, find and use their unique voice, and love the world of written words flowing on a page that becomes alive on a stage or screen.
I would not be where I am today without my best friend of 20 years, Renee. She saw something in me. Her encouragement fueled my bravery to take the leap. Watching her stand in your power in an industry full of men and pay disparity these past 20 years was heart wrenching and amazing to witness. She has been my unwavering advocate for my educational degree, dynamic change, and finding myself. I owe my 10 years of growth, expansion, and new beginnings in Colorado to her. That journey would not exist without her gracious heart, compassion, and brilliance. I uncovered my deepest childhood desires because you encouraged me to write a whole new story. Thank you for the priceless feedback all the times I requested your writing expertise. She continues to be a phenomenal female role-model in my life. Cheers bestie!
Deepest gratitude to Margaret and Kathy, two wonderful therapist that continually challenged me to heal. They armed me with books, cassette tapes, meditations, and new tools for navigating through the waves. Those times were the start of my healing journey.
Loving thankfulness to my late psychic development teacher and mentor, Dr. Chuck Murphy that unlocked a multitude of doors. My radio broadcasting days with you will always be a highlight in my life and one I miss dearly. You paved the way and proved you can have faith and spirituality merged with psychic abilities that enhance life. Thank you for being the pillar and truly birthing our spiritual DFW community with metaphysical content and acceptance. Your recent departure from this world leaves a significant impact of sadness, yet we celebrate you in spirit for the extraordinary soul you were to all. Rest in peace, Dr. Chuck. You are deeply loved and left an incredible legacy.
Thank you for my spiritual teachers and mentors that held me in safe space so I could choose healing. I appreciate Lyn B, Bhola, and Kristin for their shamanic teachings and healings, Shakti Durga and Parvati for your profound techniques and guidance. I am grateful for all my healing teachers and mentors I have had the pleasure of aligning with.
I cannot express adequate gratitude for my education and the caliber of teachers at Red Rocks Community College. Thank you to Paul, Jared, Anne, Marti, Michael, Edie, Thom, and Dorothy from the VAMA Dept., David-Matthew, and Dr. Michele for your presidential leadership. Thank you for the friendships I gained with starting our podcast club and college radio station. This campus will always be a part of my heart.
While these are some of the biggest key players in my transformational life, I have many more to thank and it is impossible to remember to thank them all. Forgive me if you do not see your name, but I am easily writing a novel. Thank you to my Aunt Patricia for being a freaking magical inspiration and encouraging me to embrace my weird, quirky, and unique self. Thank you to my soul sister tribe: Jean, Autumn, Ann W, Stephanie, Sharon, Bec, Nora, Cindy O, Joslyn, Carolyn, Claudia, Suyen, Rachel Sofia, Karen, Elizabeth, Keri, Jenny, Allyson, Kim S, Michelle B, Samantha, Johanna, Julia, Dr. Melinda, Ann R, Cheryl, Dana, Marianne, Kira, Kyra, Christy, Frankie, Cindy K, Nathalie, Charlotte, Tree, Parvati, Vicki, and Hattie…all magical powerful women. Thank you to my soul brothers, Brian and Ganesha. Each of you have infinitely touched my heart and soul.
Pricing:
- $1,100 Directing Day Rate
- $185 hr Spiritual Coaching
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.empowermentproductions33.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/dinafgilmore
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dina.gilmore
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dina-f-gilmore/
- Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@empowermentproductions33
- Other: https://southernfriedpsychics.com
Image Credits
Chrissy Coon, Alexandra Gladsjo, Nikki A Rae, and Candace Horgan
