Today we’d like to introduce you to Maya Brown.
Maya, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My journey started in the form of self-deprecation strangely enough. In my early middle school, I formed the habit of reading that pretty much took over my free time. I would read everything, fantasy, romance, adventure, but by far my most favorite was fanfiction. It inspired me to even start writing my own stories, but something felt different when I put my words on paper. I wrote, and I hated the words on the paper. I thought of a concept, but it never translated well. I saw the image, but could never bring it to reality. My pre-teen self felt absolutely heartbroken. An avid reader without the heart of a storyteller. I was broken. I would read the stories I love, watch the movies and shows, but I was not producing the content that would encaptivate me for hours on end.
This soon led me to think about the forms of these stories I chose to engage with. I soon came to realize that the forms of media I surrounded myself with the same archetypes. Very, very White. Not to sound too political, but I gave into what societies Westernized forms of media wanted to think. That I was less than perfect because my skin was too dark, my hair wasn’t straight, and my frame wasn’t small. I finally woke up. My Southern roots felt like nothing but a sideshow to masses. Always misrepresented or never even represented at all. This is where my new fond aspiration stemmed from. They want and need to see myself in a piece of work. I started to engage more forms of media that looked like me. I discovered my love for Eve’s Bayou (1997) and A Different World (1987-93), and from there, and for the rest of my life, I’d like to dedicate myself to producing content that reflects the beauty of my culture.
As an African American woman from the South, I want to create an avenue for the world to view the absolutely marvelous worlds of that of Southern Black youth. I want people to feel how it was to fish off a bayou on the weekend, or pick pecans from trees in the summer, or run wild through the acres of land that your grandparents owned. I want people to feel my culture through the camera. I want everything that makes our experience a marvel, to encaptivate the viewers. I want them to laugh at our quarks, and cry with us during our misfortunes, and crave more when the screen finally fades to black.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has not been a smooth road. A Black woman in this field faces more challenges and roadblock than it seems even possible. You struggle with people questioning your credibility, skills, and creativity and sometimes it feels like an uphill battle to nowhere.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I consider myself a filmmaker, a writer, a director, a creative. Pretty much anything within the creative bounds of storytelling and filmmaking I find I can identify myself with. I am most proud to be able to share my stories in hopes to exemplify my community in a positive way, and I think that’s what sets me apart from others while also bringing together a strong bond within the Black film community.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
My plans in the future are to continue telling my stories. I even want to be able to help the youth showcase their stories perhaps through non-profit work. But, for now, I would like to keep producing my own content, and working with my peers to create a great network of entertainment.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mayabrown0416.wixsite.com/website
- Email: maya.brownfilms@gmail.com
- Instagram: @mayas_thepapaya
- Twitter: @mayaz_thepapaya
Image Credit:
Photographer: Justin Pulley
Instagram: @duhmarr
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