I was taught that in order for your gift to flourish you have to be planted in the right place and aligned with the right people. Otherwise that gift will die because you're putting good seed in bad soil in an atmosphere that is not conducive to its growth.  The only thing is that where man thinks you should be and the place God has actually prepared for you may be two very different places ...

When I made the choice to move to Houston just under a year ago I had  a lot of people "side eye" my decision. People whose support meant everything to me. People who wished me well to my face but wished me failure behind my back. And to be honest I almost didn't go. Going from the familiar to the unknown is a very uncomfortable position to be in, but I kept hearing the words "God didn't call you to be comfortable, he called you to be brave." So I left and guess what, shit got real...

The move was NOT easy. I struggled. I cried. I longed for home, for that safe familiar comfortable place. And that was the issue. My body was in Texas but I left my heart in the Midwest. I was not planted. I was not in my place. It's impossible to walk into your future with one foot still in your past. Therefore I had two options stay stuck or walk in faith. I chose to walk in faith and that's when things started to change. 

Doors are opening and opportunities are arising for us with our writing and production company. From being accepted into festivals and selected as finalists in screenwriting competitions to people are actually seeking us out asking how they can work with us. And best of all, I am flourishing.

So I want to encourage someone today to follow their dreams. You WILL lose people you thought were your friends. People will think you're crazy. They will question your motives and your faith. Now here's the hard part... Don't get upset with those people. Fear and jealousy can bring out the worst in people. Jealousy because you had the courage to fight for your dreams when they did not and fear because they are not sure how they fit into your new reality and sometimes they don't, but so what! Because what God has for you is for YOU! And that desire that won't go away, that thing keeping you up at night... that is your purpose pulling on you saying why are you ignoring me and until you answer that pull you will not have peace.

I am going to end this with my favorite bible verse, Jeremiah 29:11  - "For I know the plans I have for you, "declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Until next time,

Cherhonda
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Forgive the cliché Adele title but considering how long it’s been since I posted I thought it was fitting :)

A lot has been going on since the last time I posted and quite honestly I didn’t even realize how long it has been until Traci pointed it out.  I guess time really does fly when you’re having fun. Which is exactly what I’ve been doing, working hard and having fun!

When I last posted we had just finished our first short film 13 Minutes.  Since then a lot of exciting things have happened, the release of 13 Minutes is not one of them but hopefully soon. HOWEVER… we have filmed a short film called Introducing Courtney and the first two episodes of a hysterical web-series that continues where Introducing Courtney left off called Third Coast Communications. We also have another short film and 3 other web-series in pre-production. Crazy right?!  Also Traci and I decided to stretch our creative legs and see just how much we can take on still remain at least a little sane and that resulted in me playing the lead character in Introducing Courtney which Traci directed and edited.

So let's be honest for a moment... Traci is a natural at directing and editing and transitioned seamlessly into those roles. I, on the other hand, was scared to death to play Courtney. Courtney is this weird eclectic nutbag. She is completely comfortable with her weirdness and wears the clothes to prove it.  Whereas I am a complete introvert who shies away from too much attention.  So needless to say it was challenging but once I got over the jitters annnnnd myself I had an absolute blast morphing into Courtney and I hope you enjoy watching her as much as eventually enjoyed playing her. 

So here is the part that I am most excited about!

When Traci and I decided to form RowdyGunnshy one of the things we were passionate about was eventually having an all-female kick ass production team. Well we were blessed to meet two awesome female cinematographers here in Houston who are just as talented as Courtney is crazy and trust me when I say that’s a lot of talent!   They are super cool, funny and vibe well with Traci and I but most importantly with them we are now one step closer to our dreams.

Well that’s all for now! If you get a chance check our Indiegogo campaign which features some of the great characters in our web series, including a cameo by yours truly.

 Talk to you soon! (Hopefully)
- Gunnshy 

.So we filmed our first film, 13 Minutes, this past weekend and I don't think I've had time to properly process everything but I'm going to try.

It was truly awesome and bit surreal to witness the words Traci and I wrote come to life on the camera. I was and am still awed at all the different pieces and people it takes to make it work and humbled that so many chose our project to invest their time and energy into.

However I want to be transparent for a moment because it wasn't all roses. There were times when I wanted to pull the script and say fuck it, I didn't sign up for this. The story we are telling is deeply personal for me so I felt very protective of it and alone with the weight of that burden. To be honest I just didn't feel like others truly understood the importance to me or maybe it was because I didn't properly articulate it. Either way those moments were rough. Being a first time parent and trusting someone with your newborn baby is never easy.

​Then there were other times when I was I was like oh my God that was shot beautifully or that scene was acted out just how I imagined it and in those moments nothing else mattered. It was MAGIC!

With all that said I don't think I would change anything. I learned so much not just about film making but about myself and about the type of people who I want to work with or the type I don't. But most of all I learned that come what may being a filmmaker is the only thing that truly makes sense in my life.

I can't wait to for you all to see the finished product and it is my hope that it resonates with you as much as it has with us.

Cher (Gunnshy)

So I was sitting at home preparing to work on a short and I had to laugh at myself and all the things I do in order to create the “right” atmosphere to write in. I wondered out loud how I would look to someone on the outside watching me prepare and again I had to chuckle.

For example I must look absolutely crazy dancing around the living room in my underwear with music blasting and forgetting to apply anything that resembles rhythm, but hey it’s how I loosen up. Then there is the guilt cleaning I do. I have to have everything completely spotless before I can write otherwise guilt sets in that I should not be writing when there is so much other stuff to be done. I know I shouldn’t feel guilty for doing what I love, I’m working on it…

Okay so now I’ve danced it out and my home will pass anyone’s white glove test, now what? Now I find my muse. Who or what inspires me? And I focus on that for a moment letting the image resonate in my spirit and the emotion it revokes resonate in my soul.

FINALLY I’m ready! I pour some tea, play soft music which is usually Corrine Bailey Rae or Sara Bareilles because they both calm me and I write a bunch of gibberish! No, seriously I do. I just write. I don’t worry about grammar or format. I just write what feels good. I write what frees me and you know what… It. Is. Awesome!

So there you have it. That is my creative process! What is your creative process for doing whatever it is you love to do? I know I’m not the only one that has a crazy process J

Hi! Cherhonda here! And I must start this off by saying - I don’t blog.  

However in my Facebook “a year ago today” feed was a post I wrote about how nice it was to meet Ms. Traci, who I’m sure is calling me corny right now.  She’s right…  But it would seem THAT particular meeting completely altered the trajectory of my life. Coincidence? I think not. This past year has been a time of breaking chains, taking risks and rediscovering the simple joy of telling a story, without apology.  If it is true that in order for one to truly live they must first die then this past year has been the sweetest of deaths because I have never felt more alive.   So I must give thanks to the moons, stars and every other cosmic force out there that conspired to bring me out of my comfort zone and into this very moment. A moment where we are on the cusp of seeing the things we have only dreamed of become a reality and a moment of doors opening that can only be contributed to God’s favor and grace towards us. AND I am actually blogging!

So farewell for now. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the journey looks like. One thing is for certain - It’s going to be one hell of a ride!!!

 - Gunnshy ;)