IT’S MY LIFE

Choosing Faith Over Despair

It took a minute to find my balance, but I made it to the other side

How often are you faced with a situation of great personal importance to you but it’s simply out of your hands? There’s no one for you to talk to, reason with, or even question. What do you do?

That’s where I am now. I’ve written a little about my adult animated series, WINONA, INC., that’s currently in development. This is one of the most exciting periods not just in my career but my entire life!

But the twists, the turns, and the slow-moving pace of Hollywood itself are frustrating af.

I’m new to this whole scene so I tread very lightly, not wanting to step on anybody’s toes. One of my biggest struggles throughout the entire project has been knowing when to speak up and when to keep my mouth shut. It hasn’t always been easy.

But it’s true what they say. There are NO overnight sensations. Every talent out there was grinding away for years before their efforts were finally realized. Everything moves like molasses in La La Land. It takes months to set up one lousy meeting.

Do you know how long I’ve been at this?

WINONA, INC. has been doing the rounds out in Hollywood since January 2019. It’s been five years.

I self-published the book in 2018 and after getting it into the hands of a top-notch production team, they began to show it around as an animated series concept. Lots of big names in the industry saw it. And finally, while the pandemic put the whole world on pause, Warner Bros. took us on.

Now, two years later, we have a pilot script and pitch bible and we’re finally ready to present to the studios and networks. The strikes are over and agreements have been reached.

But last week, I was informed of yet another roadblock standing in the way that could stall us for God knows how long.

Short of killing WINONA, INC. altogether — taking my ball and going home — there isn’t much that I can do. It is what it is. Out of my control.

But there’s one thing that I do control. That’s my faith. Knowing in my heart that if WINONA, INC. is meant to happen for me, it will happen no matter what.

You may, like me, go with God. Or Allah. Or Karma. The energy of the universe, maybe? But it boils down to having faith in whatever it is you believe in.

Some people lean on their faith immediately. God’s gonna do what God’s gonna do and when some sort of conflict arises, good or bad, that’s the stance they take right away.

That’s usually my go-to as well, eventually, but this time it took me a minute to get there. I felt helpless and kind of hopeless, too.

My little mother, Rosa Owens, on her way to her next adventure. Photo by my brother. Circa 1990.

But that’s no place for Rosa Owens’ daughter

Losing faith and feeling hopeless were not part of my mother’s make-up. We rolled on faith every day.

It was unwavering faith she leaned on that helped propel her from a life tied to a man who had grown hateful and cruel. Daddy ‘temporarily’ moved out for the third time, but Mama decided to change the lock and make it permanent.

No longer suffering his sneers and barbs, she began living her best life. She attended church every Sunday if she wanted and became active in several groups and clubs. She invited her sisters from Baton Rouge for extended visits and developed a love for travel, taking off whenever the mood struck and an irresistible ticket price popped up.

She liked to gamble and made a yearly pilgrimage to Las Vegas to wrestle the one-armed bandits, coming home most times flat-broke but full of funny stories she loved to tell. Mama lived the second half of her life on her terms, and I had the great privilege of witnessing that.

WINONA, INC. is going to happen

Having seen the power of faith in others and experiencing it myself too many times to count, what kind of fool would I be to disregard it? WINONA, INC. is going to happen if it’s meant to happen. It’s that simple and nothing will stop it. But your girl here isn’t getting any younger.

I just want to fully enjoy the fruit, know what I mean? From being hands-on with creating each episode of the series to standing at the podium collecting the awards. I want to be a part of it all, operating on my own steam and rocking my beloved kitten heels.

Vain? Perhaps. But that’s the way He/She made me. 😁

I love a chic kitten heel. Photo courtesy of SheerLuxe.