109. Creating On Your Own Terms with Sujata Day

What does it take to turn your creative ideas into finished projects? In this episode, Jennifer talks to Sujata Day —actor, writer, director, and producer— who shares her journey as a multihyphanate artist. She discusses how taking pressure off herself has led to new creative inspiration, the importance of deep outlining before scriptwriting, and how networking through genuine relationships opened doors in her career.  Together they talk about the importance of allowing ideas to flow, the realities of pitching, funding, and producing projects, and the importance of starting small, assembling the right team, and treating every opportunity as a stepping stone. Whether you’re an emerging creator or an established artist, this episode is packed with actionable advice to help you confidently take your next step. About Sujata: Pittsburgh native Sujata Day is a 2023 NAACP Image Award-nominated director for her debut feature film, Definition Please, which she also wrote, produced, and stars in. Boasting a 95% fresh Rotten Tomatoes score and multiple film festival awards, Sujata’s heartwarming hometown dramedy was acquired by Ava DuVernay's ARRAY and Netflix. Sujata is best known for her starring role as CeCe in Issa Rae’s The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl. She's recurred for four seasons on HBO's Insecure. Sujata’s other credits include I Think You Should Leave With Tim Robinson and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. She honed her improv comedy skills at Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre and regularly performs in UCB's hit Asian AF show. On the unscripted side, Sujata hosts the Dungeons & Dragons culinary Amazon series Heroes’ Feast. Sujata developed and wrote a new installment of Universal's popular comedy film franchise, American Pie, based on her original pitch. She has also created projects with WBD, 20th Television, UCP, Lionsgate, eOne, MACRO, Hoorae, Get Lifted, and JuVee. She’s a Sundance Lab fellow, HBO Visionaries Ambassador, and Ryan Murphy Half Initiative alum. Next up for Sujata is horror anthology feature film Deepest Darkest, for which she’s writing and directing, in addition to starring alongside Rosario Dawson and Ernie Hudson. Sujata's IG: @sujataday Sujata's Website: www.sujataday.com/ Download the FREE Monologue Selection Toolkit: www.jenniferapple.net/freebie Want to coach with Jennifer? Schedule a session here! https://appt.link/jenniferapple Learn more about Jennifer Apple: www.jenniferapple.net Jennifer Apple’s IG: @JenniferApple_  Monologue Sourcing Promo Link! https://empoweredartistcollective.com/podcastpromo Learn more: https://www.empoweredartistcollective.com/podcast EAC IG: @EmpoweredArtistCollective  EAC TikTok: @EmpowerArtistCollective EAC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/empoweredartistcollective/ Sign up for our newsletter! https://mailchi.mp/8e72e8dcb662/stay-in-touch Check Out Our Merch! https://www.empoweredartistcollective.threadless.com/ Any thoughts you'd like to share? Email us at [e-mail] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices