Our Lives Shatter Movie Premiere

Hey! My name’s Amiya, I am a 17 year old filmmaker and I had the honor of being on a podcast for my upcoming short film. When I was 13 God revealed to me my future in cinematography. Since that age I have put in a lot of work to become better at what I love to do.

I started a YouTube channel and published my first short film, “The Gift of History” at the age of 14. The fact that I’ve come so far to where people would want to interview me about my latest project, amazes me. I thank God for the opportunities that he’s laying out for me.

Now, my YouTube has over 150+ subscribers, which to some people isn’t a lot, but to me it’s a blessing and an honor. If you want to know more about my latest project, I have posted a trailer for the short film on my YouTube channel, Mighty Miya Productions.

The premiere date for the actual short film will be on Saturday, September 19, 2020, at 8:00 pm CST. I really just want people to hear and see the message that is behind this film. To those who have supported me, thank you. To those of you who would like to support, please watch and share. If no one has told you lately, your likes, shares, and subscriptions matter. Subscribe to my YouTube channel to join me on my film journey.

"Like, share, subscribe and join the mighty tribe!" -Mighty Miya

I also launched my own business. Anyone can run a business, but not everyone has a hustler's heart. I was born with a hustler's heart. If you wish to support, check me out on IG at Mighty Anklets.

"Anyone can run a business but not everyone has a hustler's heart!" -Amiya Poplar

God recently answered a huge prayer for me. I got accepted into Isabelle Academy of Film and Creative Arts! 2020 has derailed many of my plans, but it hasn't deterred my dreams. My Senior year doesn't look anything like I thought it would, but it's more surprising than I ever would've imagined. I'm thankful for the opportunity to meet new people, learn new skills, and make God proud.

To find out more about Isabelle Academy of Film & Creative Arts follow us on IG & Tiktok! @isabellebrosacademy These pictures were taken separately with extra safety measures and merged. Please wear your masks & distance!

"When it's your time to speak, what are you going to say?" -Amiya Poplar

A Birthday Gift for My Dad

Hello everyone,

My Dad, Proverbalist, has been rapping for Jesus a very long time. His creative, wisdom filled lyrics are powerful. God has certainly blessed the works of his hands; enlaced with stories from the Bible and sound scripture references.

When I was nine years old he released a song titled, “What’s Your Price” on his Out Of Season Vol.2 Album. His songs are well versed, and they tell always tell a story. Every time I heard “What’s Your Price” I could visualize the scene in my head. It’s an inspiring song. It’s visual, whimsical, and truthful all at the same time.

I wanted to someday bring these lyrics to life within my art; to create at least a portion of what I can see clearly in my head. I have drawn and created many flip animations and posts for God’s glory. This month, as of 2020, a decade since “What’s Your Price” was released, I wanted to put what I’ve learned from creating mini animations to use. Dad’s birthday is also in August so I figured a post this time around would be so nice!

This took a lot of time, and was fun but equally a challenge: I have never animated anything longer than two minutes, let alone one. So, I decided not to use too many colors. I also figured that this could give the video an older feel, and would fit with the release date of the song, as well as my cousin, 2Mindz’ beat. I even chose to reuse some of the slides to save time, and also had to cut some slides to even out the flow.

God is so good and his timing is so perfect because it was awesome to see this dream come to life within the month I had intended. Dad didn’t know about any of this, and everything worked out greater than planned! My sister, Amiya did a video of him that recorded his reaction. She will be sure to share that when she's finished editing.

Enjoy,

Trinity

"I see what you're selling and I'm just not buying it. I'm sold out for Christ because what He did is priceless."

-Proverbalist

Please be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel to join me on my art journey.

Finding My Voice

I have never felt confident enough in my writing ability to call my mom and say, "I wrote a poem, wanna hear it?" My mom is a seasoned wordsmith and the thought of her reading my words or hearing me recite a piece has always been a bit intimidating. My recent poem Our Lives Shatter gave me an added boost of confidence so I called her. Though my mom migrated to the Midwest, her roots are in the South and something inside me knew she would appreciate my artistic expression. Her response was the greatest compliment I could ever hope to receive. She said, "That sounds like something I would've written about twenty years ago." I smiled so big you would've thought I won the Pulitzer Prize!

Over the last few decades, my mom laid down her pen. Over the last few months, I picked up my sword. All artists are not created equal. For some, the mental state that writing places them in causes such heavy emotion that it can leave them in a state of disrepair. For others, like myself, the only thing that keeps my mind from being fractured is my ability to pour my heart out on to paper.

2020 has taught me a great deal about the importance of emotional wellness and energy conservation. I've learned that just because I can respond doesn't mean I have to. I've discovered that empathy is a language that allows me to handle others well even when I have been mishandled. And I've realized that no matter how much you know your part by heart, a tone-deaf person will remain oblivious to even the most perfect pitch. When I can't make my point in a conversation, I can always count on poetry. When I feel like I'm reaching the point of casting pearls, it's the perfect invitation to cultivate creativity.

Anger and frustration have become my friends. They have helped me locate my emotions and ponder my own thoughts instead of abandoning what I am feeling to rescue someone else from their discomfort. At some point along my journey, like many people of color, I learned to minimize anger and maximize politeness. Often times as a Christian, it is easy to internalize a verse of scripture and only see it from one perspective. For example, "Anger, but sin not" is a passage that helps many believers resist wrath and walk in righteousness. But it is the very verse that grants me permission to be angry, without condemnation.

"Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry—but don’t use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don’t stay angry. Don’t go to bed angry. Don’t give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life." Ephesians 4:26 The Message (MSG)

I am guilty of working so hard to sterilize what I wish to say that I neutralize what needs to be said. In the same way that keeping it real can go wrong, keeping it sweet can go sour. The last few months have taught me that some people can't see what they can't see because they don't wish to see it. And no matter how well-spoken, soft-spoken, self-controlled, polite or polished I am, if people wish to remain willfully ignorant, it's not my duty to bully them out of their bliss.

Anger is a valid emotion. It is perfectly OK to feel anger when we have been wronged. It does me well to embrace anger and allow it to speak or else I will sentence myself to silence and pain that eventually leads to shame. A great practice to prevent the sun from going down on my wrath is to journal what I've experienced. Usually, by the time I wake up, reconciliatory words are flowing out of my head so fast I can hardly capture them.

If anger is your struggle, by all means, cling to the part of scripture that keeps you from seeking revenge or causing pain. I am fully aware that the wrath of man holds no power to produce God's righteousness. However, if you are prone to stuffing heavy emotions and sentencing yourself to solitary confinement, know that God's Word grants you permission to feel what you need to feel in order to heal.

Allowing yourself to express your anger can be the key to finding your voice.

"You no longer have the choice to speak for me, I've found my voice." Toya Poplar

Our Lives Shatter is a reflection of how anger helped me find my voice.

Published in Reckon Women newsletter August 19, 2020