Waiting Is Hard How to keep creativity flowing with nine projects in post-production

Because waiting is hard, Tonya Kay poses with knives for an impromptu music video - Pyragraph

As an artist, especially in Los Angeles, and the film/TV entertainment industry, you end up putting a lot of effort in to things that may or may not have tangible results.

You keep up your fitness and appearance, you train in six classes/week, you write specs and take lunches, meetings and auditions to remind everyone in this confusing city that you are here, a fountain of cutting-edge creativity, and can be trusted to deliver. And then you wait.

You spontaneously book and actually put material on film for someone else’s project. Then you wait some more. It’s taken four years for one of my low-budget films to be distributed publicly. I am in no fewer than nine projects in post-production as we speak. It’s been three years of pitching one of my TV concepts. I’ve only ever worked one day in a restaurant, but sometimes it still feels like I’m a professional waitress.

Sure, the process is what moves artists. But waiting is hard.

We love the creation, the connection, the humanness of it all. But sometimes I just want to see something I made actually happen! Like anyone, artists feel accomplished by seeing tangible results, and this industry tests our patience, resolve and faith in that area every day.

So there I am, Twitter-chatting with a musical artist I’ve admired for almost a decade.

I still can’t believe I can speak with him personally; I so admire his production and originality. I find myself suggesting that I create a music video for one of the great Tech Itch’s songs. He’s such a real and deeply generous man, he says go ahead; use his music and put something together. Then he sends me three whole albums of new material—some of it unreleased. What an incentive, and what an honor!

Of course, I don’t want to make a big production fiasco over it. I want to make something now and see results. So last Monday, my crew friends on the TV show “RAKE” construct a new target board for me (what men!). Tuesday, I take my GoPro, Canon 7D and Panasonic HD to the local park and set up a three-camera knife-throwing demonstration. By Friday, I edited it down in Final Cut Pro X.

It may not be the prettiest location, it may not be the actual music video I still intend on producing, but it is a damn fine piece with some really cool elements created with lots of peer support, no stress and finished in under one week. Ahhhh….

It’s so good to see something I shot complete. I hope you enjoy all of our work in Cupid’s Dagger, with a knife-throwing demo by Tonya Kay.

Photo by Tonya Kay.

About Tonya Kay

This Magickal Child from Michigan farmlands is an award-winning actress and writer, professional dancer, burlesque performer, pole athlete, danger artist, stunt woman, world-traveling conservationist, raw vegan celebrity and living proof of what a child raised in love grows up to be.

You’ve seen her on TV’s “Criminal Minds,” “Glee” and “The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien”; in The Muppets, The Lone Ranger and Larry Gaye: Renegade Male Flight Attendant movies; in Rolling Stone, TV Guide, SPIN, Inc. and Vertical magazines; and on stage with STOMP, De La Guarda, Panic At The Disco and the Lalas Burlesque.

When she is not road-tripping to see her favorite heavy metal rock bands play live or rebuilding her 1965 Buick Riviera classic hot rod, Tonya Kay is seeking out organic farmers markets, sustainable vineyards and life-changing art. It is this renegade’s passion to shape reality, push evolution, exist in love and take the whole wide world along for the ride.

4 Comments

  1. Kevin Mullett on February 6, 2014 at 10:03 am

    Very nice article! I can only imagine what it feels like to be involved in something and then to have to wait to see how all your hardwork looks when done. I really enjoy the knife throwing video very impressive!

  2. Tonya Kay (@tonyakay) on February 6, 2014 at 11:08 am

    Kevin, thanks. Sometimes you just like to see the results of your efforts come to fruition before you celebrate another new year!

  3. Don on February 6, 2014 at 12:57 pm

    I checked your IMDB page http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1800223/?ref_=tt_cl_t2 and you do indeed have 9 projects pending. The last few years I’ve been trying to figure out the distribution process for different types of films and I’m stymied.

    Where can I find But With A Whisper? It looks interesting!

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.