“Be the best version of you that you can be.” -The Journey Told Show
Film Director Devin J. Ricks dishes on creativity and flow in the entertainment business. There’s no secret that Covid-19 has been a journey/struggle for us all. The Film Director tells us that working in the industry during these times has had its rewards & challenges, but nonetheless, made sure he enjoyed his experiences.
Ricks tells us things took a shift & had to step away from being behind the scenes, and make cameo appearances on different film sets to stay motivated! Being a Baltimore native, Devin had the pleasure to work with HBO on their new mini series, “We Own This City” (around 1:20).
When asked about his favorite project since he’s been a filmmaker, he held his 2nd movie “Beautiful Mistake” in high regard. Although that movie came out almost a decade ago, he says that chapter was where he learned about himself as a director. Host Shawn Zanotti reiterates the word “special” to the film director as he recalls that chapter in his life (@ 2:15).
The show had great depths in conversation about spirituality. Zanotti wanted to tap into Ricks’ routine & how he stays spiritually grounded. He says he’s in two relationships (the spirit & the human side of life) and has to make sure it’s being held simultaneously to stay centered in life. “When my spirit knocks I better listen & it’s mine to have. So I have to abide by it & I want my spirit to work with me & for me.” Devin tells us.
3 Tips He Shared:
Trust Yourself.
Listen To Yourself.
Be Patient With Yourself.
Devin also shared his two-cents on “keeping your circle small” & says it’s better that way in the long run. I’m sure we all can agree to that testament at some point in our lives.
Mid-way, Dev TV! came up in the conversation. The host wanted to know more about the media platform & its future goals. The multi-talented director went into the media realm yet kept the mentality of a director close by. Maneuvering in that space, it’s important to have a good head on your shoulders & great direction. YouTube, in its early days, was what Ricks said birth the idea of Dev TV! I’d have to say, the millennial era is fortunate to experience such great shifts/changes within technology (inventions) and how we communicate (social media). Being one of the first people at his school to use YouTube in 2006, Devin says it was genius for him to do it when he was a teenager. The media platform became a sensation & still is to this day (@11:00).
As the show began to wrap (@17:05), host Shawn Zonatti asked Devin to finish several sentences. They ended in these 3 structures: “I am a: GREAT HUMAN BEING.” “And a master of: EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE.” “Who can control my own: BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY.” Emotional intelligence being defined as: the ability to understand, use, and manage your own emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate efficiently, empathize with others, overcome challenges and defuse conflict; is such a profound skill to have. Any takers for this task?
The show was very insightful and ended with the segment “Tell & Tell” where Ricks had to reveal something about himself that a lot of people aren’t aware of. What he told us, was sure something worth knowing more about! To know what that hidden talent is, be sure to check out the full interview on iHeart Radio’s platform: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-journey-told-81020155/episode/devin-j-ricks-dishes-on-creativity-96817286/
