Moving to a new city can potentially result in excitement or anxiety, especially for people who have always struggled with the idea of moving out of their comfort zone. But not for a writer and social media influencer like Anja Ellam, who recently moved to the United States from Toronto, Canada. If anything, the new environment and the culture of her current places of residency in Los Angeles and New York are bringing out the best in her, giving her fresh insights on possible story ideas.
Without a doubt, Anja is having the time of her life despite not knowing anybody here. “It’s been great living here, I moved not knowing a single person, and I’m so grateful for all of my friends and coworkers that I’ve met since my move. Working here has been amazing. It has given me exposure to opportunities that I would never have had in Canada. There are a lot more growing entertainment companies here in the US than in Canada, and working at those companies is so beneficial early in your career,” she shared.
No perfect formula will prepare anyone for migration to a new country, but Anja believes it necessitates an effort to connect with people. “My go-to advice to anyone is always just talking to more people about anything. Try to live more spontaneously and get out there. I always find it helps you connect more, and that makes for the best quality of life and work. And writing, if you’re into that,” she said.
Anja is a successful writer, recognized for her work with AwesomenessTV, where she is still employed and currently writing the show “Vibe Room.” She was also a staff writer for two popular Snapchat shows, “Solve” and “Past Your Bedtime.” As a writer, her goal has always been to motivate people to think. Growing up, she was strongly influenced by numerous shows and movies, and she knows she’s in a strategic position to capture the various niches of the world audiences ought to know more about.
The rising writer mostly writes for Gen Z audiences, which she admits is a very challenging demographic, especially where it involves the latest trends the present generation is fond of. Fortunately, Anja is a very connected social media user and influencer who is well aware of what attracts the attention of Gen Z audiences today.
“The most important thing a writer can be is relatable and authentic because it matters to viewers, and I think companies are really starting to fully understand that. It’s the most obvious in the change we’ve seen on social media and in marketing, but it affects all media industries. So companies need to hire creatives, like me, that truly understand their audience, or they’ll lose them,” Anja explained.
The industry she is in is filled with limitless possibilities, and one trend she believes will explode soon is the addition of more streaming platforms. She also believes a major shift will involve content for digital platforms and foresees TikTok as a dominant social media platform in the coming years due to its wide array of content.
Having successfully adjusted to her new home in Los Angeles and trips to New York, Anja now focuses on continuing her writing and developing new and interesting characters to capture audiences’ interest.
Even New York has influenced some of her new screenplays. “I wrote a show that took place in New York called City Girls! It was fun writing about California characters going to New York and the differences between the two. I have a lot of friends who live there, so I’m constantly visiting, and even if you’ve never been to New York, it is such an inspiring city. I remember sitting with a friend of mine at 3 AM in a diner and looking at all the other tables and thinking you could probably write something great just based on all the people in here right now. I think writing really starts with one character, and then it snowballs from there, so in a city full of different characters, I’m constantly inspired.”
Whatever the future brings, we can’t wait to see what this amazing writer and social media influencer creates.
