'The Power of Creativity'
a five-part series about women who use painting
as a source of therapy, self-discovery, and purpose.
by Sheryl Carbonell & Molly E. Smith
scroll below to view the trailer and read the director's statement.
Sheryl Carbonell
ACTRESS+SINGER+MUSIC EDUCATOR
THIS IS MY WEBSITE, SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE, FEEL FREE TO POKE AROUND
Thrilled to be able to collaborate with filmmaker
Molly E. Smith.
To view her award-winning films, visit:
WEBSITE: https://mollysmithfilm.com
'outside the lines'
Gabby Shepherd
Gabby, a young black college student copes with a world of perfectionism through her abstract art.
'purpose in passion'
Candace Tabb
Candace discovers her life has a deeper purpose: painting portraits.
'beauty in sadness'
Carmen Rosa
Carmen, a respiratory therapist, uses art as an escape from the death and destruction of the world.
'finding independence'
Erin Laine
After a divorce, Erin leaves her old life behind, finding independence in a creative outlet.
'confident by practice'
Katie Collins
Katie copes with leaving her family in England and discovers life after her kids through her newfound talent.
creative team
Sheryl Carbonell
Director+Producer+Writer
creative team
Molly E. Smith
Director+Editor+
Cinematographer VISIT www.mollysmith.com to see her award winning films
I made my directorial debut - a docuseries collaboration with filmmaker, Molly E. Smith entitled:
'THE POWER OF CREATIVITY'
Why did I want to Direct and Produce a Docuseries?
The upside of acting? The acting part! Creating a character from the ground up for an audition or even better, for the job!. The downside? We actors do not always book jobs even though we are more than capable of doing it. For instance, my very first professional audition was at age 12 in Canada. I auditioned for ‘Annie’ and knocked it out of the park in front of the director and an auditorium packed with Annie hopefuls and their accompanying parents.
The director said to me, in front of the packed audience, ‘I wish I could cast you as our Annie,’ while applauding vigorously and laughing. Laughter? Because in those days, no girl of colour would be cast as the iconic red-headed orphan. Was I capable? Of course? Did I get the part? No! I was cast as the orphan July and enjoyed the experience immensely but from then on, I simmered with angst wanting to do have more power to do what I wanted creatively, on my terms and not have to be held back by someone else’s biases.
I found the answer to that later in life. CREATE. Create plays, films, paint, draw, photograph, sew, write, - creating creates more opportunities. Create when time allows because it is freeing, and cannot be managed by anyone else but you yourself and you!
I began to note how many of my friends and relatives were artists, specifically painters, who found joy, using their creative gifts. I dug deeper and began to ask these women about their art and their lives and what I witnessed was creative women freeing themselves from whatever held them back in their past, and instead, walking confidently and passionately, while embracing new promising chapters that awaited them. This examination culminated into a short film series about some of these women.