Meet CA-based Screenwriter Rebecca Christian
REBECCA CHRISTIAN is a screenwriter and filmmaker based in San Diego, CA. To contact her, email rebeccaechristian [at] gmail [dot] com, or visit her forthcoming website at www.rebeccachristian.com.
Check out her pilot for NO NERDS HERE, a mockumentary web series following the exploits of three former “Mighty Rangers” as they attend a weekend fan convention.
CATHOLIC ARTIST CONNECTION: Where are you from originally, and what brought you to your current city?
REBECCA: I was born and raised in San Diego. I went to film school at Loyola Marymount University and bounce back and forth between here and LA as needed. I was actually planning to move back to LA this year, and then the pandemic hit and I decided to remain in my hometown with my family for the foreseeable future.
How do understand your vocation as a Catholic artist?
I don’t think of myself as a “Catholic writer” in the sense that I desire to be in held in some sort of esteem within the respectable Catholic canon (i.e. Tolkien, Chesterton, O'Connor, etc). However, I do acknowledge how my faith is the foundation of how I understand the world in my sense of right and wrong, the need for redemption and the possibility of it. I always want my work to have a sense of hope in the immutable Christian sense, even if what I’m writing is darker in nature. I do think “Catholic art” should be life-giving, whatever that means to the particular artist.
Where have you found support in the Church for your vocation as an artist?
I used to be active on the core team of Catholic Underground LA, which was an apostolate of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal dedicated to showcasing art of all kinds. I joined when I was still in college, and it was really formational for me at the time when I was still nascent in my reversion to be around actors, writers, musicians, etc. who were all trying to express themselves and grow in their faith.
Where have you found support among your fellow artists for your Catholic faith?
I have a love/hate relationship with social media, but I’ve met and built friendships with several Catholic artists through it.
How can the Church be more welcoming to artists?
Expanding what is considered “Catholic art” in the first place. I’m thinking of the lack of acknowledgement of a titan like Toni Morrison, who was a convert and whose exploration of humanity and suffering was certainly Catholic, and hang my head in shame about how her legacy has not been celebrated within Catholic circles.
How can the artistic world be more welcoming to artists of faith?
This is always an interesting question to me because I’ve never really faced ridicule as a person of faith in artistic circles. I think it’s because I’m Black and a woman, so people express more of a curiosity about how someone like me could possibly believe in anything “traditional.” I’ve had some wonderful conversations with people, and generally speaking I think artists are far more open to having these sorts of conversations than Catholics are, to be honest.
Where in your city do you regularly find spiritual fulfillment?
I have a regular practice of going to adoration in a little 24-hr chapel near my house, which I’ve been unable to go to since the pandemic. It’s been really hard for me in a certain sense, but my Lenten sacrifice this year was praying the Liturgy of the Hours throughout the day and maintaining that has been really helpful. I’m a member at St. Anne’s, which is an FSSP parish saying the Extraordinary Form of the mass in San Diego. I’m not super involved in parish life anymore due large in part to my work schedule, but I used to host a women’s group and occasionally get that group together again for brunch.
Where do you go to get inspired?
I’m in a number of writing classes/groups online.
How have you found or built community as a Catholic artist in your city?
I haven’t really done this specifically in SD but I probably should.
What is your daily spiritual practice?
At the moment, it’s Liturgy of the Hours + a regular habit of yoga and meditation.
What is your daily artistic practice? And what are your recommendations to other artists for practicing their craft daily?
I try to write every day, even if it’s just free writing. It’s been difficult to keep up with during the pandemic, but I’ve finally found my groove again in the last couple of months. I’m not the type of writer that can wait for inspiration, or else I would never get anything completed, so if that sounds like you I’d recommend putting aside time daily to work on your craft.
Describe a recent day in which you were most completely living out your vocation as an artist.
I developed a short film script with a production company earlier this year that featured a religious sister as a one of the main characters. The script’s themes weren’t religious at all, she was just one of the characters. It was interesting getting notes and feedback in the vein of, “Would a nun do that? Would a nun be friends with this other character?” It was clear that the producers had never really interacted with religious sisters before, and I had to gently explain that well, religious people are actually people too. They have friends, hobbies, needs, wants, and desires. It was comical for me to watch them assimilate that information throughout the development process, and I’m glad I was able to evangelize if even just a tiny bit.
How do you afford housing as an artist?
I rent a house with my mom in SD and when I come to LA for meetings I usually stay with friends. There are Catholic groups on FB to find roommates, couches, etc. I highly recommend using social media to find non-crazy roommates if and when you move.
How do you financially support yourself as an artist?
Some background on this – I just started writing again in 2019 after taking about 3 years away from the industry entirely. I have a “day job” in the form of my doula practice. I really love it, and it allows me to build my schedule out to accommodate projects. I took an entire month off this year to finish a script that is currently in the final round of contention at the Sundance Development Track. There’s a growing number of fellowships and paid development programs for screenwriters. Twitter is a great place for screenwriters (and other writers) to network. I don’t have a manager currently (that’s next on my list), but I’ve booked meetings and had my work read purely from networking there. There’s no magic bullet, but putting yourself out there has been fruitful for me, and despite the changes in the industry being inflicted by the pandemic, I’m really excited about 2021.
What other practical resources would you recommend to a Catholic artist living in your city?
I really believe strongly in cultivating practices of self-care and spirituality. You can’t pour out into your work if nothing is filling you up.
What are your top 3 pieces of advice for Catholic artists post-graduation?
Realize that “success” is going to take some time. Find your worth in who God says you are, not in what you do. Be genuinely kind to people and remember to network laterally! (Not just with people “higher up” that you admire.)
