BABE #349: DANIELLE ELISKA LYLE - Writer + Filmmaker
Danielle’s infatuation with motion pictures began at an early age. Between late nights at the drive-in, sneaking into theatres to see multiple films and fawning over storytime with her grandparents, she was destined for a creative, expressive career. Today, she’s a freelance screenwriter, film director, photographer and creative instructor; a teaching artist at the McCarter Theatre in New Jersey; and the owner and chief-of-content of MERAKI Society production house. She spends her days telling the stories of powerful women, the Black Diaspora and the state of Black Culture. Her work is thought-provoking, dynamic, and most of all, important.
The Basics:
Hometown: Detroit, Michigan
Current city: Brooklyn, New York
Alma mater: University of Michigan; New York University
Degree: B.F.A., English and African-American studies; M.F.A, Dramatic Writing in Film, TV and Theatre
Very first job: As a teen, my first job was a summer gig at DTE Energy
Hustle: Freelance Screenwriter, Film Director, Photographer; Teaching Artist, McCarter Theatre; Owner + Chief of Content, MERAKI Society Production House
The Interests:
Babe you admire and why?
There are so many babes I admire, but I’m just going to say who is at the forefront of my mind: Ava DuVernay. She is the babe I admire because she didn’t ask for permission. She built her own empire and doesn’t have to answer to anyone. She didn’t wait for validation from anyone; she is zeitgeist and is making zeitgeist work. Girl after my own heart.
How do you spend your free time?
In nature (walks, some form of meditation, etc.), reading, listening to records, practicing the guitar when I can, watching films (is that really free time?), museums/creative outlets, spending time with family and small circle of friends.
Go-to coffee order and/or adult beverage?
I’m an herbal tea kinda’ girl. Harney & Sons teas and Wakaya turmeric & ginger tea.
What would you eat for your very last meal?
Vegan pizza from Screamers with a port wine.
What’s something you want to learn or master?
I want to continue stretching in my creative passions and I’d love to master the guitar and the stock market.
If you could have coffee with anyone in the world, who would it be?
I would’ve loved to sit with Toni Morrison and just listen.
The Hustle:
Tell us about your hustle.
I am a screenwriter, film director, photographer, and producer. My life’s work is to tell stories (written, filmed, and photographed) of powerful women, the Black diaspora, and the state of Black culture. I’m a freelance creative instructor in screenwriting, TV writing, and photography, and a teaching artist at McCarter Theatre in New Jersey. I am also the owner and COC (chief of content) of MERAKI Society multimedia production house, committed to telling stories about women, Black culture and Black diaspora.
Walk us through your typical day.
It truly depends on what job I’m doing that day/scheduled call time (if I’m writing, or directing, or photographing, or producing, or teaching). But, typically, I’m an early riser with a ritual. I start my day at 5 a.m. with prayer journal and devotion/meditation. I work to get to the gym no later than 6:30 a.m. After an hour and a half workout, I’m back home guzzling 20 to 24 ounces of celery juice before heading to a set as a photographer, director, assistant director, or field producer; or, I’m headed to a high school or theatre to teach playwriting. If it’s a day of writing, I dress in sweats and head to a coffee shop. I tuck away in a corner and I write. Lately, I’ve been juggling a few tasks: polishing my business plan, finishing up final edits for a new short film I’m preparing to campaign for, and working on a commissioned project for a client. If I’m traveling, it’s most likely for film festival season for “Shield” and the various panels I'm blessed to be a part of.
Have you always had a passion for art and creating?
Flipbooks have always been magical; so have films. From late nights at the drive-in with the family to sneaking into theaters to see multiple movies, those moments fed my desire. I can trace my love of photography and the moving image to my maternal grandfather. He was a photographer and filmmaker. My love of history and storytelling came from my paternal grandpere; his presence alone was captivating. I’d get up early during summer mornings and meet him out in his beautiful garden where he would teach me about life through the process of gardening and tell me stories of his yesterdays. I’d cling to every word. I’d play Barbies with my sister, Shern, and make up elaborate story lines for our dolls. My sister was a good sport—she’d roll with it because she knew she’d have me doing some dance routine later on in the day. I graduated undergrad and landed a writing job at a healthcare company as an instructional developer. I was making great money, but was utterly unhappy. As a creative, it’s difficult to fit into a box. So, as I prayed for an exit door from corporate America into the creative field, I worked on my craft. I wrote first drafts of two screenplays over the course of the year I was with the company. I was at that job a year and a half when they started a wave of massive layoffs. One morning, I was called down to HR. They gave me the [speech]: “Unfortunately, we’re going to have to let you go, but you’re young! You’ll land something else quickly!” All I could do was ask, “Where do I sign, y’all?!?!?!?”
What was the inspiration behind MERAKI Society?
I wanted to build something that aligns with my purpose and values. I didn’t see a circle to join that was doing exactly what the vision was calling me to do. I was tired of women being whores, mammies, damsels in distress, disrespected—you name it. I was exhausted seeing Black culture/Black diaspora through the narrow, unimaginative, untruthful white lens. I had to be among those striving to change the narrative. I had no interest in developing hollow, stereotypical premises that perpetuated lies about or excluded my people. My devotion is in telling stories about multidimensional women, my beautiful heritage, culture and ancestral history. That’s my lane. More than that, once I fully grounded myself in what MERAKI Society is to be, the vision had expanded in ways I couldn’t have dreamed of. So, I continue to build and expand and stretch as wide as I can.
How have your past professional and academic experiences prepared you for the work you do today?
The most concise thing I can say is what was meant to happen in my life, happened. I believe everything that was meant to destroy me or cause me to give up has been blocked. But the “debris” that caused me to stumble was meant to make me aware, gain knowledge, grow. And then, there’s relentless tenacity that pushes you through all of that. It’s more than a notion, OK? But there’s not one experience or lesson I would wish away. Had even one thing I’ve experienced been steered from my course, I would not be the person I am today. All of it has made me who I am. (And I like who I am and who I am becoming.) To me, liking who you are and who you are becoming—in spite of flaws—is an act of bravery.
How has being a woman—and particularly a WOC—affected your professional experience?
I mean, we’ve done this work. We’ve reviewed and rehearsed the numbers, read the articles, retweeted the statistics, entered into deep discussions. What can I say that hasn’t already been said about ratios and statistics? There’s no way for me to reboot, reimagine, or remake the evidence that differs from what we already know. The fact is, it’s happening to us. As a black woman filmmaker, the stories of disrespect, discard, overlooking, attempts at dismantling, etc. are so abundant and familiar, they seem to have become one seamless narrative; our names, interchangeable. What can be done to create more equal, uplifting, well-paying spaces for black women/women in the industry is to give us money to make our projects. Hi. Invest in my projects. At this point, the only gender ratio and women of color “activism” in the industry I would like to see from others on behalf of myself and women filmmakers is the act of giving us money (and lots of it) so we can make our projects. That’s the evolution I want to see. Outside of that, it’s just noise.
What’s your most memorable or notable award and/or accolade?
2019 was good to me. I was one of the inaugural grant recipients of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment and New York Foundation for the Arts “Made in NY” Women’s Fund in Film for my short narrative, “Shield.” The entire experience got us to where we are today. So far, “Shield” has received honorable mention awards for 2019 Reel Sisters Film Festival and 2019 New Jersey International Film Festival and has won Best Screenplay at Prairie View A&M University’s Festival On The Hill. I’m incredibly thankful.
Who are some women in your field you look to for inspiration?
There are so many (and they aren’t just filmmakers). They are painters, sculptors, novelists, dancers, actors, poets, athletes, photographers, pharaohs, queens, mentors, relatives, etc. From Sobekneferu and Hatshepsut to Edmonia Lewis, Artemisia Gentileschi and Aphra Behn; the Iyalawos, Dahomey warriors, and Créole priestess to Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, Diane McKinney Whetstone, Zora Neale Hurston, and Dr. Gloria House; on to Ava Duvernay, Kasi Lemmons, Julie Dash, Gina Prince-Bythewood and all else in between. I mean, there’s so much wealth of learning and taking in I receive from all the arts. It’s endless, and I love it that way.
What does your approach to work-life balance look like?
I’m honestly still working on finding balance. I think about my creative work every second of every day, from when I wake up until I lay down to rest. And there are times when I wake up in the middle of the night to study or write. Lately, it has been about listening to my body and my soul when it says rest. Transparency: I love moments of solitude, meditation and nature. My personality is very reclusive and anxiety triggers. I need time to reboot after social experiences. Abandoning social media for frequent sabbaticals when I can; leaving my phone/computer at home and connecting with nature/the country are perfect ways to unplug/unwind; spending time with and paying close attention to/listening without distraction to my loved ones.
Career and/or life advice for other babes?
The rejections are abundant. I believe I can wallpaper a 27-bedroom mansion with the amount of rejection letters I’ve received. Rejection =/= your worth. A childhood “big brother” (Clark) said to me some time ago, “Danie, you gotta get through the ‘nos’ before you get to the ‘yeses’...” He said it so matter-of-fact and confidently that it stayed with me. Sometimes the rejection is meant to propel you to build your own empire in what you do. Don’t despise the opportunity; think bigger than what you see at the moment…. forget the social media likes and follows and verified checks. Don’t worry about who will stick around if you lose the “attention” momentum. Don’t lose yourself trying to go viral. Don’t try to fit your work in what’s currently popular. Your work has its time and shall serve its purpose. Believe in yourself. Celebrate yourself. Live called. Just do the thing.
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