Whew! What a year it’s been! And you may have been wondering, “where in the world is Ciera”. Well, I’ve been busy building a few things. Most notably my YouTube Channel, which I’ll get into in a second!
2022 had me in the biggest chokehold ever. Honestly, the last two years have been a whole wrestling match if I’m being honest. For those of you who believe in astrology…I’m Aquarius and Saturn has been teaching me its hard tough lessons. Unfortunately, a wrestling match with Saturn has its own rules and one can not simply just tap out. On the contrary, you must learn how to lean in, give in, and get stronger. Which I feel has happened in my Aquarius world. And at times, it was NOT fun and quite devastating. Saturn is set to hang out in Pisces next. And so my dear Pisces, I’m keeping you in my heart and sending you all the love during Saturn’s reign. But I know you will come out stronger and better than before!
Ok enough of the astrology and Saturn talk, this is an end-of-the-year note! Listen, 2022 pushed me to dare and seek ways to be better creatively, mentally, emotionally, and physically. And yea, I had to take a few figurative punches to the gut and on the chin, but nevertheless, I persisted. What came out on the other end was a new, yet scary, sense of liberation. I started thinking about the things that I desire to do and how I desire to be of service in this world. That’s when I decided to stop thinking about starting a YouTube Channel and just do it! And so I launched my Channel: Ciera Payton on YouTube and started uploading recordings of me sharing my experience of being an actress. In doing so, I want to let people in on what it’s like being an actress and provide tips and tools to those pursuing a career in entertainment. It’s been a blast! I love seeing the metrics and knowing that people are watching and following along. I love recording the content and coming up with things that I think people would enjoy learning about. It’s growing and I can’t wait to see how it evolves!
What else came out of my need to serve, was building and expanding The Michael’s Daughter Foundation. It’s been years in the making but I can confidently say that finally, The Michael’s Daughter Foundation is getting some legs to stand on. My grant writer and I bust out butts this year seeking out funds to provide our programs to youth and families impacted by the incarceration of a loved one. It felt like the clouds parted and heaven opened up when I found out that our organization received grant funding from the California Arts Council to provide two arts programs to youth dealing with the effects of mass incarceration. So in the fall of 2023, we will be in two schools executing our filmmaking programs that’ll culminate with two film screenings of the students’ films.
Lastly, I’ve been on a mission to also build this site and platform to provide articles, resources, and eventually courses to all those seeking ways to elevate their lives and creativity. One of the big milestones reached for The In Trive was getting trademarked! Now our name and logo are official which gives way to so many opportunities for this site. Things are moving at a slow pace, but the vision I have for The In Trive excites me soo much that I can’t help but stay on for the ride! And I hope you will too!
So yea, 2022 and Saturn may have been some tough teachers for me, but I’m a better student of life because of it. Now I won’t dare sit up here and tell you that I have it all figured out, that’s not the case at all. I’m just figuring out that igniting my light and finding joy in the journey makes it all a little easier and dare I say…fun! So thank you 2022 for all the lessons and for pushing me further into my true and authentic self. I release you with so much love, gratitude, and appreciation. Now, I welcome 2023 with a little apprehension, but definitely with open arms and joy! Come on 2023 let’s be an awesome year full of new wonderful adventures, prosperity, peace of mind, fun, love, and sooo much laughter!
Wishing you all the very same and know that we’re all in this together! So let’s get it!
Love,
Ciera Payton
