Master Class with Phoebe Robinson

This year the Reel Works community celebrated Valentine’s Day with none other than comedian, writer, producer, and actress, Phoebe Robinson! The Reel Works Ambassadors decorated the classroom space with hearts, a cookie-decorating station, a photobooth, and snack station for a watch party and virtual Master Class with Phoebe Robinson. We had over 30 students in-person, and another 35 tuned in virtually from Reel Works, MediaMKRS programs, and beyond.

Phoebe discussed her career trajectory and influences that got her to where she is now. She also shared insights about her creative process, and how important it is to set reasonable goals and foster creativity within yourself. For example, she encouraged taking frequent breaks, going on walks, meditating, and not placing tons of pressure to sit down for hours at a time to produce work. For her, it is all about incremental movement, and not being too hard on yourself: “There’s no such thing as losing, there’s only winning and learning. That’s the perspective I try to keep when receiving feedback on my work.”

Another major takeaway was how to balance multiple art forms and not feel like you have to limit yourself as a creative. Phoebe is an author, podcaster, actress, producer, and founder of Tiny Reparations, a New York-based production company. Through these ventures, she’s able to express herself in a variety of ways and collaborate with a range of people.

“I learned a lot from her talk, it feels validating to know that I’m not supposed to know everything in my 20s. Phoebe reassured me about the path that I’m on, I just need to be patient.” - Jahsira Williams, Reel Works Fellow.

This blog post was written by Mara Sheban, Outreach Coordinator.