LDSPMA

Empowering Latter-day Saints to spread light and truth by connecting them at the intersection of faith, creativity, and professional skill

LDSPMA

LDSPMA Member Spotlight: Cris Conerty

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Cris Conerty currently lives in Colbert, Washington.

What are some names of the books or other media you have created?

I created Mary’s Easter Morning (a children’s picture book based upon my original children’s folk song), many hymns, choral compositions, and children’s songs for the Christian church/Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints setting (see http://www.whitepoppycreative.com).

What inspired you to become a creator of media?

It all started at age five with the Christmas gift of the Linus-like toy piano. Many years of piano playing, a variety of college courses, voice lessons, arranging classes and self-study, and a good amount of performance experience has gotten me to where I am today. I have always found a way to make music and let my heart sing. Composing and arranging music for the Christian church setting is one of my favorite things to do, and much of my work is a collaboration with my daughter, Alaina Larsen. I have been inspired by the work of Janice Kapp Perry.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

The highlights of my career thus far have been collaborating with my daughter, Alaina Larsen, since 2018 to compose music and producing creative works for children and adults that help to generate, build, and repair individual testimonies of Jesus Christ. We are a mother-daughter team who love the Lord, His gospel, and the power music has to share His message. We recently celebrated being offered a publishing contract for our first children’s book, which is based on an original song.

What was the best advice you’ve ever been given in your creative journey?

Find your own authentic voice and say what only you can say.

What advice do you have for someone just starting out in your field?

In the area of songwriting, my best advice is to be open to suggestions and input from others—remain teachable—then review and revise your lyrics and creative works many times, so that you can bring your very best product to your audience, publishers, and to all with whom you share your work.

What keeps you inspired in your daily creative work?

My age inspires me—as an empty-nester and grandparent I realize life is short. It is never too late to begin the journey of creating and sharing your original, inspired material. I am also inspired by my personal awareness of the gifts God has given me and my responsibility to be a voice of light.

In what ways do you feel you have been able to be a voice for good in your creative pursuits?

Through our joint venture, White Poppy Creative, my daughter and I have composed music that highlights time-tested virtues, illuminates the role of women in the scriptures, deepens faith in Jesus Christ, and brings comfort and joy to Latter-day Saint and Christian congregations. Through the power of inspiring music, meaningful word, and impactful visuals, we will continue to bring hope-filled inspirational works to light.

If you want your spotlight to link to your website or any of your social media platforms, include the URLs here.

https://whitepoppycreative.com/

LDSPMA Member Spotlight: Maleah Day Warner

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Maleah Day Warner currently lives in American Fork, Utah.

What are some names of the books or other media you have created?

Lies of the Magpie is my debut memoir and the 2020 AML award winner for Creative Nonfiction. I also host the Power Principles Podcast.

What inspired you to become a creator of media?

My fourth grade teacher told me I would be a writer, and I believed her.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

Meeting Alex Boyé at LDSPMA conference 2021, of course!

Winning the 2020 AML (Association for Mormon Letters) award for Creative Nonfiction was thrilling and an absolute surprise. Many thanks to AML for boosting my confidence as an author. 🙂

What was the best advice you’ve ever been given in your creative journey?

Ally Condie said she gave herself permission to take her time in her writing journey. This advice has helped me to be patient in the LONG process of becoming a writer and the even LONGER journey to publication.

What advice do you have for someone just starting out in your field?

Be willing to be really bad at your craft. You have to be bad BEFORE you can be good. But no one wants to be bad, so we procrastinate creating. Go ahead and be bad. Produce that cringe-worthy first draft. Clunk through the gag-inducing second draft. Imagine that you’re required to produce 200,00 really awful sentences before your brilliance can shine. Then you can sit down and start writing junk. Jeff Savage says you have to dump a whole lot of manure on your page before the flowers will grow.

What keeps you inspired in your daily creative work?

Most of the day I wrestle with enormous amounts of self-doubt. When I’m on top of my creative game, it’s remembering my WHY that keeps me going. And reading. When I lack motivation, reading gets me back on track.

What would you like others to know about you or your creative process?

I love mothering and writing and try to combine the two whenever I can. I want to see more stories with mother protagonists.

My mission is to educate, validate, and elevate the work of mothering.

In what ways do you feel you have been able to be a voice for good in your creative pursuits?

I believe that a healthy world starts with healthy mothers. Postpartum depression, anxiety and mental health issues are a huge battle for mothers right now. I also believe in the healing power of story. Maybe a mom who feels alone and is struggling can find hope, healing, and an enormous hug and boost of encouragement from reading my story.

If you want your spotlight to link to your website or any of your social media platforms, include the URLs here.

[email protected]

Instagram: @maleahdaywarnerwrites

https://www.facebook.com/maleah.warner

LDSPMA Member Spotlight: Thomas Laughlin

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Thomas Laughlin lives in Clinton, Utah.

What are some names of the books or other media you have created?

In my over twenty-year career, I’ve been privileged to have worked with and mentored by several LDS filmmakers such as TC Christensen ASC (producer/cinematographer for Love Kennedy and 17 Miracles), Peter Czerny (film editor of the original Johnny Lingo and LDS film classics of the 1960s-1990s), Dennis Lisonbee (film director and composer), and so many who have worked for the BYU and LDS Motion Picture Studio. I’ve done several award-winning documentaries, including A Reel Legacy: The History of Judge Whitaker and the LDS Motion Picture Studio, Stripling, and more recently I was director and producer of Remembering Heaven.

What inspired you to become a creator of media?

I have always loved cinema. I was always enamored with the process from writing to editing. My parents encouraged me to follow my dream, so after a mission to Sao Paulo Brazil, I left my hometown of Wichita, Kansas, and headed to Provo, Utah, went to UVU, got married, and have been married for the past twenty years.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

Before I came to live in Utah after my mission, I came out here to visit some mission friends and attended the first LDS Film Festival. It was a tiny festival back then, but I was amazed by all the filmmakers—I had found my people! This festival is what brought me to Utah. Twenty years later, we entered our documentary Remembering Heaven and won the Twentieth Annual LDS Film Festival, with my wife and kids looking on, as we took the stage and got the “Best Documentary” award. It felt amazing!

What was the best advice you’ve ever been given in your creative journey?

The best advice I ever got was to study storytelling. Every filmmaking process is tied to story. It’s the same whether it is a novel, book, short film, or whatever the medium. You have to have a strong beginning, middle, and ending. At the recommendation of a college film friend, I read Screenplay by Syd Field, and it changed everything for me. I wrote around fifteen feature film scripts in college—so do a lot of writing, shooting, and editing.

What advice do you have for someone just starting out in your field?

Whatever background or experience you have, learn as much as you can about the “film business.” If you have a great idea, manuscript, or a book (that you want to make into a film or a documentary), take the time to research and learn about filmmaking, scriptwriting, marketing, and distribution. Have a specific goal and run to that goal and don’t stop until that goal is achieved. Intern on a film set or work on a short film. This will add to your experiences and skills. Be tenacious and passionate!

What keeps you inspired in your daily creative work?

What inspires me is my inner drive to always tell a story with the most emotional or uplifting impact. Oftentimes, we don’t always get to work on big projects. Maybe they are small car commercials or corporate videos. But even still, you can always try and make the content inspiring or uplift your viewers. There are so many film pioneers before us, who had to work with more primitive filmmaking tools. We have digital tools like the iPhone, that can film anything. We have laptops that can edit. Tell those stories!

What would you like others to know about you or your creative process?

The creative process is like a muscle. The more you do it, the stronger and better you get. Like bodybuilding, you can target certain muscle groups or areas of focus. The creative process is a journey. Just keep going.

In what ways do you feel you have been able to be a voice for good in your creative pursuits?

Especially with my last two documentaries, Stripling and Remembering Heaven, I have tried to inform and truly inspire the members of our LDS youth and members to remember the gospel of Jesus Christ. In everything I try and do, I look at it as if the Lord is looking at the film and ask, would he accept this offering? As many artists know, we do our best and hope that what we do turns people’s hearts to (or back to) the Savior. (And, I hope to work on future projects with others in the LDSPMA!)

If you want your spotlight to link to your website or any of your social media platforms, include the URLs here.

https://www.facebook.com/tomyboy342000

LDSPMA Member Spotlight: Alyssa Calder Hulme

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Alyssa Calder Hulme lives in Heber City, Utah.

What are some names of the books or other media you have created?

  • Women of Ambition Podcast
  • BBC News: “My Money: ‘Our alternative quarantine holiday'”
  • Local Passport Family Guest Post: “Living and Working from an RV”
  • Babywise Mom: “Homeschooling with a Newborn: 6 Tips for Success”
  • Intermountain Healthcare: “School at home while you’re social distancing: 6 tips for a positive experience”

What inspired you to become a creator of media?

I have a lot to say on many topics; writing and podcasting helps me move conversations out of my head and into the world where I can make a difference. My current project, Women of Ambition Podcast, gives me a fantastic excuse to befriend incredible women, learn from them, and rip into my deepest questions while taking my audience along for the ride.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

Getting published by the BBC! It’s my first international publication.

What was the best advice you’ve ever been given in your creative journey?

It doesn’t have to be perfect. Just start where you are and learn along the way.

What advice do you have for someone just starting out in your field?

Choose a deep topic you’ll never get sick of exploring. Dig into that in whatever format works for your energy and interest level. Begin with the lowest start up cost and see where things go.

What keeps you inspired in your daily creative work?

Making sure I’m living the way I want my children to live—that is, in alignment with my values and passions. Also remembering that creation is a holy act and as I practice it I can become closer to my Heavenly Mother and Father.

What would you like others to know about you or your creative process?

It’s is all over the map; I always have about five projects going on beyond what I’ve told anyone. From the outside (and frequently the inside) those pursuits look disconnected but always makes sense in the end. My deep dive into oil paints ends up informing the way I brand my content. My veer into reiki healing connects me deeper to my Heavenly Parents whose love fuels my bigger purpose as a teacher and disruptor. My book binge is teaching me (again) how to naturally craft dialogue between characters in my book. It all feeds my creativity.

In what ways do you feel you have been able to be a voice for good in your creative pursuits?

I use my voice to speak up for women and encourage other women to do the same. We don’t have to agree on anything to make more space for women’s voices; simply using mine makes more room for another woman to use hers. I’ve witnessed silenced women speak up. I’ve watched as they realize their words are of value. When women step up to the mic, we transform the world.

I am also an advocate for neurodiverse humans. In simply sharing information on neurodiversity with my community, I have seen increased love for self and empathy for others.

If you want your spotlight to link to your website or any of your social media platforms, include the URLs here.

http://www.WomenofAmbitionPodcast.com @WomenofAmbitionPodcast @BigRoundSchoolhouse @WhoIsHeavenlyMother

LDSPMA Member Spotlight: Spanky Ward

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Spanky Ward currently lives in Holladay, Utah.

What are some names of the books or other media you have created?

I’ve written the feature films Riot (Dolph Lundgren), Ruling of the Heart, and Christmas Break-In (Danny Glover, Denise Richards). I’ve also written, produced, and directed the feature films Hello, I Love You and The Santa Box, as well as over seventy short films and commercials.

I also recently self-published my first children’s book called Charlie’s Long Journey, available on Amazon.com.

I have other films, novels, and children’s books in the works.

What inspired you to become a creator of media?

I’ve always loved TV, movies—anything that sparks my imagination, but writing didn’t hit me until college. I started out with commercials, then movies and now novels and children’s books. I’m excited to explore more forms of writing in the future.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

Definitely writing, producing and directing my movie The Santa Box. It was my first bigger budget film, and it has already won five awards and just sold to the UK, Japan, Australia, and South Africa, with more territories on the way.

What was the best advice you’ve ever been given in your creative journey?

If you feel that God’s given you a talent, then develop it and use it to its fullest potential, no matter how difficult things get or the size or number of roadblocks in your way.

What advice do you have for someone just starting out in your field?

If you have the talent needed to succeed, then never give up.

What keeps you inspired in your daily creative work?

The anticipation of seeing an audience react to my work.

What would you like others to know about you or your creative process?

That my goal in life is to tell great stories that are entertaining for everyone.

In what ways do you feel you have been able to be a voice for good in your creative pursuits?

I’ve had a chance to make some heartfelt family friendly movies over the years.

If you want your spotlight to link to your website or any of your social media platforms, include the URLs here.

http://www.facebook.com/spankyward

LDSPMA Member Spotlight: Vice President Erin Willder

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Erin Willder currently lives in Provo, Utah.

What are some names of the books or other media you have created?

My main mission is to help others publish good content—I’m usually the wind beneath someone else’s wings! I’ve edited, designed, and published many books over my 28-year career. Some of the more well-known titles have been books in the Unofficial Guide series (Macmillan) and technical manuals for SAAS-based technology companies. In addition to my work at BYU, I also produce high-end personal histories and am writing a book series to help trauma survivors create a life they love.

What inspired you to become a creator of media?

At age 12, I tested into a GT writing program at a local college, which I attended for two years. It was during that time that I decided to focus on publishing.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

Being a part of LDSPMA in these early years has been exhilarating. I believe in our mission. I believe in LDSPMA members and the exponential effects their creations will have in and on the world. We champion the missionary work of self-declared media missionaries (no nametags required)! 🙂 These efforts must happen before the Savior’s return. The best way to “sweep the earth as with a flood” is to synergize, partnering for maximum effectiveness.

What was the best advice you’ve ever been given in your creative journey?

To keep revising. It’s during the editing that the genius ideas emerge. I didn’t fully understand that until I heard Shannon Hale describe how editing brought out the best parts in The Princess Academy. For me, there’s a sweet spot past the point when you want to stop working on a piece—it usually turns out to be about 3/4 of the way to the finish line that the most magical moments start happening.

What advice do you have for someone just starting out in your field?

Practice, practice, practice. Starting a writing practice—free and easy writing—gives you playtime to blurt out all the stuff in your head so you can sort and organize the good parts later. Natalie Goldberg’s classic advice lives on.

What keeps you inspired in your daily creative work?

Stale as it sounds, I truly want to help make the world a better, brighter place. Countless dangers threaten to block the blessings we are otherwise entitled to enjoy. My dearest wish is to play any role in helping my brothers and sisters return Home safely.

Member Spotlight: Sue Lamoree

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Sue Lamoree is from Camano Island, Washington

What are some names of the books or other media you have created?

I wrote The True Adventures of Carbon (a middle-grade novel). My short stories appear in the following anthologies (two are listed under the name Susan Hutchinson): The Healing Touch of Horses: Stories of Courage, Hope and the Transformative Power of the Human/Equine Bond; Horse Crazy: Women and the Horses They Love; and A Cup of Comfort for Dog Lovers: Stories that Celebrate Love, Loyalty, and Companionship.

What inspired you to become a creator of media?

Twenty-six years ago, I was diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis (TM) which resulted in partial paralysis from the neck down. Through the grace of my Heavenly Father, I learned to accept and manage my situation with humor and dignity. I soon realized the journey isn’t easy and we can often benefit from the support of others. This insight inspired me to share my humorous, spiritual, and sometimes challenging anecdotes about life from a quadriplegic perspective.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

When one of my blog posts reached an individual who had been newly diagnosed with TM, we corresponded for a short period of time in which I felt our conversations may have helped dampen her fears associated with the unknowns of her new life. Most individuals with spinal cord injuries (myself included) start out with a minimal understanding of the resources available to them. I love sharing my knowledge and experiences with people to lighten their concerns.

What was the best advice you’ve ever been given in your creative journey?

Don’t just get into the head of your characters; follow their emotional journey as well. Delve deep into their feelings and demonstrate those emotions through actions, conversation, and consequences rather than telling the reader how the character feels. Readers are more likely to stay engaged in a story if they can identify with the character’s emotional transformation. And always deliver on your promises. Whatever the story presents as the premise, make sure it’s resolved, good or bad.

What advice do you have for someone just starting out in your field?

Always write from the heart despite what’s considered popular and write for yourself whether you think it will sell or not. I’ve learned through my own process that writers love to write—so write!

What keeps you inspired in your daily creative work?

I really hope that my message reaches individuals facing any type of adversity. Life can be full of joy regardless of our circumstances as long as we allow ourselves to turn things over to our Heavenly Father. I have experienced His love and recognized His hand in my life more than I ever have. The world actually opened up to me since my diagnosis, and I have blossomed in a way I didn’t think possible. I want to share those experiences with others and hope to lift a few heads in the process.

What would you like others to know about you or your creative process?

I don’t really have a creative process. I draw from things that are familiar to me and my own experiences. Then I just let the characters speak for themselves and write, rewrite, rewrite, and rewrite.

In what ways do you feel you have been able to be a voice for good in your creative pursuits?

My stories tend to focus on the positive aspects of my life, and I find humor in almost everything that happens to me. By sharing these perspectives in my writing and the podcasts I’ve participated in I’ve been able to demonstrate that we can always find a way to view life from a half-full vantage point.

If you want your spotlight to link to your website or any of your social media platforms, include the URLs here.
keeprollingon.co

LDSPMA Member Spotlight: Bonnie K. T. Dillabough

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Bonnie K.T. Dillabough currently lives in Richland, Washington.

What are some names of the books or other media you have created?

I wrote the Dimensional Alliance series, including The House on Infinity Loop, Infinity on Fire, and Mirrors of Infinity with the 4th book in the series coming out in November 2021: Ripples of Infinity. The eventual scope of the series will be about 15 books. My books are science-fiction that read like fantasy. Dragons and dwarves and fantastical creatures…high-tech, dimensional travel, and alien encounters—all of this and more.

What inspired you to become a creator of media?

I’ve been writing since my early years and spent 15 years in broadcast television, but I always wanted to write novels. An active life as a veteran, mother of 6 (now grandmother of 17 and counting), and life happened. Then one day, I had the joy of interviewing Mercedes Lackey. When I timidly remarked I had considered writing a novel, she said, “So put your butt in the chair and write!”
I did. Two weeks before my 64th birthday, The House on Infinity Loop was published in 2018.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

Probably the opportunity to interact with fans and potential fans of the books has been the highlight. I have one science fiction/fantasy convention under my belt (before Covid) and some author talks. One of the most fun highlights was being accosted in a local bookstore because someone recognized me. They were there to purchase my books and asked for me to sign them in the aisle of the store. I don’t think it had occurred to me that I would ever be recognized like that.

What was the best advice you’ve ever been given in your creative journey?

Definitely to write and to associate with other writers, starting with NaNoWriMo just after getting the emphatic advice from Mercedes Lackey. Through groups such as The Alliance of Independent Authors and Aspiring Authors, I’ve had the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of the publishing industry.
These connections and the continuing education I have received have led me to realize that no author is an island. We do some of our best work as we help one another.

What advice do you have for someone just starting out in your field?

Write. Seriously, I know that sounds over-simplistic, but unfortunately, it is too easy to get wrapped up in details that have nothing to do with telling your story. Get the story out of you before you worry about editing or anything else. Then get educated. There are so many traps laid for aspiring authors and most of them involve taking shortcuts. Do your due diligence. Join writing groups. Don’t fall for the wiles of those who only want your money. Get advice from people who are actually selling books and have a following. And don’t compromise your principles.

What keeps you inspired in your daily creative work?

Reading good writing for one thing. I’ve been re-reading favorite books in my genre to learn from those who have mastered the craft. People like Brandon Sanderson, Orson Scott Card, J.K. Rowling, and Brandon Mull. Their styles are all different, and yet, as I read their books, not as a fan but as a writer, I realize there are certain things they all have in common. I try to emulate the things that fit my style and avoid the things that don’t fit.

What would you like others to know about you or your creative process?

I am what is known in the writing arena as a “pantser,” meaning I write by the seat of my pants. I don’t do outlines. But I still know where I’m going. I write the last chapter or scene in my book in the beginning. This gives me something to shoot for. Admittedly, by the time I get there, I often have to do some re-writing, but that’s ok. Knowing the end from the beginning has a lot to be said for it. Also, my writing is character-centric. I know my characters very well.

In what ways do you feel you have been able to be a voice for good in your creative pursuits?

The focus of my books is about how working together accomplishes so much more than working alone. Some of the values I try to teach as I entertain are the value of kindness, why judgmentalism is counter-productive, that there is a “creator of all things,” that science and belief are not opposites, the importance of family, the concept of redemption, and the idea that creation is much bigger than we can imagine.

If you want your spotlight to link to your website or any of your social media platforms, include the URLs here.
https://DimensionalAllianceHeadquarters.com