2023 is officially coming to a close.
This has been, without a doubt, the most interesting year of my life. There were an incredible number of transitions. Most of them, unfortunately, were difficult. There were good moments this year, yes. But they were often overshadowed by personal struggles.
That said, as mentioned above, not all was doom and gloom—though it certainly felt that way sometimes. When it came to my career, things did manage to pick up a bit. A few things did stall—my apologies to my film connections for the lack of screenplays this year. Despite those setbacks, I wanted to recap a few professional achievements made this year.
“Rest Assured, Artists—You Will Always be Better than AI”
At the start of 2023, everybody was talking about AI. And, though the topic has lost momentum, we’re talking about it still.
Artificial Intelligence remains a divided topic. For some, it will revolutionize the world through innovative and unprecedented technology. For others, the technology has become a labor issue where AI will replace workers across various mediums and industries. That accusation was particularly true when it came to generative AI and the fear that it would make writers, journalists, artists, and actors (among other workers) obsolete.
Thus, at the start of the year, I argued for a more humanistic perspective: artists will always be better than AI and will never be replaced. I admit that it could also be too early to see what becomes of the technology and how it evolves in time. That said, the art that artists create helps form connections. People connect and communicate through art because it is a form of expression. A machine can try to write about grief, but it has yet to experience the loss of a loved one.
I was pretty proud of this article—it helped alleviate some fears I had myself regarding AI. You can read the post through Reclamation Magazine through this link.
“The WGA Writer’s Strike is the Revolution Working-Class Artists Needed”
At the very start of May 2023, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) declared a strike. Their contract with the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers (AMPTP) expired and the two parties failed to reach a deal for a new one. Among other demands, the WGA was negotiating for higher pay, better benefits, better working conditions, and protections from AI in their industry.
As a budding screenwriter, of course, I was in favor of the strikes. Writers are essential to entertainment, culture, and entire industries. Though I understood the risks of a strike, I wrote in a Substack post the necessity of the strike. Writers took to social media to report the meager payments and terrible working conditions within their profession, gaining public support and revealing the unbearable reality of the industry. SAG-AFTRA followed soon after with their strike. Thus, Hollywood was experiencing a labor movement. It was a revolution for working-class artists.
Though I wrote about the strike at its very beginning, I predicted the writers and actors would win against the major studios—and I was right. Regardless, the post/ article was one of my favorites to write this year and you can read it here.
“Thank you for giving Watsonville a bookstore, Kelly”
This next article was one of the more difficult ones for me to write.
Late in the year, my hometown bookstore Kelly’s Books announced it would be closing its doors. I had known the owner since high school and had frequented her store for years. I knew the store wasn’t doing too well financially. The closure did not come as a surprise, but I was heartbroken regardless. I reached out to my hometown newspaper and pitched them a personal essay about what losing Kelly’s Books meant for me and Watsonville. Bookstores are cultural touchstones. Losing one is always a tragedy, and it meant a lot for me and my community to have had one in the finite time we did.
So I wrote an homage to Kelly’s Books. Feel free to read it here.
“Everything a Solution/ Todo Una Solucion”
My last achievement this year was the biggest surprise of my career thus far. In August of this year, I attended a showcase by el Teatro Campesino in San Juan Bautista that performed a one-act play I wrote. I entered the contest on a complete whim—I had never written anything for the stage until that point. But in mid-June, I noticed a call for submissions from the Latine/x-based theater company near my hometown. Though I sent my submission at the last minute, it was still accepted and performed in late August.
Attending the showcase was an experience, one I never imagined for myself. It was surreal to see my words being performed on stage, to see them come to life. I wrote about the experience and am hoping to have the essay appear soon. But just know that the whole thing gave me a boost of motivation I desperately needed this year.
The one-act play was about a philosophy college instructor dismayed and disillusioned by current events who is visited by the spirit of his Abuela to lift his spirits and remind him that everything has a solution but death. There is, unfortunately, no video of the performance I can share at this time. You’ll just have to take my word for it that it was amazing.
“Reapplying for Best Writer of Watsonville, CA”
Another Substack post. I’m proud of this one. For all the trouble that 2023 threw at me, it didn’t destroy my ambition for what I want in life. I wrote this post a short while ago to remind myself what I wanted to achieve and how hard I’m willing to work to get there. It won’t be easy, and I’ve also experienced quite a setback. But it shall be done, just you wait. I’m not done yet.
Though it is only a short and very recent blog post, I wrote this as an affirmation of what I’d like for 2024. It doesn’t say much, but I’m proud to start writing on Medium again. So I’m sharing here with y’all today.
What Comes Next:
This is my last Substack post for 2023. Though this year was incredibly difficult, I am proud to say that I have survived and got through what I could. I cannot predict how next year will go. But I’m still here, and I do have plans I’d like to execute.
So here is to the new year. I hope y’all are having a good time, and thank you always for your time and support.
What I’m Currently Reading:
Prophet Song by Paul Lynch*
I barely started this book, but I know it’s going to be a hard hitter. Published just before the end of the year, the novel won the Booker Prize right before it was even released in the U. S. It tells the story of a mother trying her best to maneuver and keep herself and her family together as her country falls further and further into fascism. It was recommended to me by a coworker, and it’s clear from what I read thus far that I’m going to enjoy it. Feel free to click the link on the title above to check it out and grab yourself a copy.
Shout Out to Friends and their Creative Work:
One of the best friends about being friends with creatives is seeing their careers grow. I saw a lot of that growth this year, and I’m happy for the friends who managed to make things happen for themselves. I’m proud of every one of you.
Here is a quick list and descriptions of what some friends of mine have accomplished this year.*
(*note that links to the books mentioned here are affiliate links to my Bookshop page; purchasing from those links would support me and the writers mentioned—of course, always feel free to purchase their books from any other retailer, including your local independent bookstore):
Gabriel Medina: Launched Calavera Media in our hometown of Watsonville, CA to support filmmakers and creatives in his local community.
Erman Baradi: Self-published his latest poetry collection, Bad Times & Goodbyes. I had the honor of proofreading and editing his book and am happy to see it garner the attention it deserves.
Hikari Leilani Miya: A fellow alumnus from the MFA program at the University of San Francisco, her first poetry collection Do Not Feed the Animal is now available for preorder. Reading her poetry has been a pleasure, and I’m so happy for her big accomplishment!
Didi Anofienem: Another fellow alumnus, her fantasy epic Descendants of Fire & Water was published this year. I received an ARC and was excited to see what an old classmate wrote and put out into the world.
Thank you for reading! As always feel free to check out my Bookshop page, subscribe and share this Substack, follow me wherever you’d like, or treat me to a New Year coffee.
See you next year!