Cortne BONILLA 82 / Cydnie COLE

CYDNIE COLE Art Production Assistant, Stateline Films @cydniecole

EMAIL CONVERSATION WITH CORTNE BONILLA On February 8, 2022

RR: Hi Cortne, thank you so much for agreeing to do this interview! I absolutely love what you’re doing over at The Cut and frankly, really love your tweets!

CB: Hi, babe!!! Thank you for thinking of me.

RR: When did you know you wanted to work in the industry and how did you get your foot in the door?

CB: I honestly didn’t know I wanted to work in the industry at first. I’ve always been a writer, and used to fill up composition notebooks with dreamy, flowery novels about young love and mystery. I wanted to be an author, and still do, but I didn’t realize you could actually write as a full-time career until maybe after high school. I got my foot in the door with internships, and I had a few blogs that got a decent following over time! I write runway reviews, posted outfits, and chatted to the internet in an old-school column like fashion.

RR: How did you stay motivated during lockdown?

CB: I luckily had more work during the lockdown, with my 9-5 and with freelance. For me lockdown was a great time to reevaluate what working meant to me — when there’s no office to go into and no commute to rush to. It helped to keep a general routine — pilates in the morning, going to grab a coffee, walking the dog before a certain time so I can replace that commute with something productive. RR: What new perspectives do you have after the past 2 years?

CB: That we are all so much more than our jobs. Every single person has an entire world swirling around inside of them, and we should be exploring that as much as we care about our careers.

RR: What drives you?

CB: Is it bad to say that I love money? But I also love making money in a way that aligns with myself. For example, I am a black woman in media and I love being able to profile and write about other People of Color and give them the spotlight they deserve. Creativity and connection also drives me. Social media has helped with that in a sense; we’re all so connected now, and it can be both good and bad but I choose to use it to create, and found a little community online.

RR: What would you tell your younger self?

CB: To stop thinking about what a stranger you’ll never see again will think of you. Dance, take those photos, make a youtube, be free — get out of your own head because no one really cares that much.

RR: Where can we find you on socials?

CB: @cortnebonilla on Instagram, @bonillacortne on Twitter.

RR: Hi, Cyd! I hope you're having a fabulous Friday. <3 I was wondering if you'd be willing to answer 5 questions for my magazine I'm working on. I'd love to have a mini interview highlighting you and what you do!

CC: Hiii my love!!! I'd love to OMGGGGG thank you so much for thinking of me. <3

RR: When did you know you wanted to work in the industry and how did you get your foot in the door?

CC: Probably when I was 10 years old I’ve always enjoyed film more than anything else and I wanted any part in creating a movie, TV show, or commercial. One of my dad’s closest friends owns a casting company and hired me when I was 17 and I’ve been working in the industry since.

RR: How did you stay motivated during lockdown?

CC: I have always been very disciplined and productive—sometimes to a fault so I found it easy to dive into new hobbies and ways to express myself. RR: What new perspectives do you have after the past 2 years?

CC: Probably to just do what I want even if I fail or if I’m not good at something. To start saying yes more. Oh, and to become friends with your family if you can.

RR: What drives you?

CC: Love drives me. I know that sounds corny but I like the idea of doing something or creating something and having people realize that life is a gift and it’s way too short not to love yourself, love others and love how you see things. It’s extremely important.

RR: Where can we find you on socials?

CC: @cydniecole on Instagram, @fellinysl on Twitter, @3cyd on TikTok.

On February 4, 2022 at 3:27 PM TEXT MESSAGE CONVERSATION WITH CYDNIE COLE

RECHO OMONDI Apparel Designer and Podcaster, The Cutting Room Floor @omndi