Episode 5

full
Published on:

30th Mar 2023

How rejection got my first feature film produced

Hello listeners!

Welcome back to another episode of Confessions of an Aging Ingénue. I'm your Aging Ingénue, Jenni Tooley, thrilled to have you with me today.

Before we dive into today's topic, here’s an invitation to our confessional sessions happening every first Wednesday of the month. Join us at jennitooley.com, and who knows, you might just find yourself in the confessor's seat. Exciting, right?

Now, let's jump into the exciting world of STUCK! I'm currently at the Belmont Hotel in Dallas, gearing up for the Women Texas Film Festival in Oak Cliff. Oak Cliff, this funky little place outside Dallas, is where the magic is happening. Our red carpet premiere was a blast, and we've got a whole lineup of events.

And I've been reminiscing about the challenging yet rewarding journey of fundraising for STUCK. Have I Told You About The Time? I applied for the Austin Film Society grant three times in a row? Yep, three consecutive years, and not a penny awarded.

This episode is about all I gained in the period of trying to get funding for STUCK.

The rejections and the work I put in pushed me to discover my own path, and now I see opportunities beyond the mainstream festival circuit and distribution norms. Exciting times ahead!

So tune in to today’s episode to hear all about it. I assure you that this episode is packed with insight.

The journey of "Stuck" is a tale of determination, growth, and the perfect timing of life. Uncensored.  Unedited.  Just Jenni.

Like, comment, review, follow, and subscribe. Your support keeps this podcast thriving.

I'm Jenni Tooley, and I'm so grateful you've joined me on this episode of "Confessions of an Aging Ingenue”. Until next time, love and happiness to you all.

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About the Podcast

Confessions of an Aging Ingenue
from insecure ingenue to perimenopausal powerhouse
Go BTS into my creative life/career as I regain my integrity and create a system that aligns with my values and supports an abundant, healthy lifestyle.

It’s taken me decades to find my way back to me. The journey has been messy, out of control and all of the things I feared. I fear them no more. Take these stories as your own.

Imperfect. Unedited. Uncensored.
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About your host

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Jenni Tooley

Hi! I am Jenni Tooley and I have a lot going on! I tend to go where I am led, am highly adaptable and have a wide variety of transferable skills and talents. This means I have experienced a whole lot so far in life-- I have owned and operated my own cottage bakery, am a trained birth doula, am a yoga teacher, am a professional actor, have worked in non-profit development, launched a web series and just distributed my first feature film, STUCK. Oh! Did I happen to mention I've also been an actor for over 3 decades and played alongside in Richard Linklater's Boyhood? That all sounds amazing- and super woman-ish, right?

What you may not know is that although I am a creative human, I am also a messy one. I've been around lot of blocks and trudged through around and over some of the deepest blocks within myself. I know what it's like to feel stuck- unable to move forward. I know what it's like to be overwhelmed with self-doubt. I know what it's like to feel like I or what I do is never enough. I've spent years trying to "fix" myself. I have a "chick with a stick" in my brain that loves to whack me around whenever I make a mistake, show my imperfections, or am willing to be vulnerable. She thinks she's keeping me safe. But I'm tired of being abused by myself. My "good enough" is actually more than good enough. I don't have to go outside of myself for validation. And being vulnerable is really hot!

I won't claim to have completely overcome all these things-- after all I am human. But I've gotten through them and continue to build myself up rather than break myself down, most days:) Along my journey I have collected so many tools, a whole lot of experience, and have always been (it turns out) filled with wisdom. I am thrilled to be able to share all of this with you! I specialize in holding space for people, deeply listening, and being able to guide people back to the truth of who they are. The process isn't perfect. And I will never claim to have " the only 5 steps you need to fix yourself for good" because in my experience that's a bunch of hoo-ha. And it sets up a situation where if you didn't get fixed you think there must be something wrong with you(I know, I've had that experience).

I'd love to have you join me on this journey! www.jennitooley.com