Lydia Joyner
Filmmaker & Author
"My Sky Is Falling, Little Wild Thang"
New York, NY USA
“You're a human being living your life, and you're going to make a million mistakes, and a million things are going to happen to you...and it's not over.”
Videos
By Roadtrip NationLydia Joyner
Milestones
My road in life has taken me all over.
Her mother was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, had a drug problem and worked as a prostitute.
When Lydia was 10 years old, her mother committed suicide.
Everyone in her biological family declined to take her in, so she was placed into foster care.
She went through four different adoptions, but she never felt like she was anyone's child, and the families always said she was a "miserable brat."
By the time she got to high school, she felt so beaten down that she ran away; no one reported her, so she was left without a home.
Says her life didn't turn around until she was 34; she started keeping a journal and writing down all the things she forgave herself for.
Eventually, she realized that she had to turn the tables around and instead forgive all of the people who'd hurt her.
Says the key to happiness is to find your inner voice-who you are before anybody else judges you-and listen to that voice.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Career
Filmmaker & Author
I use my voice to make a difference in worldly issues through speaking, writing, filmmaking, and experimental theater.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Film
Writing
Helping People
Day to Day
I write and share stories. Sometimes I am working on making films. I also do speaking events.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for everyone
Happiness is one out of a gazillion emotions, but for some reason we rank it high on the charts to obtain. Some of the most incredible, life-changing moments in my life came from sadness and confusion. Don't hold your life by the expectations you see in magazines. If you are truly seeking happiness, the closest you can get to it comes from taking unpaved paths to your truth. I would rather be free every day, than happy, just sometimes.
Recommended Education
My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Family:
"You are going to end up just like your mother. "
Challenges I Overcame
Financial
Drugs / Addiction
Adopted
Interviewed By
Ready to Rise
Confronting systemic barriers to success
