February 16, 2015
Faith In Entertainment: Producer Holly Carter Talks Fusing Spirituality in Successful Career
“By just taking a stand and not compromising, it’s been an interesting process to balance the expectations of television and the network alongside the expectations of my faith—and what I know God called me to do—and the faith-based community, because I know that I cannot sacrifice the community for the sake of having a show on the air.†Carter says her faith and following Christ gives her the wisdom needed to balance the two. “We are light and darkness, and our job is to figure out the shine.â€
On her challenges:
“Having to balance expectations. When they want to push the envelope a little bit more and I want to keep it closed, that’s when I go into my prayer closet, and I am like ‘Lord, show me how to do this, because I will not compromise you, but you also opened the door for me to be here. Give me the wisdom on how to balance what they need and protect what I must.’ ”
Advice for those interested in following in her footsteps:
“Knowing your purpose propels you to do those things with passion that you would do for free. If you are a believer and you endeavor to go into the entertainment industry, know your boundaries, understand what your calling is, and make sure you are operating at the highest level of it.”
“There is no half-stepping. The industry—and people in general—can smell inauthenticity. If you are not your authentic self, it’s going to shine through. Be ready for the challenge. Maximize every moment you see that God as given. Scripture states that the kingdom of God suffers violence, but the violent take it by force. When God gives us an opportunity—when you see an open door—seize the moment.”
Carter recalls her friend and resident pastor for Ascend Ministry, who spoke on two things that are key components of success: ‘When you go into a season and you are not ready, it will destroy you. When you are in your season, own that season.’
“The light that is shining on you, don’t dim it because others can’t handle your shine, just give them a pair of sunglasses and keep on walking.â€
On what’s next:
Carter says she will keep building in the television, film, and entertainment industry, all while giving God the glory. She plans to continue to influence media with images that reflect advancing the message of God and affecting people in a positive way. She also hopes to continue to spark conversations that will inspire people to think about how they can change their lives for better.
“Content comes to me every day,” she says. “I know what is a part of my calling. I know when something is for me. ‘Preachers of L.A.’ was daring because no one had ever seen preachers unveiled from behind the pulpit. That was a bold move. Because I had relationships with all those guys, and because I had been in their lives for many years, they trusted me.â€
As a result, Carter says, Oxygen responded by telling her that she has engaged them in a conversation about God that they never thought they would be in. They are proud. And so is she.
Author Chanel Martin (@ChanelEbone) is a Co-Founder and Chief Operations Officer of Techturized (@Techturized) Inc. She is also a wife, new mom, and lover of all things hair! She works full time at Techturized. Techturized’s first product, Myavana (@Myavanahair) provides hair care personalization for female consumers around the world.