In 1994, Kevin Smith birthed an indie gem called CLERKS. In that same year I was taking care of something I had birthed, an actual human.

Over the years, our writing/directing journeys were glorious parallels…sorry, my mind loves to wander into fantasy. No they were clearly divergent, which is why after all this time, I refuse to offer the exact number because you might do math which is bad, unless it involves money…being offered, then it’s good but in this case, time would equal age and though it’s been said, ‘Age ain’t nothin but a number’, it’s a number I’d prefer to keep to myself, thank you!

So, while he’s continued like a non stop locomotive – serving multiple destinations with stops in Red Bank, NJ, Austin, TX, Park City, UT, Hollywood, CA, and Cannes, France (don’t ask me HOW it works) despite enduring a ‘widomaker’ heart attack back in 2018…I have taken a different path, a much longer and less scenic and nonsensical, if you will.

See, while Kevin has been out on the field, actually making plays, I was playing…on the sidelines…with my kids and just dreaming about doing BIG things.

While he was inserting his wife (I’ll wait) into his films and later on, writing scenes for his talented daughter, Harley Quinn, I was sharing my kids in stories they insisted I read on Dr. Seuss Day at their elementary school.

I have to add, begin rant, that I wasn’t ‘allowed’ by my kids to pull a book off the shelf to read to the class, I had to read their story AND not only that but if I had already shared a story, like “The World’s Biggest Bubble Ever!” then I was instructed to write a new story to share. “Aww, but the other parents don’t have to!” Okay, rant over.

Jumping ahead, with a signed copy of CLERKS (purchased from the View Askew store I believe), a dream in my heart and an online membership to Project Greenlight – the love child of producer Chris Moore and dynamic duo Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, I confidently propelled myself closer to my goal- or at least 12 inches! This contest provided a platform for first time filmmakers and offered a $1 million budget to film your screenplay. I was not chosen.

I didn’t have a script. I wanted to write a script, but it was hard (again, I’ll wait) so I read and voted on scripts that others successfully finished and submitted. I made some amazing friends (sadly, some we had to say goodbye to) met Ben Affleck (nice guy) and Chris Moore (even nicer! Hey, he stripped out of his promotional vest and bestowed it upon me – true story).

Over the years I tried, but ultimately let the FEAR stop me – more like body slam! I did manage to write and self publish my fantasy novel, Amuse and while contemplating writing the screenplay for it, I did become inspired and am in the middle of an actual screenplay with action and dialogue yo!

You’re probably saying, “What does any of this have to do with the title Karma?!” Obviously not outloud, you would sound like a maniac. Well, I’m getting there, don’t you remember the first part about how I meander along my journey?!

In preparation for this segment of my experience I gorged myself on unlimited YouTube videos, instructional classes and books, basically anything writing related and especially screenwriting. So of course, Kevin Smith is going to be living in my feed. ONLY I discovered while listening to yet another interview with him that he was becoming my guru, my mentor, my Yoda but without the swamp and creepy giggle. This guy is fucking positive, generous and kind and never ever brings up how slacking on your writing schedule is a path to the dark side, which I appreciate since I’m a “I have 10 free minutes to throw something down on paper” type of gal.

So, I posted on my digital Vision Board, “Interview Kevin Smith”. I figured it worked for manifesting other amazing things – to be included in a future post – so I then asked myself, “WHAT would I ask him?” I had to have a plan, you can’t just come at Kevin Smith half cocked (I’ll wait) and unprepared. So I wrote down some questions but they felt too generic, or used, I wanted to them to be FRESH. That took some time and polish, see I wanted to talk about his essence, his magnaminous spirit and unwavering generosity.

I mentioned this to my friend and he asks, “Do you have a podcast?” Now this sent me into a spiral because I hadn’t thought that far ahead – again, I think you’re sensing a pattern. I do’t have a podcast not to mention almost every podcast I saw him on was f’n (I’m only allowed one to keep this PG-13) cool and professional looking with neon signs promoting the brand and couches or chairs and plants – possibly fake but maybe real – and Michael Rosenbaum even had posters and I believe some of them were comic book related.

What did I have to offer? Come to Tennessee and hang out for an hour in my combo office/bedroom/art studio? I had no Spider Man artwork, what I had created before had been gifted before my move, my Into the Spiderverse poster mysteriously vanished, I couldn’t even find my Marvel Team-Up #100 edition from 1980 with the first appearance of the mutant Karma that I purchased at a ComicCon. (I’ll be honest, sitting here in my Mandalorian tee I’m feeling really bummed making this post but you know me, I’ll bounce back…hopefully it won’t take another 10 years!) In short, I had overlooked the biggest obstacle between me and my interview of Kevin Smith – a fancy studio!

So stay tuned as I pretend to be a contractor and attempt to draw up plans for my podcast or rather wanna be smodcast 😉 I’ve got my crayon box and so many ideas!