Mr. Sigmund Jackson (1974 - 2022)

Before his passing, Mr. Sigmund Jackson was the Co-Lead for YDH's  Artistic Development Advocacy Project.

Following is the featured Destiny Spotlight interview provided in our November 2021 newsletter.

Mr. Sigmund Jackson has interests in Media Production, Spoken Word and the Performing Arts. He said that many of us discover our destiny when we are young and then as adults, we prepare and pursue it, going down the road to where we believe we’ll find our calling.

I am a filmmaker. The path I took started with writing screenplays (movies). One day, someone saw my screenplay and said I needed to direct what I had written. James Panette, who was my first mentor, walked me through the process of directing my first screenplay. That was how I transitioned from writing screenplays to directing and making films. It was scary at first because of all the new things I had to learn. The process of writing a screenplay and directing a film were completely different. One of the major differences I had to understand was the written words would not look exactly the same when they appeared on the screen. Also, when you’re directing a film, you have to use the camera at various angles to express the message and emotions of the screen: joy, sadness, fear, bravery anger, tension, or relaxation. Again, it was scary at first, but now I find it very exciting.

Working as a film-maker gives me perspective into human beings. I’m a good listener, very optimistic and can relate with my audience. By getting feedback from people, I get different viewpoints. My films are a dramatic method to teach life skills and life lessons. I use my films to influence people’s thoughts in a positive manner as with the movie "Forrest Gump”, which was encouraging and had a lot of built-in life lessons.

I find volunteering with not-for-profit groups to be very rewarding. It would make a huge difference in this world if more people had an understanding of other people’s challenges. I was involved with a program called “Street Therapy - Talk it Out”, which began just before the pandemic hit. It was geared towards taking a stand against violence. It’s mission was to involve youth in discussions, programs, and mentorships that taught life skills. Asking for help is an important life skill. THERAPY is not a bad word. Some people really do need to talk their problems out. People need to be selfish, which means self-interest, to do for yourself. So don’t feel bad if you take care of yourself. If you’re discouraged, I support your taking a look at yourself, and recognizing that something is off. Admission is the first step and then, ask someone for help.

I continue to encourage youth because they have many options for educational and career advancement; more than ever before. They also have more businesses possibilities: at home, online, in their community, or a regular 9-5 job. This is a good thing. Hopefully, they will learn to take advantage of these opportunities.