“Being a black woman writer is not a shallow place but a rich place to write from. It doesn’t limit my imagination; it expands it. It’s richer than being a white male writer because I know more and I’ve experienced more…Toni Morrison” -quote recited by Gloria “Glo” Bigelow
Gloria “Glo” Bigelow is a multi-talented woman that has had a successful career in the entertainment industry from performing her stand-up on “Laughing Matters… Next Gen.” to her current role as a writer on CBS series “Bob Loves Abishola.”
Gloria’s love for show tunes and passion for performing led her to study theatre at Spelman University. Acting was a journey that had showcased her creativity, and she would have continued down that path if it wasn’t for a small hiccup she had shortly after graduate school,
“I moved to New York and decided that I didn’t like auditioning…Which is like ridiculous for an actor…that’s literally the job.”
None the less, Glo used the part of her brain that was collaborative and the part that liked “big ideas” to take her down the familiar path of directing. Working with some of NYU’s new playwrights and their writers and being a part of Lincoln center’s director’s lab, Gloria thought that this was where she was going to be until her career decided to take a surprising turn,
“I was out one night…and I was trying to impress somebody, and I was telling jokes…and they said to me… “Have you ever done stand-up?”
That moment redirected Gloria’s path, and with the help of friends and connections she made over the years, she landed a spot on “Laughing Matter’s… Next Gen.” Writing has been a staple for Gloria so much that she continued to perfect it over time. Glo’s gift of writing placed her in her current position as a writer for the major sitcom “Bob Loves Abishola.”
One of the main takeaways I took from Gloria’s discussion on Zoom was the emphasis she placed on “showing up”,
“You have to show up for yourself…If you do not show up for yourself in a situation, you are going to regret it.”
Showing up is something I struggled with earlier in the year because I couldn’t see the potential other people saw in me. Gloria’s entire journey was about her showing up for herself regardless of the distractions around her.
Thank you, Glo, for dropping some knowledge nuggets on my class and me.
I will keep showing up!
Photo Credits: Gersh Comedy
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