Inner Views
BIO
Lisa Renee Pitts is a veteran and award-winning (multiple Critic Circle and NAACP Theater) actress on stage, film, and television. You may recognize her from the highly acclaimed music biopic, “STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON,” playing Verna Griffin. After graduating from Rutgers University, Lisa began her career in her hometown, NYC, where she graced the stage with numerous artists, such as Leslie Uggam and Chita Rivera on Broadway, in Regional Theaters, and in Europe. You may have also seen Lisa in her numerous TV roles, which include “The Shield,” “The Practice, “Lincoln Heights,” and many others, or in her many national commercials. Lisa is an award-winning audiobook narrator and producer, motivational speaker, and ministry leader. Most recently, you may have seen her in LA at the Mark Taper Forum’s 30th Anniversary production of “Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992.”
INNER VIEW
Kathleen Cooke: The industry is a rollercoaster. You often feel out of control, having to wait and wait for projects and productions to happen. What have you learned about how to stay in control when you can’t be in control?
Lisa Renee Pitts: Most recently, God has taught me, or rather He has reminded me once again, that He is in control, at all times, all by Himself. His timing is not my timing and whether I can “see” His hand moving or not, I can stand on Deuteronomy 31:6 (NKJV) “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”
Kathleen: Our days are full of choices. What has God taught you about making the right choices?
Lisa: Making choices – GOD FIRST! Lay every choice you have before God, first, asking, “Will this choice represent who you have called me to be?… who I know myself to be.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Glory to God! We can go straight to the source for direction and clarity regarding every decision we have to make. What a blessing! Go to God first!
Kathleen: The Bible tells us in Nehemiah 8:10, “…the joy of the Lord is our strength.” We often forget this when we’re in the midst of suffering. And there’s lots of suffering today. What have you learned to do when suffering happens?
Lisa: As I began to mature in my walk with God, I could clearly see the toll long-suffering was having in my life (sickness, isolation, depression, anger.) I could also see that I needed to change the way in which I responded to that season of suffering. (more…)
Journal
8 seconds. That’s all it takes. Recent research says that we will decide within 8 seconds of meeting someone whether we want to continue to engage with them or not based on what they are transmitting non-verbally. Researcher Albert Mehrabian, professor emeritus of psychology at UCLA and famous for the 7%-38%-55% rule on verbal and nonverbal cues, says body language is powerful and often discounted by most people. Nonverbal communication accounts for 55% of the information we transmit overall during interpersonal interactions. 38% is attributed to the tone of one’s voice, while only 7% is conveyed through our actual words. Knowing this can be a powerful tool in how we share our work and our faith.
Everything communicates.
As a young actor in school, I’d spend class after class staring at another actor doing an acting exercise to learn how to interpret what was really being communicated by the subtle nuances and facial expressions of the other actor. It wasn’t the words we were taught to pay attention to but what was really being conveyed through body language and the tone of the other actor’s voice. Great actors know that the communication and story told by the actor’s character choices are often more important than even the words written in the script. Actors must play each moment in a scene. It’s why live theater is so fun and compelling to not only act in but to also watch.
Former FBI agent and body expert Joe Navarro said when he interviews a suspect, “It really is looking at an individual and asking, ‘What are they transmitting?’ We communicate by the clothes and shoes we wear, the hairstyle we choose, the kinds of foods we eat or don’t eat, and even how we eat and with our quirky habits and personal routines.
Each part of our body talks.
When you pitch a project, conduct business, audition, or work on a production or artistic endeavor, your body language is being read. As Christians often working in mainstream places, we’re called to lead with our talent and skills and not just be good at what we do, but be excellent. How we conduct ourselves with grace, kindness, integrity, and respect for others shows. It’s watched and judged in 8 seconds. Our faith and what we believe is observed, and no words may ever be spoken. Yet people sense that we possess something different and special that they, too, want.
Walk the walk and don’t talk the talk.
Be the lamp of God’s light for others to see. Jesus said in Matthew 5:16, “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” In today’s instant, opinionated, and depressed world, you only have 8 seconds. Whether you’re in an office, on a production set, or just standing in line or waiting for something, how you react when the pressure is on, and the kind of body language you use is noticed. You are communicating God’s light. It only takes seconds, but it may make a difference in someone’s eternity.
When you walk out the door each day, say a prayer to transmit light.
Journal
I am often interviewed on podcasts, TV shows, and radio about my work. Sometimes it is about Hollywood issues or production questions. Sometimes it may be about my passion to see Christians use media effectively to tell their stories or ways in which Christian professionals can stay aligned and engaged with God. But whenever I approach an interview, I try to remember that it’s not about me. It’s about engaging the listener. How can I share the wisdom and knowledge that God’s taught me so that those listening might be empowered, enlightened, and flourish? How can I share God’s heart so that His Kingdom purposes might be done? I want those listening to see God living in me. It’s about Him.
Here are a few tips I have learned in sharing the mission and vision of Influence Women and that of The Influence Lab. As others put a mic in front of you because of your creative work or passion, be ready and confident to not only share your artistic project or production but share God’s hope and love and how His life living within you makes all the difference.
- Research the Interviewer
Familiarize yourself with the interviewer’s audience, format, and style. What is the length of the interview? If it’s 15 minutes, make your answers short and to the point. If it’s 45 minutes, you will have more time to expound or go into detail. Most importantly, research their audience. What are their listeners focused on, and what will they find valuable from your work, insight, and comments? Your goal is to connect and unite the listener. (more…)
