Kelly Li

"Our emotions in the present paint our outlook on the future.  When couples fully engage in common goals, that attitude spills over and invigorates the relationship.

It’s work you don’t even realize is work.

The “Honeymoon Phase” is so easy because whether we realize it or not we idealize our partner to fill in the blanks of what we don’t know yet. The unknown is exciting. Once we get to know each other for who are with all our strengths and flaws and tact, that’s where the real relationship begins. All that passionate honeymoon phase love is there to motivate you to work towards the next more rewarding stage – compassionate love. 

So remember - you only get what you put into it. So buckle up, this part requires work."

"It was a retelling of, not so much what I was doing on that great night, but the idea that it was important to embrace the memory of it and recognize when something important is happening."

During the last week of every year, I usually reflect back on the past 12 months - the good, the bad, and everything in between. This year was no different.

I look back on pictures and think back to memories that prove 2011 was/ is (for the next 9 1/2 hours) definitely a year of growth and transition, in some ways much more so than others.

A quick recap of 2011 (the good parts):

According to Facebook, this year I added 132 friends (though I probably don't have regular contact with a good portion of those) I do know that there are friendships I've made this year that I am very thankful to have and look forward to building closer over this upcoming year.

I launched my first web series and with it, a subsequent concert that was more successful than I could have ever imagined.

I was able to work with some amazingly talented individuals and create new relationships and friendships that I hope to continue through new projects, each one hopefully better than the last.

I was/am able to be a part of 2 companies, though very different, both very close to my heart.

I celebrated the wedding of one of my closest friends and the engagement of 2 others whom I had the opportunity of helping match up over 7 years ago.

This year, I also lost a person who was incredibly important to me. He was a man whom I wish I could have gotten to know more than I was able to, but he was a man loved by many. I continue to learn more about him through the memories and moments shared by those who loved him.

From something of sadness and loss, this year I learned that life is ultimately but a moment, a spec in the history of this vast universe. I'm a thinker... or actually, an OVER-thinker. It's just a part of who I am. However, the older I get, and the more I realize that life should not be about the words you left unsaid, the things you wish you did, and the dreams that never became a reality.

As one year ends and a new one is about to begin, I will continue to speak with truth, act with integrity, love with passion, and live a life with no regrets.

Idealism is inherent in the youthful and inexperienced - a belief that there's always the possibility for good. Hopefully, it's something that's doesn't fully diminish over the course of a life, but I think in most cases it does get chipped away - with every tragedy, every heartbreak, every disappointment. It's an unfortunate part of growing older and simply put, it's a part of life.

These past few months, due to a combination my own personal experiences and those of people close to me, I've come to understand more how as much as you might want to hold on to those ideals and notions of what you held dear when you were younger... it may not be fully possible. You come to realize that nothing is exactly fully black and white. There are so many shades of gray. Living a life of there only being right or wrong is living a life that is closed off and unfulfilled.

For me, there are things... notions, ideals, whatever you want to call them that I'll always hold close. I'm not perfect, but imperfection allows us to strive towards growth and perfection. It gives us something to constantly reach for, and that's what really matters. The end result of success is usually a fleeting moment. It's the journey that we'll remember for a lifetime. That's a lesson that you come to learn more and more with each passing moment.

It's crazy to think how a few years, actually even a few weeks, or a couple of days can change so much. Sometimes this aspect of life is annoying, other times amazing, almost always... unexpected.

Whether I truly embrace it or not, I'm a writer - not necessarily just in the form of scripts or treatments but I fully embrace my love for the written word.

Words. We use them every single day. They're just a combination of characters that when put together form words and from words, come sentences, and from sentences, paragraphs, from paragraphs, essays, speeches, you name it!

The brilliance comes in our choice of words and our arrangement of said chosen words. Their ability to communicate an emotion that's raw and deep or genuine and heartfelt... it's amazing.

I love being able to express myself in writing. Yes, sometimes an action can mean more than words can describe. Yet, whether it's an apology or an explanation or even a confession, sometime there's nothing more captivating than something written with thought, care, and genuine honesty. You're left with this cemented documentation of a thought that stays forever, unable to be washed away by memory.

"The screenplay is not written in stone remotely. As soon as they're (actors) hired for the movie, I tell them that they're free. If there are any speeches they don't want to do, if there's anything they want to add or subtract or change, go right ahead and do it. I watch them closely, and if there's some egregious mistake that they make, I tell them, but most of the time, they don't. If there's a joke I wrote or a speech I wrote that embarrasses them to say, they don't want to say it and they don't say it and I could care less. They can say it in their own words. If they see a scene and they feel more comfortable doing it their way, they don't want to walk where I tell them to walk, that's fine with me. I don't care as long as the thing gets done believably on the screen. If a guy is going to come home and tell his wife he wants a divorce, I don't care if they use my words or if the actors comes home and tells his wife in his own way and she responds in her own way, as long as they make it real or exciting or amusing, I'm very very happy… to take credit for it later." - Woody Allen

I could not agree more. 

Kelly Li

It has been waaaaaaaaaaay too long since I've written. So much has happened (good and bad) But I'd like to focus more on the good. Many new friends. Many new projects. Let's see if I can just list off the top of my head...

Got the chance to work with Olivia Munn on her Audrey Magazine spread (thanks to my girl Janice Jann for the hook up!)

My short film "Blink" starring the lovely Janice Jann will be premiering on m.net america sometime this year! 

Created a K-Pop Parody music video to 2AM's "Can't Let you Go Even If I Die" that's gotten almost 7,000 over 10,000 hits and praise from some very cool people.

Spent a year working on my new web series, Confessions of a Nice Guy. Finally launched last week to a warm reception. (Fingers-crossed that it keeps growing and building and well... connecting with all the amazing Nice Guys and Girls out there. 

Preface: I haven't been the best with updating lately. There's just been so much going on all at once, but life is usually like that I guess. I've decided to put forth even more effort in updating this blog. I'll start with LAAPF '10.

Besides Campus MovieFest, I haven't really gone much into the film festival circuit as of yet. I'm definitely heading towards that the direction, and there's no greater start than at the LA Asian Pacific Film Festival (LAAPFF).

I've heard a lot about LAAPFF these past couple of years, first through being more involved in the Asian American community/ Visual Communications and the other through sheer word-of-mouth. It's definitely one of the more well-known and honored Asian American film festivals in the country, not to mention the biggest in Southern California. They always have a great line up and really bring the film community together to enjoy the medium.

Almost a couple of months ago, I heard they were starting their very first Short Screenplay category into the festival. I'd been working on a new script for the past few months and thought, "Why not?" So I decided to submit it and see where it goes from there. If it gets nominated, then great. If not, then what's meant to be is meant to be. That's the mantra I try to live my life by.

Unexpectedly a few weeks back, I get an email saying that I'm one of the top three nominees for Best Short Screenplay. Got pretty happy. Woke up the roommate to share the news. It was a good night. As cheesy as it may sound, it honestly is an honor just to be nominated especially this being my first writing nomination.

The closing night and awards ceremony of the festival came. Accompanied by one of the nicest people I know/ my very good friend, Linda, we enjoyed dinner in Little Tokyo with the other nominees of the evening.

Unlike CMF, the Best Short Screenplay category was the first to be announced. Whenever I'm up for either an award or basically something I've done is publicly announced/ shown, I get the feeling of butterflies/ I-want-throw-up. Every sound around me feels like it goes faster and slower at the same time. As they announced, "And the winner for the first ever Best Short Screenplay is:

Breathing. Waiting. Breathing heavily...

"Kelly Li for 'The Brilliant Dance.' "

My heart was again beating a million times a minute. I tried to keep my composure, and the moment I started walking to accept the award to the time I got back to my table - I simply do not remember. I was in total shock for a group of people to say that my script was the best out of almost 70 other submissions. It's been over a week, and I still am so honored. I even got to do press that night with Yuri (of Kaba Modern) before me and Far East Movement behind me! What?!

The evening was capped off with just a great time with friends old and new celebrating our love for film. Definitely one of the best nights of my life thus far. I'm thankful for every second of it.