Meet Myrkia (kia) Maguire | Video Editor & Content Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Myrkia (kia) Maguire and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Myrkia (Kia), looking back, what do you think was the most difficult decision you’ve had to make?
I grew up believing life was a formula: work hard, get good grades, go to a great college, and success would follow. So, I overachieved like it was my full time job—AP classes, a 4.3 GPA, dream schools like UC Berkeley and NYU Tisch on my acceptance list. This was all I ever wanted.
I was chasing this weird version of myself that I didn’t actually want because I told myself that I wanted to be “that girl”.
The hardest decision I ever made was walking away from the perfect path I carved for myself and forfeiting my slots at my dream colleges.
As a future filmmaker, I realized times had changed, and hands-on experience mattered more to me than a traditional degree. I moved across the country on my own, like every other hollyweirdo that wants to make it big; I threw myself into the world of documentaries, video editing, and graphic design. No blueprint, just a hunch. I realized no one has it figured out. ever!
Success can be unconventional. Success isn’t about following the rules, and bending them was the best decision I’ve ever made.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m a video editor first and foremost. I create sizzle reels, pitch decks, podcasts, content for other creators, and I also work in the pre- and post-production of documentaries and horror films. So many avenues, so little time to explain; we call this beautiful, messy hodgepodge “freelance.”

What I love most is immersing myself in the world I’m creating for the day. Every project feels like a living, breathing thing. I don’t know what I’m doing—and that’s exactly what makes it fun.

Working in the entertainment and film industry means embracing uncertainty. You wrap yourself in an idea, trust the vision, and hope it lands—but sometimes, it doesn’t. Projects can crash and burn and die, but with the fast pace of our industry, there’s always another chance to create something bigger and better.

My biggest takeaway? Opportunities don’t show up—you make them. You have to be borderline obsessed with what you’re doing for it to maybe, hopefully, eventually come to fruition. It’s scary, but honestly, so is everything.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m typically the designated tour guide in my friend group, but I can’t give away all my secret spots.
For starters, I spent part of my childhood in Los Feliz, and it’s hard to beat that neighborhood. It’s a little bubble that’s kept its charm. We’d probably kick off the week with coffee at Bru (my absolute favorite) and then hike a trail in Griffith Park. The views are iconic, and the Observatory never gets old. Even after all these years, I still manage to stumble upon new spots.
As a vegan, no trip would be complete without hitting up the greatest restaurant in all of LA—Green Leaves on Hillhurst. It’s been around forever, and the owner always asks about my family (who now live in Detroit) because we went there every day growing up. The chicken nuggets with BBQ sauce, the yellow curry, the fries—honestly, the whole menu is insane.
At some point, we’d have to head to Malibu through Kanan, but not before grabbing some street fruit on the way. We’ll stop at Malibu Farm for coffee and their amazing vegan and non-vegan options. We could kick back on the beach for a bit and maybe even take a surf lesson—I’m still not a top dog myself, but it’s a must in Malibu. To wrap things up, we could book a sound bath at The Mindry in Cross Creek to wind down the day.
And regardless of the night, no trip to LA is complete without seeing a comedy show. I’m not one for clubs, so a good laugh in a chill setting is where it’s at.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
When I first started out, my parents insisted I hand-deliver my resumes instead of submitting them online. I was like, ‘dude, you guys are nuts’, it’s 2022 no one does that anymore! But for the sake of peace, I did it anyway. I had nothing to lose.

One of the first places I walked into was XTR, an incredible documentary production company responsible for some of my all-time favorite docs. I was nervous but optimistic, left my little resume, and forgot about it.

A few days later, I got emails and calls from the team. Bryn Mooser, their founder, was so impressed by my cold drop-in that he wanted to set up a meeting with me. That moment opened doors and taught me so much, but I have to give credit to my parents for their advice. Old school works, i suppose.

Website: https://www.myrkia.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myrkiajade/profilecard/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@kiajade?si=UxWaf2EED8O-3Tx6

Other: mine and my dad’s podcast about seeing movies alone (he’s a director and producer):

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-solo-moviegoers-club/id1769497558

https://open.spotify.com/show/4fO1zSf409GihTNKTgWaWe?si=XbLFVX47QAyRW9viey71FA

Image Credits
photo with sprinkler and photo with camera in mouth: Michael Donovan

photos with distorted legs and on the seabed: Brian Rapaport