The Inspirational Woman Project believes that every woman is inspirational. It’s our mission to tell their stories.
Lisa Ebersole is an award-winning playwright, filmmaker, and web series creator. Her plays have been produced Off-Broadway and regionally. They include: BABY (Best of The Fringe Festival) MOTHER (starring Buck Henry and Holland Taylor) BROTHER (published by Samuel French) PEOPLE DIE THAT WAY (Editor’s Choice Time Out New York & Backstage.) Her films include the feature adaptation of BROTHER (Tribeca Cinemas) the short film PUDDIN’ (Palm Springs Film Festival) and the web series 37 PROBLEMS (Austin Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, www.37problems.com) Lisa holds a B.A. from NYU and an M.F.A. in Screenwriting from UCLA. A longtime New Yorker, she currently lives in LA.
When do you feel most powerful?
{Ebersole} When I am writing, performing, and making art.
What is your gift? How does being a woman help or influence that?
{Ebersole} My gift is sharing my experience of the world through writing, theater, web series, TV, Film. With humor. Being a woman helps me access my vulnerability, which I believe is the key to connecting with others.
Why are you inspirational?
{Ebersole} I don’t give up. I believe in myself and I work to get my art out into the world so it can touch people.
What does creation mean for you as a woman?
{Ebersole} So far it has meant asking the questions that keep me up at night and exploring them through my work. My latest web series, 37 PROBLEMS, is a comedy about a single 37 year-old woman who finds out she has one egg left. I could also imagine “creation” meaning giving birth to new life at some point – having a baby or becoming a parent another way.
Who inspires you?
{Ebersole} Lena Dunham, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Amy Schumer, and all comediennes who push boundaries and expand our experience of being women. They shine a light on who we are and what it’s all about through humor and telling the truth.
What’s one thing you want to tell the women who will read this?
Make self-care a priority. If you’re not healthy and happy, none of the rest matters. Also, if you’re an artist, don’t give up. The only way you fail is if you stop trying.
How do you deal with your inner naysayer?
{Ebersole} I call a friend. Being of service to someone else is the quickest way to get myself out of negative thinking and self-pity, which are my go-to vices when I let the naysayer in.
{Ebersole} What gets you out of bed every morning?
Possibility.