Bankruptcy isn’t failure. It’s relief.

In this episode, Mas Moriya shares what it actually looks like to file for bankruptcy — from the emotional weight of credit card debt to the step-by-step process of filing on your own.

He covers the years of quietly paying minimums, feeling ashamed to date, turning down gigs he couldn’t afford to take, and believing that debt was just part of being a “broke artist.”

Turns out, that was bad math.

This is a real conversation about money, survival, and how to take back your power — whether you’re a filmmaker, creative, or anyone just trying to make it through.

Topics Covered:

• Why artists don’t talk about money — and why we need to

• The emotional tax of credit card debt and living month to month

• What filing for bankruptcy really looks like (step-by-step)

• How to do it for free (yes, really — no lawyer required)

• Bad money math: dating, rent, and the invisible cost of survival

• The difference between consolidation and credit counseling

• Rebuilding from zero — and why it feels like power, not failure

Key Resources Mentioned:

• https://takechargeamerica.org – non-profit credit counseling

• https://www.uscourts.gov – official site to learn about bankruptcy

• https://www.accesscounselinginc.org – free credit education courses

• IRS Transcript Tool: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript

What I did do:

• Filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy pro se (without a lawyer)

• Used ChatGPT to understand legal forms and prep documents

• Took free required courses via Access Counseling

• Called banks directly to negotiate lower interest rates before filing

• Got the court filing fee waived with a fee waiver application

• Binder clips (yes, really — not staples) for official submission

Don’t do what I did:

• Don’t assume minimum payments are “doing the right thing”

• Don’t stay in debt out of shame or silence

• Don’t confuse hustle with financial literacy

• Don’t wait until you’re drowning to ask for help

This episode is for you if:

• You’ve got credit card debt and no clear way out

• You’re afraid to talk about money with anyone

• You’re a creative stuck in the “starving artist” loop

• You’ve considered bankruptcy but don’t know where to start

• You feel like you don’t deserve a fresh start

💬 Quote from the Episode:“I never thought I’d be debt free. Then I filed for bankruptcy, and in less than a year, I was. I don’t wake up in existential dread anymore — I wake up with a chance.”

Produced by Filmclusive, the only cross-entertainment job seeking platform that doesn't charge a subscription fee. Post jobs for free. Audition for free. Apply for free. From interns to executives and creatives to talent, we're lowering the barrier for new voices to be heard. No more Pay-to-Play.

Here are your show notes for this episode of Don’t Do What I Did, titled “Don’t Work for Free”:

In this episode, Mas Moriya breaks down one of the hardest lessons creatives have to learn—valuing your time and saying no to unpaid work. From 15 years as a filmmaker and photographer to countless emails asking for “just a few shots for exposure,” Mas shares why working for free often does more harm than good—not just for you, but for the whole industry.

He explains when volunteering your skills makes sense, how to negotiate value even when money isn’t on the table, and why putting your true rates (and discounts) on invoices matters. Along the way, he shares stories from protests, nonprofit gigs, comedy shows, and musician shoots, illustrating how offering the right kind of free work can lead to real opportunities—while saying “yes” to the wrong gigs can keep you stuck.

• Why “exposure” doesn’t pay your rent

• When free work can be strategic vs. exploitative

• How doing unpaid jobs lowers rates for everyone in your field

• The power of showing your true rates alongside discounts

• Using volunteer work as intentional networking

• How to structure unpaid work so it leads to paid gigs

• Setting boundaries with nonprofits and “we have no budget” clients

• The difference between NY and LA culture around free work

• Why your personal brand matters when choosing gigs

• Know your rates—and show them, even when discounting.

• Free work is only worth it when it’s your choice and it brings immediate, tangible value.

• Avoid the “forever volunteer” trap—don’t train people to expect free labor.

• Exposure is overrated—build connections with the right people instead.

• Say no with options—refer someone else or offer a reduced scope instead of just declining.

Filmclusive – Entertainment’s first cross-industry marketplace. Free to apply, free to post, and built to break the industry’s pay-to-play model.

In this episode, Mas Moriya digs into one of the most overlooked skills in the film industry—and pretty much every industry: giving and receiving feedback. From unsolicited screenplay notes to interjecting at the wrong time, Mas shares personal missteps, awkward moments, and the lessons that came from them.

He explores why feedback is often poorly delivered (or avoided entirely), why bad feedback can be worse than no feedback, and how good feedback—given the right way—can change careers. This is part confession, part industry PSA, and part call for a proper feedback workshop in filmmaking programs everywhere.

• Why every creative field should teach feedback as a skill

• The problem with giving notes no one asked for

• How not to react when you get feedback you don’t like

• Learning to write feedback down before reacting

• The danger of “helpful” interjections at the wrong time

• How bad feedback can break trust in a group or collaboration

• Recognizing when your notes aren’t actually helpful

• The importance of tone when delivering critique

• Why friends who can’t give honest feedback aren’t really helping you

• Filmclusive updates: new self-promotion tools and token-based boosts

• Don’t give feedback no one asked for—unless safety or ethics demand it.

• Don’t take feedback personally—write it down first, react later.

• Don’t offer vague or unhelpful notes—focus on specifics that can actually be applied.

• Do present feedback privately when it might embarrass someone.

• Do be open to feedback yourself—you can’t improve if no one tells you what’s wrong.

Filmclusive – Entertainment’s first cross-industry marketplace. Free to use. Free to apply. Free to get seen.

🔑 Topics Covered:💡 Takeaways:🧠 Quote of the Episode:“Non-helpful feedback is also not helpful. If you don’t know, it’s better to say nothing than to derail someone with useless notes.”🔗 Brought to You By: