Keep it Positive, Sweetie

Episode: Redefining Modern Womanhood w/ Karen Pittman
Host: Crystal Renee Hayslett (Crystal)
Guest: Karen Pittman
Release Date: October 26, 2025

Episode Overview

In this empowering episode, host Crystal Renee Hayslett sits down with acclaimed actress Karen Pittman for a heartfelt, candid, and uplifting discussion on modern womanhood. Their conversation navigates Karen’s artistic journey, self-expression, motherhood, career, self-worth, and building resilience. They touch on the complexity and beauty of Black womanhood, the pressures and gifts of motherhood, the importance of intention and healing, and the courage to chart one’s own path.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Karen’s Artistic Roots and Early Inspiration

• Imagination & Self-Expression as Survival:
  Karen describes how her "big feelings" as a child led her to performance as a form of self-expression and emotional processing.

  • “I was one of those young girls with big feelings, like, big feelings. Like, no one knew how to help me process any of the stuff that I was going through...” (04:05)
  • She highlights the role of “imagination work” in childhood, contrasting it with today’s technology-driven culture where emotional resilience can be overlooked.

• Family Background:

  • Grew up in a large, loving family (one of five siblings) in Nashville, with supportive parents who allowed her creative freedom.
  • “It was a family of seven... and we're all still close.” (05:32)

2. The Power of Representation & Black Womanhood On-Screen

• Working on Netflix's "Forever":

  • Karen did not audition for the part but was approached by creator Mara Brock Akil after years of friendship and mutual respect.
  • Describes the media as transformative: “It changed so, so much. That thing changed.” (06:53)
  • On the character Dawn:
    • “We really do believe that that person exists in the world...a wealthy mother in the Black community who's grounded in love and community.” (10:56)
    • Her portrayal is directly inspired by women in her life, including her own mother.

• Authenticity in Creative Relationships:

  • Stresses the importance of non-transactional friendships:
    • “You get to a point in your life when you understand you don't need to actually access someone for their resources...relationships don't need to be transactional.” (08:25)

• Mentoring and Nurturing Young Artists:

  • Uplifts co-star Michael Cooper Jr. for his openness:
    • “He's smart enough to know he doesn't know everything...he's open to other people's wisdom.” (13:06)

3. Real-Life Motherhood and Its Influence on Craft

• Motherhood and On-Screen Roles:

  • Personal experiences as a mother directly inform her roles, including Dawn and the character Nya in “Pipeline.”
  • “To have the anxiety and the drama of trying to get your son to finish his college application... that was definitely taken from my life.” (14:42)

• Balancing Career and Motherhood:

  • “It's a juggle...you can't have one ball in your hand for very long before you throw the other one up.” (17:46)
  • Emphasizes intentionality and boundary-setting, especially about who is allowed in her and her children's space.

4. Emotional Health & Healing Practices

• Processing Intense Roles:
  • Karen shares her ritual of writing letters to her characters to separate from them after intense performances.
    • “At the end of every season with a character...I'll write them a letter at the end of the season.” (22:04)
  • Both Crystal and Karen discuss the ways acting can blur emotional boundaries, emphasizing the need for therapy and self-care.

5. Overcoming Shame and Adversity as a Single Parent

• On Strength and Resilience:

  • Reflects on her experiences as a single mother facing food insecurity:
    • “So many things affect your quality of life, including the relationships, the people you have in it. And I had a lot of people in my life that were undermining my ability to move forward. I had to detach from them.” (28:19)
  • Identifies shame as both a motivator and obstacle, informed by her parents’ strength as survivors of Jim Crow-era hardships.

• Learning to Ask for Help & Find Community:

  • Shares her gratitude for Feeding America and the importance of accepting help.
    • “It was about handling my own personal business but also...letting people come and help me, reaching out, saying, I need help.” (31:55)

6. Grief and Legacy

• Losing Her Mother:

  • Karen lost her mother in 2016, a pivotal event that changed her view on purpose and motherhood.
    • “I learned from my mother to be very deliberate about what I needed to do...she really did put us first for so long in her life.” (35:28)
  • Inspired by her mother’s unfulfilled dreams to live fully and intentionally, passing on those lessons to her own children.

• Parenting Her Daughter:

  • Rather than imposing her own script, Karen prioritizes affirming her daughter's confidence and authenticity:
    • “Most of the things I talk to Lena about are around confidence, about how you imbue your choices with authenticity, creating a life that looks like yours and not somebody else's.” (39:13)
    • “You're going to be with Lena for the rest of your life. I say to her, make sure you like her.” (39:57)

7. Redefining Motherhood & Womanhood

• Motherhood is Overrated?

  • Karen provocatively distinguishes between the ability to mother and society’s pressures to have biological children:
    • “I think that we, as women, are sold this thing that being a mother is the ultimate experience for a woman—maybe behind being a wife...and I strongly disagree.” (41:19)
  • Encourages women to define fulfillment for themselves, with or without motherhood, echoing sentiments by other public figures like Jennifer Aniston.
    • “There are many areas where you can nurture and support and love and care in the same way that I do for my children. The number one area is to raise themselves up.” (41:24)

• On Fertility, Age, and Pressure:

  • Both discuss the pressures women face regarding fertility and relationships, encouraging living with intention and without imposed timelines.
  • “If this is meant to be, it's going to be. I'm going to continue to be present, continue to enjoy life.” – Crystal (47:39)

8. Love, Relationships & New Beginnings

• Navigating Long-Distance and Blended Family:
  • Karen opens up about her long-distance relationship with her fiancé Ade, soon to be a stepmom, and navigating the evolving nature of family.
  • Finds that distance can be a blessing for busy lives:
    • “It actually works really well because I have such a busy life. If he were around me all the time, I think we would get on each other's nerves.” (53:33)

9. Lightning Round: Quick-Fire Favorites (55:33–56:59)

• Favorite screenplay: Casino (55:48)
• Favorite character: Dawn Edwards, her current role (55:58)
• Favorite playwright: Lynn Nottage (56:12)
• Favorite day off: With her children and fiancé in Cabo (56:18)
• Guilty pleasure TV: Zatima (56:40)
• Life mantra: “Choose you.” (56:51)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On creative friendships:
  • “Your relationships don't need to be transactional.” – Karen Pittman (08:25)
• On building characters:
  • “At the end of every season...I'll write them a letter...because we share this space, we share a body.” – Karen Pittman (22:06)
• On intentional parenting:
  • “Who's around my kids, who comes into my home...you don't invite everybody into your home.” – Karen Pittman (19:01)
• On moving forward after hardship:
  • “To be human is failing...not as the worst possible thing to happen, but as a function of just being human.” – Karen Pittman (30:46)
• On womanhood’s definitions:
  • “Maybe you don't need to freeze your eggs. Maybe there are other options. Physically having a child is, you know, very, very difficult...but you can nurture and support and love in other ways.” – Karen Pittman (42:24)
• Guidance to her daughter:
  • “Make sure you like her. Make sure you take care of her...you're going to be with her for the rest of your life.” – Karen Pittman (39:57)
• On priorities:
  • “Choose you.” – Karen Pittman (56:51)

Timestamps of Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|---------| | 04:05–05:15 | Karen’s childhood, "big feelings," and developing creativity | | 10:56–12:08 | Portrayal of Dawn & evolution of Black female representation | | 14:32–15:17 | Real-life inspiration for roles (mother/son dynamic) | | 17:46–19:26 | Balancing motherhood, career, and intentional boundaries | | 22:04–23:28 | Writing letters to characters for closure as an actor | | 28:19–32:43 | Overcoming shame, single motherhood, feeding America | | 33:28–36:21 | Impact of her mother's passing on her own motherhood | | 39:13–39:57 | Raising her daughter with authenticity and confidence | | 41:19–44:01 | Redefining motherhood, social pressure on women | | 47:39–49:07 | Fertility, navigating relationship and family decisions | | 53:33–54:43 | Long-distance relationship; blending busy lives | | 55:33–56:59 | Rapid fire (favorites and mantras) |

Tone & Style

• Warm, honest, sisterly, and vulnerable
• Deeply affirming; grounded in experience, faith, and healing
• Wisdom delivered with humor and humility

For anyone seeking inspiration on modern womanhood, motherhood, and authentic living, this episode with Karen Pittman provides both practical wisdom and soulful reassurance.