Whether you remember it, or you’re living it now, we all know what it is like to be a young adult trying to reconcile our dream lives with our current reality.

James Bland, a director on the Issa Rae channel series First, and director of several celebrated short films, has created a new web series that features 30-year-olds who have made the fateful decision to go for broke in living their lives the way they want. Rae and Empire star Jussie Smollett are serving as executive producers for the series. 

Bland wrote, directed, and stars in the show, Giants, alongside newcomer Sean Samuels, and Kenan and Kel and Gullah Gullah Island star Vanessa Baden Kelly.

In creating Giants, Bland sought to address topics that he felt are not often seen on television and that the black community can be hesitant to address, including homophobia, the after-effects of police brutality and manic-depression.

While Inescure is a hit on television through premium provider HBO, Baden Kelly notes how the two environments may differ. 

"Web is super different than TV because it's a much more relaxed environment," she told Blavity. "James and I did a web series together from 2010-2012, and we learned that with a much smaller budget and time constraints, the thing that makes web performances better is giving the actors freedom. When he asked me to be in Giants, I hadn't acted in anything that I didn't have a hand in producing for over 10 years. So it was really scary because I felt so rusty, but also [it was] a really liberating experience because I got the opportunity to just do. [I was] not concerned with the production of it all. And I had the freedom to find my footing again."

In the series, Baden's character, Journee, is dealing with manic depression. In real life, Baden Kelly has struggled with clinical depression her entire life. Bland used this as an opportunity to adapt her experiences for the show. 

"The dope thing about doing stuff with your best friend is that they help you tell your story. I've struggled with clinical depression my entire life. Bland knows that. He's walked with me through some really hard times. When he was creating Journee, he would call and ask me questions about how I felt at specific times. What it was like. How I would describe it. He did a really good job of taking a part of me — and other people he knew — and making it palpable for viewers," Baden Kelly said.

However, that wasn't always easy. She continued, "I just had to remember that space. Or, on shoot days that maybe weren't my best days, allow that space to be seen. My hope is that people will see Journee, know someone like Journee, or even see parts of themselves in her, and realize that no one self-sabotages because they like being miserable. There's something more there. It's imperative we get to the more and not dismiss the person."  

One of the themes of Giants is chasing your dreams. Baden Kelly wants those watching the series to know that while complexities are sure to enter your life, today is the time to take actions toward your dreams. 

"I think sometimes we think that if we wait another year, or until we are financially stable, or the kids are grown or whatever, that we can do what we hope to do," she said. "But even if all those things happen, [in getting] there, more complexities come. You can one day be financially stable … but you probably [will] also have more bills with all that extra money. You won't be able to start your dreams then, because you can't let those bills go unpaid. Today is the easiest life will ever be. Do whatever you want to do today. Take it from a mama shooting a web series from months two to six of pregnancy. It can be done!"

Be sure to tune in and see how Journee and the rest of Bland’s characters navigate the challenges that come their way. Giants will premiere on Issa Rae’s YouTube Red channel on January 25, 2017.