We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Amy Zubieta a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Amy, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
I’ve worked a variety of jobs over the year – starting my post-college career in human resources, working my way up to assistant director, and then shifting my focus to music and yoga, teaching in different environments, with different age groups and slowly making the journey to acting. This is where I truly found my passion. There was something about acting for film that made sense to me. I fell in love. And that was just the beginning. I’ve learned to love the journey, as there are ups and downs and shifts of focus in other areas of life and I can work toward my goals, but I can’t control the outcome or the pace at which certain things in my life and career develop.
As much as I prefer living in my world, with the expectations and vision of the world that I want to see and that I want to continue to drive forward, I do settle back into reality as needed. Being a single mom, the realities of raising a child, developing financial stability, and thriving in our life together have been the backbone to support my dreams, while bringing me back to the basic needs of life and the single human that means the world to me. She is the reason I had to find a balance between reality and dreams. She is the reason I continue to “find the fun” in what I do. I get to set an example for her. I get to make mistakes and show her that we keep going. I get to bawl my eyes out with her when I’m struggling and get back up. I get to laugh with her. I get to experience life with her.
I get to find the fun in acting. Yes, it’s a career. Yes, it’s a career where I’m unemployed for indeterminate amounts of time in between bookings. But the fun, the passion, the vulnerability, the “realness” keep driving me on. When the in-between times get taxing and it seems like the next job is never going to come I come back to what really matters – my daughter, our life. We only get one life – why not focus on that “fun,” that dream, the people you care for, the people you’ll never know, the whole journey? We get to bring light, life and love throughout our lives. And that matters.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I’m an actor, singer and yoga instructor. I’ve found that all three of these professions support each other and are a great mix to keep some variety while allowing me to grow. Acting is a “whole body” work. What you’re doing physically – with your body, with your surroundings, with the smaller, nuanced expressions and your breathe – along with all the internal, emotional, mental, and imaginary work come together seamlessly to drive a real performance, a real character, a real human that audiences can relate to.
As a singer/cantor at a Catholic church, I’m learning new music every week, singing in Latin, harmonizing with other singers, adjusting to each other to stay in tune, using my breath, and staying fully present. In my yoga teaching, I focus on mobility and breath work, finding the flow. I primarily teach at a rock climbing gym and the parallels between climbing and yoga are many – developing whole body awareness, breath control, focus, adapting to the “puzzle” of a new climb and the “puzzle” of a new flow or sequence of poses. It supports the development of adapting to new circumstances, without reacting in the “reflexive reaction” kind of a way. Basically, being present. Living in the moment and naturally adjusting to your surroundings. This is the same in acting. Being able to settle into that “natural” state where you know where you are, who you are, and what’s going on, but moment to moment is something new. You already have everything you need with you, but the responses, the next moment is unique.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Optimism. “Figuring it out” mentality. Energy.
I think outlook and expectations have a huge impact on how we experience anything. Optimism allows me to start from a place of positivity and while the outcome may not be what I expected, and may not be as positive as I want, those outcomes don’t affect how I came into the situation nor how I present myself. I’ve taken coaching/acting classes with Sharon Chatten (Sharon Chatten Studios) and coming into a class, where we get to practice, receive feedback and make adjustments quickly, and with a scene partner is a chance to put that positivity to work in a relevant area. Constant direction and readjustment can become taxing unless viewed through a positive lens and having a strong sense of trust with your director. The adjustments and redirects are not intended as negative critiques, but a chance to try something different, a chance to shift the energy or interaction, a chance to make a slightly different personalization and any changes we make, however small, can show up differently externally.
Energy has some overlap with optimism or maybe they just work hand in hand. As a yoga teacher, singer, and actor my body is my instrument. Taking care of myself is a priority to show up in each of those professions – to have the energy and excitement to bring joy and presence to my yoga classes, to bring life to my voice, to bring the gamut of emotions, expressions, and all of me to acting. I’ve had a lot of momentum over the past year, getting new headshots and leaning into the commercial side of acting, where, for the most part, it’s less character work and more being in the moment, being myself, bringing the life, humanness and family behind the product. Which honestly, usually means I get to be a happy loving wife and mother or quirky, chatty friend – what I would describe as more natural, fun, “up” energy. The energy required for commercial work versus horror/thriller film work is drastically different! Much of my film work is on the dramatic/traumatic side of things in the horror/thriller genre with roles that have an intensity that’s colored by a darkness or “down” energy. I don’t mean any less energy, as opposed to “up,” but different in how I experience it and therefore how I express it. I love digging into these types of roles and genres. I feel a strong connection to roles like Katie Pleasance in “The Burned Over District” where I’m introduced as a caregiver, supporting my brother, and through unexpected circumstances, I am brutalized, victimized and eventually get the opportunity to find a new strength, different from that of a caregiver, a strength rooted in a primal need to survive. I see these examples of my work and energy as opposite sides of the spectrum and being able to have both, work with both and balance both is something I’m so grateful for.
The balance of reality and dreams comes with the “figuring it out” mentality. Finding the ways to make it work while not losing sight of the day-to-day things that have to get done and the people you’re doing it all for. I didn’t know what I was doing when I first got into acting. Part of that was a benefit to me, as I’d had to figure things out as a single mom and just make it work as I went along. I did the same thing with acting. I didn’t know enough to be afraid of it and quit. I knew just enough on the creative side to keep going, keep learning, keep collaborating, and “figure it out.” Every experience is a chance to grow. I try to take the “good,” the parts that work for me and bring them to the next audition, callback, and shoot – adjusting my toolbox as I need, to keep working on my craft, keep growing.
What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?
My biggest area of growth over the past 12 months has been focusing on the business side of acting. I met my acting business coach, Anastasia Edwards, during an interview that we were both a part of in March 2023. As part of the interview, we each briefly discussed our career and anything else we do outside of acting. She talked about her business as a career coach, specifically for actors and specifically focused on the business side of the industry. I know that I lacked knowledge in this area and felt like it was the right time to delve into figuring out the business side with her support. It was well worth it! There are so many pieces to the entertainment industry and learning how to be strategic about your business as an actor, building your team, and growing your brand/presence makes a huge difference. Since working with Anastasia I’ve signed with Carrie Park of Park Artists Group and Dana DeVoe of BAM Management. Not only do I have a greater understanding of this side of acting, but I’m also more intentional about what I do, ensuring anything in my acting business aligns with my goals and makes sense for me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.amyzubieta.net/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.zubieta/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/akzubieta
Image Credits
Jake Nathanson
