We recently connected with Helenna Santos and have shared our conversation below.
Helenna , we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
This is a difficult question to answer because i feel like every single person, just by being on the planet, has purpose. I don’t know that it’s something we have to find, but more something we should lean or relax into.
For instance I feel like any time I’ve gone against my gut and gone in a direction with my life that seemed more practical or traditional, I’ve been really unhappy. Then when I’ve gone back to just allowing myself the freedom to explore what’s in my heart, I’ve been much more grounded.
That said, through all of my different experiences over the years I’ve realized that whether it’s through photography, acting, producing, writing, singing, or any other thing I’m doing, my greatest joy is connecting with other creatives and making art. That’s it. It’s like the medium doesn’t really matter for me. It’s all about connection and collaborative creation.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’m an actor, filmmaker, and creative portrait photographer and I love all of those things equally.
As an actor, I’ve appeared in a number of TV shows including Virgin River for Netflix, Fire Country on CBS , and The Good Doctor on ABC; along with studio movies and national commercials. I’ve also produced and starred in two feature films that have gone on to successful North American distribution, as well as numerous award-winning short films and digital series.
In 2021 I authored the poetry book A Long Dark Summer, and prior to that I founded, and was the editor-in-chief of, the entertainment website Ms. In The Biz for its seven year run. Also as a writer, I’ve contributed to a variety of publications including MovieMaker, Backstage, Film Inquiry, WeScreenplay, and BUST Magazine.
Most recently I’ve fallen in love with photography and specialize in portrait, editorial, and lifestyle photography for actors, various performers, and creative entrepreneurs.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I think what’s most important to me and also what I’ve discovered when working with people as a photographer, is that we are all so incredibly hard on ourselves. We don’t realize how beautifully powerful and unique each of us actually are.
If people spent less time picking themselves apart, it would allow for more time to create joy. And of course, I’m saying this to myself too. So much time is wasted on wishing something was different about ourselves.
If I could tell each and every person who steps into my studio something, it would be that they are stunning and amazing just the way they are, and to celebrate their authentic selves. I mean, I actually do tell people that, so I’d just say that to all of your readers as well.
The second thing would be that you are allowed to grow and change, and what’s more, it’ll actually make you better at whatever your primary goal might be. For me, adding to my creative skillset has only strengthened me in other areas. Like, producing films made me a stronger actor because I really understand the process behind what makes a project happen and how I fit into that creative puzzle.
The third thing? Perfectionism is death to art. Truly. Whenever I’ve worried about what other people might think of something, I’ve found myself in a depression soup. Now, this is separate from when I’m making something for more traditional commercial consumption like a movie that needs to be properly marketed. But when it comes to art with a capital “A”, I allow myself to live in the mess of the creation, and often that is where the best creative juices are. Then if necessary, I can pivot that art to a more commercial audience, but at first, I let things be as messy and vulnerable as they need to be, and wonderfully imperfect.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
There are a lot of books that have made an impact on my creative process and the way I’ve gone about shaping my career, but most recently I’d say it’s “The Power of Full Engagement” by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz.
This book was actually written with corporate America in mind, but that said, there is an amazing lesson in this book. They talk about the fact (and I’m paraphrasing here) that people saying things are “a marathon and not a sprint” is totally false. In reality, projects, career, life etc… is really a series of sprints with periods of rest in between. I’ve found this to be absolutely true and a way of looking at things that is so much more freeing.
I used to get burned out a lot and very quickly. Thinking that things were a whole long marathon was actually detrimental to my productivity and mental health. Once I realized that I was going to “sprint hard” for a bit and then allow myself time to recuperate in between those sprints, it really freed me to enjoy both the hard work and the downtime, and see them as equally important. I realized that I can’t create anything from a place of exhaustion, and that rest and relaxation are actually a vital part of creation.
Contact Info:
- Website: helennasantos.com
- Instagram: helennamsantos
- Other: helennasantosphotography.com
Image Credits
Helenna Santos Photography for the portraits, the FIRE COUNTRY and THE FLASH stills are screencaps
