Meet Isaac Valentín

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Isaac Valentín. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Isaac below.

Hi Isaac, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

I get my resilience from Puerto Rico.

From my experience as a Puerto Rican, I’ve learned that resilience is embedded in us. The aftermath of Hurricane Maria in 2017 made me witness the solidarity, compassion, strength, and support people from all around the island gave each other during this critical time. It taught me that no matter how hard we fall, there’s a lot more power in getting right back up and continue moving forward.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

Hey there! I’m Isaac Valentín, a Puerto Rican actor who dared to fly and landed in Los Angeles. Four years ago, I packed my bags and headed to California to pursue a master’s degree in acting. And yes, if your math is “mathing”—I moved during the pandemic. Because, of course, who doesn’t want to start a new adventure in the middle of global chaos?

Honestly, I’m still scratching my head about how I pulled it off, but I did somehow. It felt to me like a ‘now or never’ situation. Along the way, I’ve had some wild experiences, like hilariously getting lost in Burbank for four hours with no car or phone. And don’t even get me started on the time I got lost in Downtown LA in a very similar scenario. Not very demure of me, not very mindful. Oh, and just to add a dramatic twist, I found out I had cancer near the end of my master’s program. Life’s a rollercoaster, am I right?

Thankfully I was able to overcome these obstacles and with the support of family and friends, I’ve been able to appreciate the victories I get to achieve on my chosen career path. It hasn’t been easy whatsoever but I am grateful and extremely excited about what’s to come. I strive for more genuine Hispanic representation in the industry and I want to be part of it.

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?

Enjoy the ride. Sometimes we focus so much on getting to our goals and dreams quickly that we forget to enjoy the journey, and that’s where you’ll have your character development.

Post that reel or TikTok, write the script, produce that short, submit your project to that festival. Stop waiting for the “right moment”. Of course, it’s easier said than done, but the world is craving your art, why do you continue to delay it?

Celebrate every victory. No matter how small it may seem, give yourself more credit and the opportunity to enjoy every achievement.

Bonus one… Don’t give up! Don’t let rejection cloud you from believing in your craft. I know from personal experience that it’s hard to stay in that mindset when you are constantly not booking that role you worked so hard for or that commercial you gave it your all on that self-tape. Believe that you are seen and that your golden opportunity could be your next audition.

We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?

I find this question very interesting because I believe in both statements. I believe you should play to your strengths but you also need to keep learning. Be open the bettering yourself and your craft.

An artist never stops learning. This is why I’m always open to collaborating. There is a special kind of magic when two or more creatives get together to create art. Whether it’s photography, film, music, writing, you name it, I try my best not to box myself because opportunity can be knocking through any door. Send me a DM or email me, and let’s create!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/isaacjvalentin
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/IsaacJValentin
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@isaacjvalentin
• Other: TikTok: @IsaacJValentin

Image Credits

Photographers: Chris Jon (IG: @chrisjonphotography) and George Arnaldo (IG: @georgearnaldo)