We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Altara Michelle a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Altara, so happy to have you on the platform and I think our readers are in for a treat because you’ve got such an interesting story and so much insight and wisdom. So, let’s start with a topic that is relevant to everyone, regardless of industry etc. What do you do for self-care and how has it impacted you?
I am currently a graduate student at Fordham University, where I am getting my Masters in Social Work. My GPA after 2 years is a 3.99. Self-care is huge in our field, as is maintaining ones optimal mental health. Even before graduate school, I used the same methods to decompress, de-stress, process information, and care for myself on a daily basis.
Moving meditation (also known as exercise) has been my tried and true way of maintaining a positive outlook on life, creating order, promoting efficiency, developing structure, and consistently living a healthy lifestyle. I have always been an athlete, and moving my body everyday has kept me sharp, fit, productive, and hungry for more. I use this time to really connect with my mind and body and to focus on how I’m feeling in the moment.
My favorite forms of exercise are hiking, walking and Pilates. In fact, I am currently getting certified to teach Pilates reformer classes because I love it so much. Doing Pilates reformer classes 4 times per week has been my go-to routine since 2020, and it definitely got me through the worst times of the pandemic. I am now in the best shape of my life!
Nights in while binge watching all the new shows, ordering my favorite takeout or delivery from Xian, girls nights every month, dates on the town, 90-min massages, hair-cuts, and getting my nails done every few weeks are also some of the ways that I keep myself happy, satisfied and confident.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Moving to Los Angeles right after graduating college (ASU) was the best thing I could have done for myself. I came here with a job in medical sales, and shortly after that took an internship at KTLA Channel 5 in sports and entertainment. I was working all the time and trying to figure out how to make all my dreams come true. I knew I was an actress but also wanted stability and structure. I loved working in the news, I was great at sales, and when I started taking professional acting classes, I knew I had finally found my home and was on the right path. The journey as an artist is not an easy one. There are lots of highs and lows in the business, tons of disappointment, and the amount of no’s you hear could easily make someone question why they chose this path in the first place. On the flip side, practicing your art and earning money doing it can be exhilarating and rewarding! The fear of relying on something so unstable is why I have always found ways to support my art. When you have income coming in from other places, you lose the desperation that some people have when auditioning or trying to book a job. I love acting and would much rather be relaxed and calm regarding my work than ever have a desperate need to book something so that I could pay my rent or bills. I found myself working in advertising, sales, tutoring children, working as a nanny, sleep training babies, and doing brand modeling work for companies like Reebok, all so I could continue to take acting classes and learn how to become a professional actor. During the pandemic in 2020, I decided to return to school and get my masters in social work because helping people feels so natural and rewarding. I am also getting certified to teach Pilates reformer classes because I love fitness (I’m a former gymnast) and have been practicing Pilates for over seven years. At this point, I have honed my craft, and my acting work is solid, as my fantastic manager calls it. I have reps in NY and LA for theatrical, commercial, print, and voiceover; my talent manager oversees it all. I am healthy, happy, and thriving with a 3.99 GPA at Fordham University. I graduate in December 2023. The plan is to work as a therapist and actress, then apply to USC’s Ph.D. program in 2025. Becoming a doctor and possibly a professor is part of my long-term plan. I’m going to do it all!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I would say that the three most important skills or qualities that have helped me in life are resilience, determination, and having an incredible work ethic. Resilience means getting up every day and continuing, despite hearing all the “no’s” or feeling disappointed about the things I have not gotten over the years, focusing on my achievements vs. disappointments, and knowing that anything could happen tomorrow! In one day, your whole life can change in entertainment. I have total faith in my ability to succeed. It’s just not always on my watch. I am not in control of everything. Trust that it’s not IF I will succeed; it’s simply WHEN. Success means different things to different people. My definition of success as an actress would be getting cast as a series regular on a TV show in a role that changes the world in some unique and fantastic way—playing a role that people can relate to and, somehow, making their lives better or easier through my work. I have booked hundreds of voiceover roles and feel like I have succeeded in this niche. My next goal is to sell the animated series (I star in) to a major network or studio. It’s a beautiful journey! My determination involves never letting disappointments throw me off my chosen path, understanding in my heart that what I am doing has a purpose, and trusting my instincts to never lead me astray. Rejection is redirection, but resilience is learning new ways of getting what you want. It’s about adaptation and never giving up, but also learning how to embrace change and grow from it.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
Absolutely. If someone wants to collaborate, I would welcome that! I welcome any projects that involve mental health, acting, voiceover, fitness or even doing a podcast with other professionals. Directors, producers, artists, therapists, counselors, etc. Feel free to reach out! I can be found on instagram @justaskaltara or on TikTok @swiperightonmentalhealth
Contact Info:
- Website: www.amdriverentertainment.com
- Instagram: @justaskaltara
- Facebook: Altara Michelle
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/altaramichelle
- Other: TikTok @swiperightonmentalhealth
Image Credits
Iridescent Productions LA
