We were lucky to catch up with Adam Mendoza recently and have shared our conversation below.
Adam, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
I keep my creativity alive by allowing myself to feel. I believe part of what makes a creative person is their ability and desire to fully drink in all that there is to behold. To take in all the things that the human experience can bring, the beautiful as well as the disturbing, that’s what I draw from. When I say that I allow myself to feel, it’s to say that, one does not go unscathed when truly observing deep things of life and creating art.
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?
I’m a storyteller at heart, in two ways, as an actor I give my version of the character that has been presented, and get to delve into the interpretative part of it, as a writer we get to tap into the creative part of it. In some circles I’m sure it’s an insult to be called a “storyteller”, even in my own little subculture it’s not a good thing to be accused of telling stories but I think that is only because we’re conflating stories with lies. We have to remember that one can use “lies” to tell the truth! We can use a fictional story to tell a very real truth, use illusion to more clearly show reality. It’s my opinion that the story itself is sacred and keeps us connected, so the one who tells them shouldn’t be discouraged.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Three important qualities/skills will lead to success in any chosen field. First you have to BELIEVE that you can in fact DO what you’re passionate about. Believing is an active and constant process, it’s a tricky thing, almost like the mind can tune in with more focus on any opportunity to excel in your desired goal so long as you have convinced yourself that the goal is real and that you can accomplish it.
Second thing is, you have to put in the time. Whatever it is that you want to do, start doing it! If you want to design cars but don’t have a car factory that’s ok, just start by working with cars, repairing them, selling them or even just washing them. The more time you spend doing work in that particular area you will meet people who are like minded that you can learn from. As I heard it mentioned
“Do what you can, where you are, with what you got”
As you start where you are, doing what you can, with what you got…you will notice that bit by bit you can do more and more. Moment is real, build momentum in the direction you want to go.
The third thing is: Treat your first like your last and your last like your first. When given our first opportunity we tend to treat it with such great care and respect because it is special, it is our first. Now we have to carry that devotion and care and respect into every opportunity given to us. Even if you have done a thing a thousand times do with your whole heart every time.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
There are times when I feel overwhelmed and so I have to remind myself why I’m working and what the end goal is. I tell myself “just put one foot in front of the other Adam, every step is one step closer to a worthy goal. This business is crazy no doubt but I do love it. It’s extremely competitive and can be very unpredictable but it puts you in the position to help bring stories, important stories to life. If you have a story to tell and you want to share it with others then this is the business to be in. In all the ups and downs, being hot and cold over the 9 years I’ve been in the “game” so to speak, I’ve learned that you really HAVE to love it if you’re going to play for the long run, there are too many reasons to quit, only the love will make you endure and keep getting back up no matter how many times you get knocked down. Huge thanks to everyone at Bold Journey for including me and inviting me to share a few thoughts with the readers.
PS
If there is someone out there that believes they have a love for acting, writing, film making I really encourage you to take that first step, you’ll never know what can happen until you give it a shot. If you need someone to point you in the right direction you can always reach me on instagram @adammendoza598
Contact Info:
- Website: imdb.me/adammendoza
- Instagram: @adammendoza598
- Youtube: NELA FELLAS
- SoundCloud: Adam Of Los Angeles
Image Credits
@cre8ive.design.studios
