We were lucky to catch up with Jacobo Fe Gismera recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Jacobo, thank you for joining us today and sharing your experiences and acquired wisdom with us. Burnout is a huge topic these days and so we’d love to kick things off by discussing your thoughts on overcoming or avoiding burnout
I’m a Spanish writer and fashion model living in Los Angeles, chasing my childhood dream of winning an Oscar for best screenplay. The Oscar is not about ego, but about the fact that such an award would serve as a golden ticket for me to pursue my most ambitious projects. Like a business card for productions that would give me the vote of confidence to make the movies I’ve always wanted to make. I must demonstrate that I am capable of being taken seriously and that I am deserving of creative freedom.
A goal of this magnitude requires a great deal of hard work and perseverance, as well as talent and luck. It also demands patience and acceptance of the ups and downs of life, particularly an artistic career when you come from the bottom and from another country. Los Angeles is not as gleaming as it appears in movies. The weather is always warm and pleasant, but many people are cold and fake. It’s a city full of talent and dreamers like me, but the majority of them stop dreaming after failing over and over. A harsh environment that can certainly become overwhelming when you’re trying to build your future and prove you deserve to be compensated fairly for your efforts.
To avoid burnout, I take a trip every 3 or 4 months and leave L.A. for a few days. The greater the distance, the better. That’s my formula. I always return because L.A. is not only my workplace but also the location of my childhood dream. The location where my past, present, and future meet. But that doesn’t mean I must be in one place all the time, looking for opportunities until I’m exhausted. At the age of 28, I have had the opportunity to live, study, and work in 5 countries and visit more than 50. Those journeys shaped my personality and, of course, turned me into the storyteller and explorer I am nowadays. Traveling is an infinite source of inspiration. A fountain from which my imagination can drink as much as I need. Not only that, but it is precisely in the arms of my Spanish family and my Dutch girlfriend that I find the truest manifestation of love and the push that I require to keep moving forward. The reason I dream.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I’m a multi-award-winning writer and fashion model who attended UCLA for graduate studies in Screenwriting & TV Writing. At the age of 19, I became the youngest Spanish author to have a historical novel published, and I launched a fashion modeling career that has resulted in publications in more than a dozen countries. That was an early manifestation of my passion for filmmaking and various art disciplines. Since then, I’ve tried to nourish my work throughout my entire life, through hard work, a strict routine, and resilience, in pursuit of my childhood dream of becoming an Oscar-winning screenwriter.
My historical and adventure screenplays have garnered 100 awards, including WeScreenplay Competition, SRFA-Cannes or Script Summit, Quarterfinalist status in The Academy Nicholl Fellowship, Final Draft – Big Break, or Screencraft Fellowship, and Second-Rounder status in Sundance Institute Development Track and Launch Pad Competition. Ranking Top 2% in Coverfly, I have participated in Banijay Cannes-Creative Incubator and NALIP Emerging Content Creators, been a finalist for Lena Waithe’s Hillman Lab, and Roadmap x Husslup Competition, and been featured in Forbes and Variety.
I’m from Spain, with French citizenship as well. And I hold an O-1 visa, which is granted to “aliens with extraordinary abilities in the arts” after receiving three major national art scholarships in a row: the Faro Program in 2017, the US-Spain Fulbright Award in Cinematic Arts in 2018, and the MMF Grant in 2019. Addtionally, I completed undergraduate studies in Filmmaking, Business Management, and Law all at the same time. All while living and working in five countries: Spain, Italy, India, Thailand, and USA, and visiting over 50 more.
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?
I’m a curious man who is always eager to learn about any topic. That is a skill that, if developed properly, can open many doors. Those who are afraid to venture out of their comfort zone die not older, but sadder. Empty heads that deteriorate into hard skulls. This universe is so vast that one must always be willing to explore, reshape one’s deepest thoughts and principles, and admit one’s ignorance on certain topics. Books, movies, the internet, and even word-of-mouth are excellent resources for understanding and satisfying restless minds. I promise you will never be bored in this world if you are open-minded.
That doesn’t mean you have to be gullible and try or believe everything because then people will take advantage of you and make you suffer. To distinguish between wisdom and speculation, critical thinking is required. Once you have a certain level of skill or knowledge in a discipline, the next step is to be selective with your tasting, the people you surround yourself with, and the activities you engage in. Because of social media, it’s more difficult than ever to find, select, and compare sources while also managing one’s own life effectively. It’s the cost of having access to limitless information. Take a moment to reflect and be honest with yourself when you feel influenced or overwhelmed by your surroundings. Are you really doing what’s best for you? Are you doing what do you want, or what the dogma demands, and your social circle expects?
That brings me to my final point. I believe that self-confidence must be developed and reinforced. According to my observations, despite its obvious importance, this is not a skill that is well-taught in schools, workplaces, or even certain families. When the mind fails, it’s only a matter of time before the entire system collapses. Only by loving yourself can you improve, mature, and learn from your flaws. That is also the only way to truly and genuinely love others. Ironically, I’ve discovered that the best way to invest in your mental health is to be passionate and curious, to be able to forge and achieve dreams, and to develop a critical way of thinking that allows you to build your own truth and, thus, yourself.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
At this stage in my career, I’m excited to meet with new creatives, particularly agents and managers willing to help me build a solid network and share my screenplays among their circle, as well as producers and directors interested in making the scripts I’ve written or developing on their own original stories.
My work has received several significant international accolades and prizes; however, filmmaking is fundamentally based on genuine collaboration, and my contacts in L.A. are still limited due to my youth and the fact that I’m from another country. Counting on a manager or the support of a filmmaker, a mentor, or an industry veteran would be greatly appreciated.
If any of the above applies to you and you enjoyed this interview, dear reader, do not hesitate to contact me. Coffee is on me!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.imdb.me/jacobofegismera
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacobofe_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JacoboFeGismera/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobo-fe-gismera/
