Meet Jonathan Andre Culliton

We recently connected with Jonathan Andre Culliton and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jonathan Andre, so happy to have you with us today and there is so much we want to ask you about. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others developed certain skills or qualities that we are struggling with can be helpful. Along those lines, we’d love to hear from you about how you developed your ability to take risk?

Through stalling out in life. I felt in-tune with what I wanted to do – film – but I was afraid of failure so deeply that I wasn’t willing to even try for several years. I knew I had to change my choices to change my results. I started making some choices in terms of my career. I said “yes” to a lot of things I was terrified of and I loaded my schedule with them. I struggle with anxiety, PTSD and a sassy little mood disorder, so there’s always a lot going on in my head that tells me to be afraid. I think film just meant so much more to me than anything else. I realized it was the one thing I could really take risks for, and that’s had a larger ripple effect in my life.

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 just moved from California’s high desert to British Columbia, so I’m really excited about what this change of scenery will do to the settings of my films. My husband and I are working on our next shorts, which will be our first here, and I’m just excited to film again after the big move. We also just wrapped up our second year of the film fest we organize, 29 Queer Film Festival. We’re so proud of this year’s program which truly further connects global communities with a small, gay, arts community nestled in a military town. While we don’t live there anymore, we feel it’s important to continue bringing this program to the town of Twentynine Palms. Hopefully we’ll be launching similar programming in BC before too long.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

One, taking feedback. Which involves really listening and having a lack of ego. It’s a struggle for all of us, especially artists who want what they create to be uniquely theirs. I’ve learned that listening to all feedback and really analyzing it can unlock the best parts of your art. Second, I would say if you’re working in film, some sociology or psychiatry study can be good. You have to know people and their patterns. And lastly, if we’re talking “skills” – active, every-day fearlessness. Work in self-belief.

Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?

I’m not sure about nuggets of wisdom, but when I read “Stone Butch Blues” it was the first time I saw the pathway to making art out of my trans experience. The writing is so beautiful, the story is so raw and wild, I had never read anything like that before. It showed trans people as sexual, which blew my mind. I was feeling all these negatives feelings that that book somehow counteracted.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://heathandhenshaw.com
• Instagram: @heathandhenshaw