We were lucky to catch up with JV Torres recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi JV, 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 grew up in a large family in a poor neighborhood. Money was super tight and my parents went through a divorce when I was very young. So from early on, I had to navigate the complexities of my situation at home. From dealing with siblings much older than me to fending off psychological bullying from classmates at school. I always felt like I had much to prove. Not to the people around me, but prove to myself I was perfectly capable of not only surviving, but thrive in the bleak prospects of my surrounding. When I was in high school, I learned I could circumvent the snarky remarks, the rich kids making fun of me, but I had to be either much wittier than they were (and I was) or use whatever strengths I could muster and that included physical strength. Needless to say, I sometimes found myself in situations where I had to fight in school and that landed me in the principal’s office on more than one occasion. As I got older (and bigger), I used my size to avoid unnecessary confrontations, and I used my wit to advance academically. Not much changed in my adult life (except the physical fighting part).
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am a creative soul by nature. I write books, movies, and fiction podcasts. Although I am a public school teacher by professional trade, I am very much involved in various creative projects. I’ve written and directed films that won awards in film festivals both in the United States and also other countries. I’ve won podcast awards for my work on the fiction podcast “The Rise of King Asilas,” and I am currently working on a feature film based on that podcast. I’ve written a textbook designed for English learners at the beginner level and have recently (in 2024) published the 2nd edition of that textbook.
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?
In all arenas, it is best to work and be around individuals who are not toxic to your creative goals. Too many times people I know and care about stayed involved in groups that hindered their progress. Sometimes if you can get more done working alone, go that route until you can collaborate with others who will enhance and contribute to your work rather than hold you back or potentially sabotage it.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
When I get overwhelmed, I tend to focus on one objective at a time. Sometimes I find myself in a flood of projects, but rather than stress over completing all of the projects, I focus on one at a time. It is easy to slip into working on multiple things at the same time. This will dilute your creative flow and you won’t be able to give your best effort to any of them.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://nkrtmedia.wordpress.com
- Instagram: @jvmyka
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jv.myka/
- Twitter: @jvmyka
- Youtube: youtube.com/jvmyka
Image Credits
photo by Yancy Diaz
