We were lucky to catch up with Risa Mara Machuca recently and have shared our conversation below.
Risa Mara, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
Being a child of two cultures, I always felt different and like I didn’t belong or %100 identify to one particular view and way of life. It is this exact upbringing that made me feel and connect to my own personal strength. Perspective is everything and we are fortunate when we realize that being different isn’t a bad thing and it is in fact a super power
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
Born and raised between San Blas, Nayarit ~ Mexico and Liberty, New York I’ve been lucky to experience the best of both worlds. At a young age I was drawn to sports, music and film and moved to California after college to pursue a film career. Worked my way up the ladder from an intern to being hired to work at a production company and later assisting a director until I got my shot to make some music videos as well as a few short films that made their way into various prestigious film festivals. Life took a detour when a family situation led me back to Mexico where I continued the path of sports by becoming National longboard champ which led to competing Internationally for Mexico, including several Panamericans and ISA worlds with several medals.
I currently operate SURF IT OUT in Sayulita, Mexico and founded Belle Curves Swimwear line. With a feature film in development based on my award winning short ‘Asi Es’, 2024 is a focus on finding funding for this project as well as a documentary and animation series. Thanks for helping me get the word out!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Looking back, the three skills most impactful for my journey are…. perseverance, self belief and the ability to vibe with most anyone. I’d also like to add a fourth which is always trying to find the silver lining in any situation.
My advice is to try and do something towards your dream every single day….just one piece of movement or energy towards your goal. And remember we all have bad and rough days…make sure you recognize the struggles as opportunities to be humbled while guided in a way we can learn something from.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
ABSOLUTELY!!! I’m looking for individuals who want to be part of authentic projects with meaning. I know we have something special building at this time and I invite any animators, swimsuit companies and film execs to reach out. We are creating stories that inspire and have previous success which will cross over into mainstream in a positive and fresh existence.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bellecurvesswimwear.com
- Instagram: @surfitoutmexico
- Other: www.surfitout.com || https://vimeo.com/116064734 || https://www.surfyoursoulretreat.com
Image Credits
Photographers: Spencer Ian Harris Emy Dossett Anne Menke Jen Farmer Photography Logo Design: Robin Clark
