We recently connected with Sandra Rocha Colin and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Sandra, so excited to have you with us today and we are really interested in hearing your thoughts about how folks can develop their empathy? In our experience, most folks want to be empathic towards others, but in a world where we are often only surrounded by people who are very similar to us, it can sometimes be a challenge to develop empathy for others who might not be as similar to us. Any thoughts or advice?
Definitely acting played a big role for me here. There is a quote that says “Everything that is human is not foreign to me.” I think this is an essential skill that as actors we develop and plays an enormous part in the creating of a character and story telling. Once I understood that as humans we have a margin of error I started being able to soften my view of life and started seeing and accepting everyone for who they are and what they carry with them. We are all always going through something.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I do art for a living, from theater to film, to dancing and producing. I love the constant self discovery and self growth that comes with each project, the curious mindset that exists by observing my surroundings in order to become a more rounded artist. Being in the art industry is such a gift since you get to know and truly connect with people from all backgrounds, all places of the world, it’s all about community and embracing our need for expresion and vulnerability. Those people are really out there, and once you find them life becomes more and more exciting. Right now I’m about to start working in Mexico City and can’t wait to live and create with the very different nuances that my country has to offer.
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 would say discipline, determination and ignorance played a huge part in how I live my profesion and not go insane as I navigate it. I think the first two are fundamental but allowing yourself to be ignorant is essential. The “not knowing” and “being dumb” opens all the doors to learning from a softer place. Who said we are supposed to know what to do, or where to look, or how to do it? I think those expectations harvest a lot of insecurity and fear, and inevitably get in our way into becoming our greatest potential. So I would advise anyone who is starting to celebrate that ignorance and to ask all the questions, to get rid of the idea that you are late and you are supposed to be anything other than yourself. Your most beautiful art comes exactly from all that you are, from your truest self.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
I grew up in the hood, the same one my parents were born and raised in, so my surroundings were very specific. However, they broke their own ceilings and provided my sisters and I with possibilities that they didn’t expirience because of their context. This shaped my view of life, allowing me to believe that I was deserving of a better life, that ‘it was possible’ and that where I come from, even though it’s a part of me, is not all I can aspire to. I was given possibilities and the certainty that I could shape and choose my own path. This is one of the biggest gifts and privileges I’ve had and I’m so grateful to them for that, and for sooo much more.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sanrocha_?igsh=MWxleHBvbXNudjdrdQ==
- Other: Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user204570946?fbclid=PAAaYMuWqL-mBNoosE8djCbaMlXgYmrUB7jmGaLFAmQ0X-Sl8j7OqeFLphHQ0
Image Credits
Arantxa Olortegui Ritika Gupta GroupSee Theater Company Pioneers Theater Club
