We recently connected with Stella Rea and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Stella with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
I’m very lucky to come from an artistic family (which has definitely influenced me in every aspect of my life), but as time passes I realize just how much it shaped my work ethic and that it has been taught to me from a very young age. Seeing the way both my parents dealt with their work – be it in the seriousness with which they took it, or their approach to the responsibilities of leadership positions – imprinted in me a very natural, almost second-nature like, way of dealing with my work.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Well, I’m Brazilian and that’s where I have spent most of my life, and therefore where most of my education life. I have a Bachelor’s in Theatre, but I consider myself an artist (which is a broad term). I’m naturally a person with many different interests, so that aspect of my personality seems to have made its way onto my profession. I work with different aspects of art: acting, producing, directing, writing. Music, theatre, cinema, performance art.
I’m very aware of the fact that I’m an ever-changing person. So I now try not to go too hard on myself and embrace where my artistic focus is headed based on where my creativity is leading me to. But, overall, I think that my approach to art, and that works for the choice to work with it, but also the way I create, is that of to make life a little more interesting. I think life is boring, and to me some sort of spark is needed to make my path in this existence more exciting. So I think I’m always creating different worlds, universes, when I’m creating. Places that I can transport myself to momentarily and leave a different existence for awhile.
I think working with art should be dealt less seriously, but also extremely seriously. What I mean is: sometimes we spend too much time worrying about perfection, and that stops us from moving at all. As I grew older, I became a sucker for artistic experimentation and that helped me let go of all fears and self doubts that stopped me from putting more of my work out, taking more chances.
Last year I wrapped my first short film as a writer and director, called “who were you in new york” – where I also act, alongside my friend and producer Luísa Galatti. I’m currently associate producer in the documentary “Flowers from the Front Line”, about artists in Ukraine during the war, which is directed and produced by Carmela Corbett.
Other than that, I have many things in this oven that is my mind. Definitely something is coming rather sooner than later, but I’m still keeping myself open enough to just see what will bake first.
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?
Once again, my artistic family comes to mind. I have had the immense privilege of growing up surrounded by art in every possible shape, and I think that has definitely been one of the most impactful things on my journey. It doesn’t matter what form of art you work with, I think it’s important to be aware of every art form there is. Read about artistic movements, art theory, go to museums randomly just to check it out. Even if it’s something you don’t like, educate yourself about it. I had a mentor who once told me “you know, you can also know what you want based on what you don’t want”. And I do that a lot. Why don’t I like that? What is it that makes me not like it? Also because I find life to be extremely boring, I always found comfort and excitement in books. Because they would just instantly transport me to much more interesting worlds. I think reading a lot is essential to exercise creativity.
Other than that, I mean, it’s hard to talk about qualities and skills, because that seems too personal and individual. I think that the fact that I’m a very musical person and have an ease with that was definitely impactful in my journey, but that’s not something relatable to a lot of people. So I’ll close this with, well, this will sound so tacky, but I think knowing yourself deeply is perhaps one of the most useful tool you can have, not only for your life in general, but for your work as an artist.
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
It depends on the level of overwhelming I’m feeling. Usually, I need to distract myself. So I like to clean, because that helps me see something actually happening, changing. It’s something that has an instant result. And it’s also great for obvious reasons (nothing like a cleaner house and mind). Sometimes I find that if my overwhelmed state is less so of anxiety, and more of feeling trapped or suffocated, my escape is music and singing. I’m not a singer, let me tell you that. But I can sing. I remember once, I had just come to New York and didn’t really have a home or somewhere I felt comfortable in yet, and I was going through an overwhelming week. One day I was supposed to rehearse, but it got cancelled last minute, which meant the room was still available. So there I went with my guitar, and spent one and a half hour just very freely playing and singing. It was all I needed.
Time and time again I find that music is something so connected to me, that it might be the one thing that makes me feel at home the most. If I have an instrument with me and somewhere I can freely play it without wondering whether I’m bothering anyone, I can go anywhere and do anything.
So overall, my advice for people feeling overwhelmed is to find something that distracts your mind and keeps it busy, find an action to do that you can see happening. Of course, this is more of a remedy for a symptom than for the whole thing. But it’s good to have that at hand.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stellarea/
Image Credits
Carlos Salles Rafael Reis Alexia Hack
