We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lora Ebadian a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Lora, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

One day, in the fall of 1987, it just hit me. Art was my thing and it came naturally. I had just painted a beautiful little farm landscape. My teacher was pretty amazed by my knowledge of the use of each brush and how it would make a specific pattern on the canvas (a poster board). I knew then that life would be an artistic adventure. It was pretty profound because I was only 7, but I had an overwhelming feeling that I didn’t try to fight.

My mom made sure we dove into the arts before we ever stepped foot in a school. We watched Bob Ross daily. We did arts and crafts at home. On his days off, Dad would do sketches in pen and teach us about how different grips created different patterns. We, my sister and I, sketched in pencil with him. Both of our parents, and our extended family, grew to love our work. It was our gift from above.

Lora, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Hi! I’m Lora and I do a lot of creative things. It’s hard to find a canopy that encompasses all that I do, but I will try. I work predominantly in the fashion and film industries. I model, do hair and makeup, sfx makeup, build props, design costumes/alter costumes, act, write, produce films, edit, and am a cinematographer. I think I got it all. Oh! Wait, I run sound for film as well.

None of this was ever the plan. My parents wanted me to choose a field that was more stable. I tried to pour my love for the arts in everything I did. It wasn’t enough. I had to find an outlet that better suited my desire to create.

Thinking back to that day in 2nd grade, honestly, my goals were to be a singer, dancer, and actor. So, I kind of got some of those things done. I knew I wanted to do art of some type. I just didn’t know how I would do it.

In 2019, over 30 years later, after a traumatic event that almost took my life, I decided that I would do all of the things I wanted to do as a kid. A coworker said to me “Stop sleeping on your gifts.” This one phrase made me remember all of the things I had pushed to the side because of life’s demands. She said it several times, and it was that “bug in the ear” that really gave me the courage to jump back into art after being depressed and questioning everything for a few months.

That summer I went to many casting calls and auditions. It was the start of the most rewarding journey I’ve ever been on! This ride has taught me so much, and it’s given me the opportunity to expand my creativity in many forms. I got my start in film that July. Less than 9 months later, I was modeling. I never expected to actually be modeling. Like, ever! But, I do enjoy it, especially when I get to bring a character/emotion to life.

Having a background with a wealth of knowledge for emotions and seeing lots difficult situations through my time as an educator has helped me immensely in the world of film. I’m better able to deliver the essence of a character when I’m in front of the lens. As cinematographer on set, I can help guide actors to portray characters with authenticity for specific shots. You can see my film work in the upcoming “You Promise,” “Pretty Ugly,” “From Hood to Good,” and “The Night and Gail.”

I am working to build a production company, Purple Phoenix Productions. This company is truly home-grown. My oldest son is a writer while my youngest does sound for film and helps with cinematography. This whole experience has brought all of us so many great experiences, and would not have been possible without the support of actor/director Theo Bray! He took a chance on me when I had no experience at all and grew me into the cinematographer I am now. We have done several films with him, and we hope to continue to grow in the years to come.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Resillience…it’s something we all hope for. Being that an attack ultimately brought me into the fields of modeling and film, I had to pay homage to that night. “In a Fit of Rage” is doing the festival circuit at the moment, but you can view the trailer on my YouTube channel.

I was attacked by an ex. My head was bounced off of walls and concrete that night. I was held in the air by my neck as if I was weightless, dragged across concrete by my hair, and stangled by someone I loved more than I loved myself. I thought I was going to die that night.

This one event in time set me free from everything. I no longer cared what anyone thought about me or the way I chose to live my life. I just wanted to do the things that made my art-loving heart happy. I’m thankful things happened the way they did. I am grateful for everything that has come after. And, most of all, I am elated that my story inspires others to reach out for help and to start buildingthe life of their dreams.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I find projects that really dig into my creative side the most rewarding. When I have to study a character and what makes them tick, or when I am building props in a new medium, I have gained new knowledge. I have always been a lover of learning and I love a challenge, so these types of things keep my brain and my heart the happiest.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lora.l.ebadian/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/loraebadian?mibextid=ZbWKwL
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@loraebadian?si=z9F-kENX4w-RNaKO
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@lora.ebadian?_t=8pBLvMiPKaV&_r=1

Image Credits

Devonte Howard
Jon De La Rosa
Fino Zuniga
Greg Lucas
Chris Simmons
Darrell Williams
Yesican Moran
Logan Grey
Bill Carter