We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Cassandra Freitas. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Cassandra below.

Hi Cassandra, thanks for joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I can’t honestly remember a time I didn’t want to pursue a creative path. My first dream- I wanted to be a frontman like Josie in Josie in the Pussycats. Then in highschool, I found solace on the stage and have been chasing that ever since. I knew inside of me that I was going to have to fight for this dream if I wanted it to happen. I went to college and graduated top of my class with a BFA in Acting. Then continued my education five years ago when I made my way out to Austin to continue my artistic journey at an acting conservatory here.

My path was very clear to me and I was making the moves that I thought I needed to make to create the life for myself that I wanted here in Austin.

What I didn’t expect and could’ve never predicted was the first open mic I ever went to and how that opened up a whole new world to my understanding of what it meant to walk the artistic path.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a multi disciplinary artist which is to say that my room is constantly a mess that reflects the inside the of my head. In all seriousness, it means that I have the opportunity to connect to a lot of other talented creatives.

I started as an actress working with an agency here in Austin and taking jobs in the theater and in film. My resume is filled with projects that I found culturally important to the narrative of my own identity. I use my art to tell the hidden and silenced stories of the communities I’m a part of.

Once I started to accept the multidisciplinary part of my title, I started going to open mics around Austin. I wanted to meet people and practice this craft in a real and meaningful way. Here, was the first time I tapped into community. Through the open mic scene here in Austin, I met hungry collaborators who were just like me- fighting to stay artists in a very supportive city that was just starting to shift.

This journey ultimately led me to co-founding my own artist community Warren Records, where I run the weekly open mic and organize the community events.

We organize showcases where we uplift our other closeted creatives by giving them a stage to perform. We have a couple company values that we stand behind that were cultivated by our own personal journeys. We make sure our artists are paid, we cross disciplines by partnering with pop up markets and vendors, we amplify people that have been overlooked by the mainstream music industry in Austin, we provide a truly safe place for people to be vulnerable and find solace in community.

Since our conception in August of last year, we have organized, managed, and hosted a total of 5 showcases, recorded 2 live compilation albums, and have kept up a crowded and supportive weekly open mic.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Be kind to each other and give encouragement.

It’s hard out here and it feels like everyone is competing for something. “There are only so many days of the week, only so many stages, only so many open slots, etc.” It may feel this way but in my experience, it’s not true.

There are so many opportunities in Austin to perform. Cafes and bars with residencies, open mics with full listening rooms. There are always open art galleries to submit to and countless independent theater and dance companies to audition for who are all doing important work.

The thing that plagues the creatives around me, is this mindset that what they are creating is “not good enough” or they feel like they’re not working enough. In my experience, it’s this thought spiraling and the insidious nature of imposter syndrome that slows down progress. I have found that the best way to support artists in getting out of their own ways is to listen to their stories and believe in their voices.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I have had a long and tumultuous road to get to where I am artistically. I have encountered people with ill intentions who use the vehicle of art to exploit people. I have had to make sacrifices for the sake of my artist path – I have had to miss weddings and funerals, family phonecalls and dates. I have had to let go of relationships and grieve people in my life in order to live authentically. Having chosen my art at every fork in the road, I have made mistakes and I have had unbelievable triumphs.

My goal is to help every artist that comes to me for advice. That starts with breaking down the system and refusing to gatekeep. When people approach me with questions of how I got to where I am, I take them to coffee and I give them a map.

My mission as a community leader is to ensure that no one is taken advantage of in my community. I take a no tolerance policy for harassment and I ruthlessly advocate for my most vulnerable creatives and friends.

Personally, my mission has always been to truly see and understand people. I take this value into every facet of my life. I have put myself in a position where my responsibility is to listen and my responsibility is to honor artists at every stage of their journey.

I’m the luckiest woman in the world, really.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.warrenrecordsatx.com/
• Instagram: @thatgirl_cas
• Other: I also have a personal website
  www.cassandradefreitas.com

Image Credits

Abraham Musalem
Bryan Rader
Ryan Stache
Stern Hatcher