Today we’d like to introduce you to Sandra Rocha

Hi Sandra, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.

My name is Sandra Rocha Colin. I was born and raised in beautiful Mexico City in a loving family. I’m a queer mexican woman who does art for a living. Sometimes it’s hard to point out where I started and how I got here, because I expirience life as a constant cycle of beginnings and endings; I find myself constantly at the “start line” of my life because I’m always growing therefore always changing my approach to the things that I want; I look to allow myself to change my mind, to change my goals, to change my interests. Thankfully I am surrounded by people who allow me this space, most specially my parents, they really are the BEST IN THE WORLD. A lot of my life’s journey has been about exploring all the ways that exist of being a woman; of exploring femininity in my own terms; of embracing my masculinity; and inhabiting my softness in a world that can be really rough and limiting. My reality is expansive; never static; full of possibilities; grounded in love and respect for myself and others. Art has been my way of understanding the world through a softer gaze.
My aspirations go way past my professional life because I truly believe that will be a result of how fearlessly and curiously I live my life. I aspire to see myself and embrace myself so deeply that every other thing I do is just another sweet treat that I get to enjoy, such as my relationships or work.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?

Hahaha no, absolutely not.
There have been a lot of circumstances that have made it difficult at times, such as financial issues, or really low self-steem, or not being allowed to work somewhere because of a lack of work permit; and even though these things inform who I’ve been or how I’ve handled things in the past it would be a deservice to me to attach myself to those and keep on expiriencing only from those places.
Another challenge for me, and probably the biggest one, has always been the stories I tell myself about who I am, what I can do or what I am based only on what I think people see in me or expect of me. That can be a huge problem because it is rooted in nothing but assumptions, a fear of not fitting in and not being good enough for other people. Good thing is they are only stories, we can always re-write them because they are our own.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?

I am an actress, dancer and producer of profession, focusing mainly in acting. I have done mutiple short films, as well as produced and acted in 3 plays in NYC, 2 of them being part of the official selection of The Chain Winter festival and The New York Theater Festival.
I’m really proud of what has come as a result of going past the fear and uncertainty of giving your dreams a chance, in a country that isn’t my own and in a language that isn’t my first. Moving away from home wasn’t easy at all, but it gave me the necessary foundations to know I can stand on my own two feet and trust they will hold me and carry me forward.
What sets me apart other than my work ethic, is the belief that my profession is not the source of my happiness, well-being or worth; on the contrary, I think the more grounded I am in myself the more freely and joyfully I will be able to create, and my art will only benefit from it.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?

I am very shy. Talking to people I have never met is one of the scariest things for me to do and it brings me a lot of anxiety. I don’t enjoy being on the spotlight or drawing attention to myself, I believe I flow more naturally in smaller spaces, with smaller groups of people and with less things at stake.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sanrocha_?igsh=MWxleHBvbXNudjdrdQ==
• Other: https://vimeo.com/user204570946?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaacXP_qt3uib4JVV3u-TrMxA8570fDLD4IEGyyPYfUhvYEcwt9OhDiJp8w_aem_Wm2ardc95pkBh52DirWgLg