We were lucky to catch up with Yianni Sines recently and have shared our conversation below.

Yianni, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

Pursuing the arts has always felt inevitable to me. From a young age, I had an overactive imagination, and the idea of a creative career didn’t just feel right, it felt like the only path that made sense. As a child, it seemed just as straightforward as any of my classmates who wanted to be doctors or engineers. I saw it as a craft I would develop over time, something I’d eventually come into with the same certainty and structure.

And to be fair, I am proud of what I’ve achieved so far. But there have been moments (usually after another audition falls through or a script gets knocked back) when I wonder what life might’ve looked like had I chosen something with a clearer path. A job where hard work and dedication more directly translate to stability and upward movement. Sometimes, at my lowest, I do think about the money I could have made. I’m not ashamed to admit that.

But what always pulls me back is the life I’ve built through this work. The projects I’ve poured myself into, the people I’ve met, and the places this journey has taken me. Acting and writing are how I make sense of the world and my place in it. Even if I had ended up in an office job completely removed from the arts, I know I’d still be searching for some way to creatively express myself. Not because I believe my voice must be heard, but because creating is how I best exist in the world. It’s how I feel most like myself.

So yes, there are moments where I wonder if another path might have been easier. But I’ve never truly regretted choosing this one. Because at the heart of it, being a creative isn’t just what I do, it’s who I’ve always been.

Yianni, 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?

I create work that’s grounded in queer experience, and I’m especially drawn to stories that hold space for intimacy, contradiction, and emotional honesty. My projects span both stage and screen, often blending dry humor with sharp emotional undercurrents. I work across acting, screenwriting, playwriting, and producing, usually on stories that ask big questions in quiet ways.

My creative journey began as a child with a loud imagination and an instinct for storytelling. I studied acting and theatre at New York University and gradually found my way into writing and filmmaking out of a desire to see more layered queer characters on screen, characters who weren’t necessarily heroic or tragic, but simply human. I recently wrote and produced A Boy Like Me, a short film exploring identity and personal growth, directed by my creative partner Deana Taheri. I’m currently developing a slate of narrative projects, including a stage play about body image and worship, and a feature-length historical screenplay centered on King Ludwig II.

What sets my work apart is its refusal to simplify queer identity. I’m not interested in neat labels or perfect arcs. I’m drawn to the messy in-betweens, the pauses in conversation, the tension in a glance, the feeling of not quite fitting into the roles you’ve been assigned. I write and perform to explore those quiet, uncomfortable, and deeply human spaces.

As an actor, I bring a grounded and emotionally attentive presence to the screen and stage. I gravitate toward roles that demand nuance, complexity, and inner conflict. As a writer and producer, I’m deeply collaborative, passionate about assembling the right team to build work that feels honest and resonant. I love supporting emerging queer talent and helping stories come to life that often go untold.

What I’m most proud of is the creative community I’ve built around me, artists and collaborators who are brave enough to tell the truth through their work. Whether it’s a short film, a stage play, or a late-night rewrite with a friend, everything I do is about connection.

If you’re a fellow artist, potential collaborator, or curious viewer, what I want you to know is this, I’m here to make work that feels real, work that makes people feel seen. If I can do that, even for a moment, then I’ve done my job.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

One of the biggest things I wish I’d known earlier is how valuable community-based resources can be, things like queer filmmaking collectives, grassroots funding schemes, or even free script development labs. Early on, I thought I had to do everything solo, but once I started connecting with other creatives, especially those who shared similar lived experiences, I found a lot more clarity, support, and momentum.

As someone who has relocated countries four times, each time I’ve had to find and build a new community from the ground up. And that process has really emphasised just how vital community is when it comes to getting these fringe, small, deeply personal projects off the ground. It’s not just about networking, it’s about finding people who understand your language, creatively and personally, and who are willing to build something with you. Places like Riverside Studios have been especially important in that respect, offering both space and community for artists to collaborate, share ideas, and feel part of something bigger.

I also wish I’d been pointed toward mental health resources specifically designed for creatives. Navigating constant rejection, financial instability, and the emotional toll of making personal work can be overwhelming, and it’s easy to internalise those struggles as personal failings. Having tools to manage that would’ve helped me sustain my creative practice more gently.

On a practical level, platforms like Film Freeway, Coverfly, and Shooting People are great for finding opportunities, but UK-based resources like Film London, BAFTA Connect, BFI NETWORK, Arts Council England, and ScreenSkills have been especially helpful. For queer creatives, initiatives like Fringe! Queer Film & Arts Fest, Queer Filmmakers Network UK, and the Iris Prize Community are fantastic spaces to find collaborators, workshops, and genuine support.

If I could go back and give myself one piece of advice, it would be this, you’re not alone, and you don’t need to pretend to have it all figured out. Find your people, ask questions, and don’t be afraid to start small.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I think one thing non-creatives sometimes struggle to understand is that the work doesn’t stop when the job ends. It’s not something I clock in and out of. Even when I’m not actively on set or writing, my brain is still turning things over, scenes, characters, questions I haven’t figured out how to answer yet. There’s a constant emotional and mental investment that’s hard to quantify.

It can also be difficult for people to grasp how vulnerable this path is. Rejection isn’t abstract, it’s personal. You’re not being turned down for a spreadsheet you made, you’re being turned down for you. For your voice, your face, your writing. It can be exhausting to keep putting yourself out there when so much of the process is built on waiting, hoping, and being told “not quite.”

But I think the flip side of that, the reason so many of us stick with it, is that when something does connect, it’s incredibly powerful. When someone watches your work and says, “I felt seen,” that feeling makes all the hard parts worth it. It reminds you why you started in the first place.

So no, it’s not the most stable or linear path, but it’s one that asks you to stay awake to the world, to stay curious, and to keep feeling. And that’s a pretty meaningful way to live.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.yiannisines.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yiannisines/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yianni-sines-377112122/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@filmgayze
• Other: My short film instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aboylikeme.film/