We recently connected with Estivalli Medrano-E. and have shared our conversation below.

Estivalli, appreciate you joining us today. 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?

The concept of “a regular job” has evolved remarkably in the last couple of years for me, and it’s that evolution that allows me to better understand my craft and my position in the industry.

Artists and creatives, as well as any professionals from other industries, have the ultimate goal (ideally) of satisfying a need in society by providing a service. This goal drives us and defines our art, whether writing, producing, designing, etc. If that goal doesn’t come from a place of genuine intention, even a creative can struggle to find fulfillment in their professional endeavors.

Something I’ve observed in my transition from student to full-time adulthood is that we learn to survive and not to thrive; we chase rather than attract; our heads become too focused on generating an income (and that’s fair, we live in a capitalist society), that we lose sight of the true reason for which we do what we do, we lose sight of what our hearts and souls desire.

Now that might sound “corny”, if you will, but if we think about it, the logical part of us is what gets instantly gratified by the financial benefits of a job, any job. And what about what we feel? Have you ever had that one government worker who always seems pissed?

We can’t just put aside the human factor and play pretend in this real-life Monopoly; it’s there when the intention gets lost, the focus shifts, and we’re left with a professional responsibility that eventually turns into a mundane obligation to provide for ourselves and ours. Obligation to survive, in other words.

I create, I entertain, I compose; I am of service through my artistry, and that is what fills me. By engaging with my goals and, ultimately, my community, my passion for my projects will keep me moving no matter how challenging of a week I’m having.

Whether a full-time job, a freelancer, or a side hustle, connect with your talent and master it, and when you’re ready, share it and go full force. The rest will come as you go.

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

Proactive, empathetic, and passionate are some of the main qualities that have taken me to where I am today. Where am I? Currently living in Toronto, Canada. But this is not where I’ve always been; let’s roll back to the late ’90s.

I was born in Irapuato, a small city in Mexico’s center (literally and geographically in the center). By the way, it’s part of North America, fun fact for some who think it’s Center or even South America. My parents didn’t know how to name me, so my sister, who was 5 then, insisted on the name of one of her kinder garden friends, Estivalli (according to my sister, her dad travelled to Spain and heard it first there). And well, Estivalli Medrano-E. I was baptized.

I grew up in a loving and modest family of 5, hard-working parents and us adventurers and fearless kids. My mom was always laid back, so I got a lot of freedom growing up, and for some reason, I often found myself in circles of older kids and eventually adults, so I matured pretty quickly. My siblings and I stayed active, practicing sports and taking English, French, or German classes. Eventually, this built me with confidence and curiosity for what was beyond my small Irapuato. So instead of breaking my head and deciding what to do for the rest of my life, I decided to travel.

On the winter break, before graduating high school, I joined a volunteer program to support kids with limited resources in the town of Sincelejo, Colombia. Loved the experience, travelling alone, making new friends, and even got a piercing; I decided I had to do it again. I worked after school, saved money, and figured out a plan. 5 months later, I graduated from High School, and by the time the group graduation trip happened, I was already in Los Angeles.

L.A. was my first real introduction to the industry I always wanted to “belong” to. I took some performance classes there but wasn’t ready to settle yet. I travelled around the Caribbean and then landed in Argentina, where I enrolled in a camera acting course. That was the first time I had to learn a script for film, and I fell for it! Travelled around South America while on breaks from school, but 6 months later, when the course was over, I decided to try one last place, Europe.

I went to Barcelona and worked as a nanny while taking a more in-depth acting class to prepare for my acting school auditions. The paperwork for Spain would take nearly a year, so I found a Triple Threat College (singing, acting, and dancing) in Canada and went for it. I Auditioned online with a dance piece I put together at the park up my street in Barcelona, a song I recorded with my phone, and a monologue my roommate read for.

Two weeks later, I received the news that I got accepted, and in December 2018, I moved to Canada.

I switched schools early because I realized I wanted to focus on the camera, and in the Summer of 2021, I graduated with honours from Toronto Film School. No, graduating in COVID wasn’t fun, but to this day, I am proud of finishing school after long hours of work, sleepless nights, and tight budgets.

While in post-production for my thesis film, I came across What You Didn’t See (WYDS), a young media agency a friend told me about. I met with the founder and one of her editors, and they agreed to work with me on my short film. Fast forward 1 year later, I joined WYDS.

I started working on the production side of the agency as one of the creative directors. As projects came, the opportunity to work in Mexico presented itself, and I spent 2022 living between Tulum, Mexico, and Toronto, Canada. I worked with several different businesses and artists and began developing my modelling career along the way. Surrounded by more and more creatives, I began to define my own brand, narrow my goals, and focus my energy and passion on the things and people that would grow with me.

Today, I am an artist, model, media director, and producer, and the next step in my career is to develop and educate my musical side. I look forward to sharing it with you soon!

On the backend of What You Didn’t See, we are transitioning into a Web3 agency, developing an application that will significantly change the media industry. Good things are coming.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

In conversations with artists and creatives, I often come across the need for more appreciation for their craft, which includes the financial aspect of adequately compensating for a service.

That is why Web3 and NFTs are a massive revolution to the industry, and I appreciate fellow artists’ efforts to change how art is perceived. However, outside of these circles, the appreciation gets lost in translation; how? Just like us artists back when we started, people without a creative background need to understand the process behind a craft the way we do; hence they don’t want to compensate for what is right or fair.

There is no guilty or innocent here; it is our responsibility as professionals in our artistry to educate the audience, our community, and beyond our social circles. The more people know about a process, the more they connect with it and see the work in the art, not just its beauty.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Definitely the community. And this is something that I learned not too long ago from my team at What You Didn’t See, the value of having a support system of fellow creatives and personal relationships.

We become versatile and begin to work with new people; we learn from them and grow together. It’s that sense of community that I find embracing and comforting at times in such an unpredictable industry.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.wyds.ca
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/estivallimedranoe/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/estivalli.medrano/
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/estivalli-medranoe
• Other: https://www.mandy.com/ca/a/estivallimedranoe

Image Credits
What You Didn’t See Ayesha Taylor Matt Reid Marc Russell Daniel La Andrea Fuentes Inzuza