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

Hi Christina, thanks for joining us today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

There are a lot of factors that come into play when it comes to being successful. Believing in yourself is key. Being your own personal cheerleader and never giving up on something that you are passionate about. You have to invest in yourself and make sacrifices for the greater good of nurturing your craft.

Christina, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I have always been an artistic person. I come from a very creative family. My grandma is an artist and writer, my grandpa was an opera singer, my mother is an artist and singer, my uncle is a singer, two of my sisters are make up artists, and two of my other sisters are also artists. I have been singing and composing music since the age of 7. I wrote 2 novels in high school as well as many short stories and screenplays. My writing only increased when I went to college.

I started writing short skits for a popular YouTuber and assisted with writing assignments on a few TV shows until I met my husband. My husband is also a creative spirit. He’s an award-winning writer/director. He pushed me to bring my stories to life and things just took off from there. What sets me apart from others is my vision when it comes to storytellers. When I am writing a new script, I visualize the whole story before I write anything. The same can be said for when I am casting or choosing to produce on a project. I have to be able to visualize the project in order to know what is needed.

The project that I am most proud of is “I’m The Man.” When I initially wrote this script, it was a dramedy. My husband read it and felt that it left too many unanswered questions. I ended up reworking the script and it became a pure comedy. I brought the project to my husband and had to convince him to direct it because of the subject matter. This film isn’t for everyone but it’s a fun way to spend 18 minutes. It’s a zany short about a young man who proposes the idea of a threesome to his girlfriend in an effort to spice up their sex life. We had a great time shooting this and an even greater time screening it at film festivals! What I am most proud of in regards to “I’m the Man” is how in sync my husband and I were throughout the entire process of bringing this to life. We trusted each other to the point where we didn’t question certain lines or scenes. “I’m the Man” turned out to be a kick ass short film that’s been selected by 80 film festivals. In addition, it’s won over 30 awards so far.

You don’t have to follow the norm. Work towards something you’re passionate about and let your creativity flourish.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect would be watching your project come to life. Being a writer and getting to see your film on the big screen is the best feeling. Especially when you get a chance to see and hear people react to it.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

A few years ago I wrote a short film called “I’ll Never Love Again.” I got really invested in this script and the casting of the film. It got rejected by quite a few film festivals and I took it personally. I blamed myself for its lackluster performance despite being immensely proud of the film. I stopped writing for several months and considered giving up writing altogether. I wrote “I’m The Man” and it’s overwhelmingly positive response helped me realize that I was born to write films, despite the hardships that come from being an independent artist.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.williams4productions.com
• Instagram: @williams4productions