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

Alright, Lexi thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

My parents set the example on how important it is to pursue a career in a field that you love. My dad had a fascination with airplanes. During college he skipped class to take flying lessons. At the time he was studying to become an architect, but he discovered that his sanctuary was in the sky. He even built a replica cockpit in his closet to practice! My dad visualized himself flying for his dream airline and he spent 33 years with the company.
My mom is a flight attendant for the same airline (that’s where they met) and she loves her job. I’ve been fortunate enough to witness her in action and her work ethic is admirable. Her positive energy radiates down the aisle. You can see her smile from the very back row. She is also known as the “baby whisperer” and can soothe a crying baby during the flight. Now that’s something to clap about.
Growing up my parents traveled all the time, but they never missed a performance. They always encouraged me to explore my love for the arts and have always been my biggest fans.
Another thing they did right was insist that I earn my college degree. I was itching to move out to LA after high school to become an actress, but everyone encouraged me to earn my degree first. I studied theatre at Texas State University. During my undergrad I discovered a passion for playwriting and even had the honor to see my one act play produced in a play festival hosted by the university. My parents were in the audience on opening night, and I couldn’t thank them enough. Their love and support mean the world to me. They gave me a beautiful childhood and I am forever grateful.

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.

My passion for storytelling began at a very young age. I grew up in South Texas on Padre Island. I lived five minutes away from the beach and we had to cross a bridge to get into town. Our family backyard was a canal, I used to sit on the dock, waiting for mermaids to come visit me. My imagination kept me busy. I spent my childhood playing pretend, reenacting scenes from my favorite films and directed storylines for my friends when we played Barbies.

My interests have always been creative. Painting, drawing, performing, and writing, you name it! Art has always helped me navigate my feelings. I used to write love songs in second grade about my classmate. Are all artists hopeless romantics or am I just a cliché’?

Growing up I always visualized myself becoming an actress and working in Hollywood. I filled notebooks with acceptance speeches thanking studios that I’d eventually work for in some capacity. On my first trip to LA when I was fourteen, we drove past the WB lot and I had this gut feeling, “This is where I belong”. And that’s the line that landed me a job as a tour guide! In the words of my best friend’s mother, “proclaim it!”

I was a theatre kid during grade school and went to Texas State University to earn my BFA in Theatre performance and production. I went into theatre school with the intention to study acting but quickly fell in love with playwriting. During my last semester, I was toying with the idea that I’d move to Florida to continue working at Disney World where I spent my winter and summer breaks as a seasonal cast member. But long story short, that didn’t happen! One of my mom’s flight attendant friends introduced me to someone who worked at ABC and after a few missed connections, I landed my first PA gig, packed my car and moved to L.A!

I’ve been working in production for six years now and I’m so thankful to be here. I’ve worked with some of the best of the best and made friends with some of the kindest people in this town. I think about little Lexi and how tickled pink she’d be to know I’ve worked with some of her heroes and that her blind faith led me to this moment. I’m proud of the outlook I’ve been able to maintain throughout my life, to see the blessings in disguise.

With the demands that production brings, I noticed that I was starting to fall behind in my creative endeavors. Last summer I decided to sign up for art lessons and pick up charcoal drawing, a medium I enjoyed as a kid. It was my way of keeping me disciplined and allotting time in my schedule to be creative. It worked like a charm and now I can draw faces, something I’ve always wanted to learn. This summer I decided to branch out and explore stand up. I took a class in May and now I’m doing open mics and booking gigs! I hope that my art can provide a positive way to connect with audiences, whether it’s a painting, a play or a joke. My dad once told me that I have a sparkle and to never let anyone try to dim it. So, if I can use my artistic gifts to brighten someone’s day, then it’s time to let the light shine!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Allowing yourself to accept the gift of grace and find freedom through creative expression. I think it’s safe to say that a lot of us hold such high expectations for ourselves that we forget that part of the process is to fail and learn from our artistic risks.
Whether I’m figure drawing, or working on a joke, I’m aiming to give myself more grace and embrace the mistakes as an opportunity to grow. One day in art class I found myself in a tunnel, fixating on one specific component. I couldn’t look past it until I stood up from my easel and looked at it with a fresh perspective. I saw the big picture and was able to admire the features I was able to capture without a hitch. We’re so quick to get to the finish line and have a final product that we forget to enjoy the work in progress.

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

I was born with a preexisting heart condition and have had multiple surgeries spread out during my life. I call them oil changes to keep things lighthearted (No pun intended.)

I believe my resilience and my optimism was built by overcoming the challenges I’ve faced as a child, not really understanding what was wrong with my heart but having faith that it was going to be fixed.
Last fall I had one of my valves replaced, it was a very stressful and hectic period in my life. To my surprise, I needed the valve sooner than originally predicted and one thing kept happening after another. Scheduling, insurance, Covid, anything that could throw a wrench in the plan was thrown! It felt like the surgery was never going to come into fruition. By the grace of God, everything fell into place and the surgery was a major success. Being able to overcome the obstacles and find peace in the situation showcases my bravery, something that you’re not always able recognize in yourself until someone tells you “You’re a walking miracle!”

With my specific heart condition, patients are advised they will have a “sluggish” heart and become tired quicker than the average person. I am very fortunate that my ticker doesn’t keep me down. As a kid I was very shy about my condition but as an adult, I am more vocal and open to discuss my lifelong membership of the Zipper club.

During my time in the Disney College Program, I met a Make a Wish kid who ended up having the same heart condition as me. His mother and I were chatting while she held down a spot for the parade. Earlier in our interaction, I had given her son a Genie trading pin so he could start pin trading, a fun pastime at Disney. As we continued to chat, she revealed to me that he was about to have open heart surgery. Once we discovered that I shared the same condition with her son, we both burst into tears. Out of all the cast members/guests to talk to, that was a one in the million. You gotta love Disney Magic. I was a beacon of hope, living a full and active life. If that’s the kind of impact I can make by just being vulnerable, then let me lead my life with an open heart.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: lex_lutha13 & punnygirlpaints
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexi-wintermute