We recently connected with Dina Laura and have shared our conversation below.

Dina, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

For starters, they had me, ha! Seriously, I’m so grateful they brought me into this world. I feel equally grateful that my parents were both teachers, because I learned the value of education from day one. And not just in a formal school setting. Learning can occur anywhere—even while standing on line at the supermarket, because believe me, that has happened to me! But it’s all about balance, which reminds me of a time in high school I woke up in the middle of the night to study for a test the next day. (And this was a test I had already spent hours preparing for earlier in the evening.) So there I was… underneath my covers with a flashlight, because I didn’t want anyone to wake up. But of course my mom DID, and she knocked on my door, telling me to go back to bed. You gotta love working so hard, that even your parents are telling you to take it down a notch! I don’t regret it, though, because my thirst for knowledge has helped me so much as an artist. I’ve studied acting with amazing teachers like Matthew Corozine and Bill Roudebush; I coach weekly with my career guru Tessa Faye; and I’ve worked on my writing at the Sundance Collab. I’m always looking for new opportunities to learn and grow.

The importance of a solid work ethic is the other thing my parents taught me. My dad had three jobs when I was growing up. He would teach during the day, and then go to his night job, and on the weekends he had yet another job. I truly admire how hard he worked to make sure his family was always taken care of. I often wear multiple hats too, simultaneously writing a script, while doing voiceovers and acting in a play. I even did publicity for indie rock bands at one point. So when people say to me, “You are the hardest working person I know,” I smile and think of my parents.

Dina, 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?

Art was always a part of my life. I mean, there was no way to avoid it. My mom was a pianist, classically trained, and her father played piano by ear—amazingly I might add. My father was also a trumpet player in his younger years, and my brother was an incredible drummer. We were certainly a musical family, and I didn’t mind in the slightest! I started playing piano when I was 7, and was an accompanist for the high school choir and additionally played the French horn and clarinet in concert band. However, there was also a love for performing on stage, sans instruments. I still remember being a member of the Lollipop Guild in the “Wizard of Oz” when I was in 7th grade! I was mesmerized watching the actress who portrayed Dorothy, all the while wondering how I could be just like her. Eventually, acting and singing started overshadowing my ambitions to be a musician, and thus a musical theater performer was born. I was fortunate to be in some great musicals over the years, but I’d have to say the most memorable experience was being part of the Angel City Four in “City of Angels”. It was a quartet, where we sang these really tight jazz harmonies and functioned as a sort of Greek chorus in the show. It was truly the most challenging singing I’ve ever done.

And as my life has typically worked, one thing has always led me to the next, and my musical theater career brought me to Matthew Corozine Studios in NYC. It’s a place where I found a home with non-musical acting as well as where I began my writing career. Truthfully, my mom said my writing began during childhood. I still have handmade books I created as a kid, but it wasn’t until I was at MCS that I started writing dialogue. My first play, “on the rocks”—co-written with Mina Radhakrishnan—was born out of Matthew Corozine Studios. Over a decade later, people will approach me and comment on how that play changed something in their own relationship. For me, hearing that you touched someone’s life is the absolute greatest thing in the world! It’s why I do what I do.

And I think it’s probably all of those things that make me different from other people. My path has never been a straight line. It zig zags, and at times twists all over the place, as I explore different outlets. After all, I don’t know many people who would jump into being a music publicist while still pursuing acting and writing! But the door to PR just opened for me, and I was courageous enough to walk through it. And the people/networking skills I gained from walking through that door has made me a more well-rounded artist. And boy, can I ever write a fantastic press release for any of my projects when they are ready to launch! So even when I take a detour like publicity, I’m proud of my ability to take everything I’ve learned and bring it with me into my next endeavor.

It’s certainly been quite a journey. But through it all, I’ve always been an artist and it continues to be the only thing I want to be.

What do you find most rewarding about being creative?

Seeing the projects you create come to fruition. For each of my projects, I can look back to the first moment I had an idea—a seed that I wanted to plant and hopefully grow into something meaningful. There’s something amazing about seeing the beginning, middle and end of a project—though as a writer, I will say nothing is ever truly done. But oh, can that middle part be hard! There are so many one step forward/two steps back moments, which are so frustrating. But all of those labor pains are where the greatest growth occurs, and can lead to some awesome creative output—that’s the goal anyway.

For example, I was so thrilled when my play “Elephants and Other Worldly Dilemmas” debuted at the New York International Fringe Festival and went on to win Fringe Fav. Yet, I don’t want to forget the fact that the play simply started from something a coworker said about water cleanses in the waiter station at my restaurant. (True story). The seed was planted from that conversation, and the journey began. And with any project, there were moments where I wanted to toss my computer out the window! But those struggles made me stronger. Recently, my first short film “Pillow Talk” premiered at the Garden State Film Festival in Asbury Park, NJ, and I was so honored to have people I love, as well as complete strangers, enjoy the fruits of my labor. It reminds me that all of those ups and downs I go through to finally be able to share my work with others, are always worth it.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Keeping things fresh and recognizing the journey is never done. The minute you think to yourself, “I’m where I need to be” in terms of your career and/or talent, the game is over. Because the truth is, you’re never done. As I said earlier, there is always more to learn or a new challenge to discover. Every new person I meet is an opportunity to gain knowledge and insights that help me be a better and more well rounded person. Art is creative sharing, and having open dialogues with others allows you to explore different perspectives and insights. Some of my best ideas have come from simply talking to another person and feeling the light bulb go off in my head. People are so inspiring! You just have to talk to them openly and honestly.

In terms of goals outside of spiritual growth, I am currently in pre-production for my short film “No Place Is Home”, about a homeless woman and a homeschooled teen who share a sandwich in the woods and talk about the meaning of home. We’re shooting this summer in and around where I grew up in New Jersey. It’s a lot of work, but super exciting. Anyone who’d like to check out our fundraising campaign for the film can find us at indiegogo.com and search for the title “No Place Is Home”.

As for scripts in development, I would love to get my pilot “She/Hero” produced. It’s about two middle aged best friends, one transgender, who suddenly find themselves with super powers after drinking a magical bottle of wine in the family bar. Additionally, I did a project in 2021 called “Connection 365”, where I talked to a different person every single day over Zoom–no days off. It was definitely a big undertaking, but so rewarding. I’m currently writing a book about my experiences, and it would be wonderful to get it published when it’s complete. The book aims to be an exploration about connection and how we’re still able to find it it in this ever evolving world we’re living in.

I think that’s what all artists want at the end of the day. Connection. And there’s no better way to find it than through your art!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.dinalaura.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dinarenelaura/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DinaReneLaura
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwj_0OMYHkAnlNP2EN-lt-g
• Other: No Place Is Home: https://www.noplaceishome.com