We were lucky to catch up with Andres Mendoza recently and have shared our conversation below.
Andres, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s kick things off with a hypothetical question – if it were up to you, what would you change about the school or education system to better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career?
Aside from producing and and acting I also work full time as an English Language Arts at a local high school. I think one thing that would allow for students to prepare for a more fulfilling life and career is allowing them to understand that is not about the material we are seeing during any particular unit, but about the skill learned and the ability to create your own thoughts.
In my life I have seen students and parents alike wonder if reading a book, or writing a complete sentence will really make a difference. My answer is always, yes. It is not about the answer, it’s about the skill to communicate efficiently. Whether this is through a work meeting, or through a movie/show project we might be working on, effective communication is essential.
Andres, 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?
My name is Andy Mendoza, and I got into producing through the kindness and support of my friends. I simply auditioned for a role in a local movie production, little did I know that I would meet some of the most amazing people in my life. Together we aim to tell stories that are not only meaningful to us, but are also a reflection of everyday human life. Arthur Miller aimed to reflect that the common person was just a capable of living a tragic life as kings and warries. We believe this. We know that everyone is capable of living a life worth sharing about. While we might not be able to interview every person in the planet, we are capable of writing about our common experience. Losing someone we love, trying to make it in the world and leaving our mark, or simply overcoming an obstacle. We want to tell cool stories, peop[e will be able to see themselves in.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The best part about being creative, is having a way to share my thoughts, ideas, and life experiences with others. Whether this is on screen or in the classroom, being able to be creative and being allowed to share it with others is rewarding beyond believe. Not only do I get to tell other what is on my mind, I also get to hear what they have to say about it. Not every form of criticism I receive is a praise, but that is perfectly fine, having a real critique of my work allows me to work harder and find new ways to reach my audience.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
I want to share my story with everyone. I want everyone to know that through hard work and dedication it is possible to overcome obstacles. This is not to say that every journey is easy, mine sure wasn’t, but I keep sight of what is important to me. I know I have not made it to the end yet, I know that there is still a long way to go, but I also see the progress that I made from where I started with a dream as a 10 year old kid, to where I am now. This is what I want other to see, and if just one person is inspired by my journey I’ll know I have lived a good productive life.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @mchief_28
