We recently connected with Chris Louis and have shared our conversation below.
Chris, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
When I was in college, I was conflicted about the career path I wanted to take. I thought I wanted to be a pediatrician, and that shifted to wanting to be a clinical psychologist. At the time, I believed that I was supposed to have a career that made my family happy, but I knew I wasn’t happy pursuing anything outside of the arts. It was my dream.
After my second year, I decided to change my major to Theatre Arts. It was then that I realized that I wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally. Recognizing the gifts that God gave me, I catered to my desire and made the brave decision to move across the country to Los Angeles in the summer of 2016 to do just that.
Chris, 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?
My name’s Chris Louis, and I’m originally from Massachusetts. I’m Haitian-American, and the youngest of six. As a very young child, I started singing & dancing, and I became really good at it. I also loved theatre, and that allowed me to fall in love with acting. I would perform on stage, and it brought out such a fulfilling energy that I never wanted to stop feeling. It became undeniable that I would end up leading a life pursuing something creative. Even when I would work at certain jobs, or just go out to certain places, people would just look at me and assume that I was some sort of creative/artist.
Growing up, I would pay attention to television shows and movies, as well as music videos and live performances that featured some of the greatest in the entertainment industry. I was inspired to see myself being among the greats, having the same impact as they do and creating meaningful art/content that would inspire, entertain, and even save lives. I didn’t have certain privileges or opportunities that others had, but that didn’t diminish the love I have for being an artist. There are many people who believe in me, which is conducive to how I operate even when the odds are against me, and I’ll forever be grateful for that.
My mission is to create opportunities and open doors for others like myself, and to give back to communities all over the world in the best way I can. I’m proud of where I come from and where I am now, and I’m really excited to see how much further I can go.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
It takes a certain level of mental fortitude to be on this creative journey. It’s not as glamorous and positive as it may look sometimes. There are a lot of us who have moved far from our comfort zones to live out our dreams, and that in itself takes a certain level of courage and faith. Unless you’re an established name making millions and have the freedom to work when you want to, most of us as creatives still live regular lives and are working regular jobs to take care of ourselves and bills, so having time for things like vacations or out of town visits isn’t always available to us. Regardless of some of the work we may have out on major streaming networks, or the amount of followers we have on social media, the idea that we’ve so-called “made it big” isn’t always part of our reality.
There are many days when we face rejection and roadblocks, go through slow seasons where we have little to no work coming in, experience inconveniences that shift our entire creative process, and ultimately, life continues to impact our priorities and how we make decisions. Most times, things are out of our control, but we learn to be adjustable to our circumstances, even though we may have had our hearts set on things happening a certain way. Also, just because we may live in a city or an environment where it’s natural to encounter celebrities, it doesn’t always mean we have access to connect with them or even the people they’re affiliated with. Sometimes, it doesn’t pay to even be slightly related to someone famous. That’s why they say it’s important to network across instead of trying to network up. This life is a constant rollercoaster, where we could have some of the best days we’re ever going to have, and some of the worst days as well. The important thing to remember is to keep God first in everything you do.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
I think what’s rewarding about being a creative is that our work can be relatable, even if it’s just to one person. The idea that what we do as creatives can make people smile, laugh, cry, feel empowered, believe in things, is rewarding in itself. As a creative, to see our work go from a thought in our minds, to something that people can actually view and enjoy, is an incredible feeling.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @c.louisofficial
- Facebook: Chris Louis
- Twitter: @CLouisOfficial
- Other: imdb.me/chrislouis
Image Credits
Sean Boyd Eli Estes Nicholas Hernandez Sean Kara Chris Morgan William Rosary Chris Rouse