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

Hi Daniela, thanks for joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

Four days after I graduated college, I packed up my life from a little town north of Corpus Christi, TX and moved to Austin, TX. No concrete job prospects, no certainty or any ideas of how I was going to turn my Communication (with an emphasis on Media Production) degree into a career. Just me, my loving and supportive boyfriend, a surprisingly (and kinda depressingly) small amount of belongings, and the over-inflated confidence of a gal freshly graduated. I was convinced I was gonna run ATX one day, and I can proudly say that today, I am not and probably never going to.
But at least I’m not being crushed by it.
Four days after I moved into a tiny one bedroom apartment in Cedar Park (I absolutely could not afford to live in the city), I got my first gig as a Production Assistant for a commercial for a product that I do not even rememeber. But I remember the feeling I had of stepping onto a professional set for the first time.
The director was smoking weed, G&E (grip and electric for those who are not in the industry) was setting up, and the Production Manager–who I had been emailing back and forth for weeks trying to convince him to let me have a job–immediately sent me out on a Starbucks run for The Client AKA the execs paying for this whole thing.
When I came back, everyone was in a panic. Production realized they needed a hand model for this particular shot and I shit you not, they took a fleeting glance at my hands and asked if I–the new PA whom no one knew or cared about–wanted to be on camera (not me me, but my hands). I said yes, of course.
My first day on a real set, and suddenly, I was being given a manicure (God, I love manicures) and a $200 bump.
And that’s how I became a hand/foot model.
Just kidding.
But that gig became the first of many that eventually turned into short films, music videos, then television and movies. It turned from being a coffee run PA to a Production Coordinator, to an indie 1st AD back to a PA working full time on a popular television series where I’m completing my days to become a DGA certified 1st AD (that means way bigger jobs, and way bigger paychecks).
It didn’t happen all at once, of course not, I wouldn’t to oversell the amount of blood, sweat and tears it took to get where I am right now and I’m STILL not where I want to be. I’m growing, I’m learning, and I’m taking every opportunity–risky or not–to become the best version of myself.
And it would have never happened if I hadn’t taken the risk of shoving the entirety of my childhood and life into the back of my car and moving to Austin.
I may never get there–wherever “there” is–and if the cautious realist in me is being honest, I probably never will. My standards and goals are too high. But the stubborn bitch in me will never give up until I’ve pushed the limitations as far as they will go.
It’s scary and hard and very, very risky. There’s no guarantee I’ll make it, no guarantee I’ll become a best selling author or an accomplished Assistant Director, but if there’s one thing I know for certain is that:
Sometimes, when faced with a risk, not taking the risk is as big of a risk as just doing the damn thing.

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.

If you’re reading this far, you now know that my hands are forever out there in the world, on some commercial for some project I do not remember (I’m so sorry, I know that’s bad, I think it was for a phone app???). In my defense, I really needed the extra $200 and having a manicure thrown in FOR FREE was the deal of a lifetime. I will admit though, I was starstruck (Star-blind? Star-hungry??) Basically, I wanted my fifteen minutes of fame, okay?
You see, my dad was an actor. He did telenovelas and to me, that was the coolest thing ever.
I started off wanting to be an actress.
And I was–kinda. I went on auditions, I got the headshots, I’m pretty sure at one point I even had an agent??
I was going to be Disney’s next child star.
I landed my big role in a Mexican rip-off of Power Rangers TV series. I don’t even think the project took off. All I really remember about it was auditioning for the role of the Pink “Power Ranger” (can I even say that without getting in trouble? Are there gonna be copyright issues?). I still remember memorizing my lines that were all in Spanish. I didn’t even know what I was saying, I didn’t speak Spanish and I still don’t.
ANYWAYS, I digress.
The point is, after that failed, my dreams of becoming an actress faded pretty quick. But I had always loved film. Not necessarily watching films for the sake of analyzing them (please do not ask me about directors or cinematographers, I don’t know anything remotely insightful. My favorite movie is Dirty Dancing for Godsake, my taste in movies is trash and I’m proud of it).
I just loved the way film made me feel. I loved the idea of creating something that was beautiful and relatable, creating stories that strangers could connect with and in turn, could connect with each other. There’s a reason “what’s your favorite movie/book/song/artist?” is the most asked question on a first date. People want to connect, they want to find common ground, they want to bond. And there is nothing that bonds people together quite like the arts.
Love for storytelling quickly turned into story-writing.
Yeah, that’s right folks, I wrote fanfiction at one point. We all do it. Nothing to be ashamed about. Honest to God, I think my Jonas Brothers’ fanfic is still out there somewhere in the world; like my hands in that commercial and that one guy who thought ripping off Power Rangers was a good idea.
That’s how I became a writer. My cringey love that teetered on borderline obsession with Nick Jonas turned into real love and passion for writing. Nick, if you’re reading this, I still love you, and I owe my entire writing career to you. Tell Priyanka I said hi.
That love eventually manifested an idea, and that idea turned into a shitty first draft, and that shitty first draft turned into a Young Adult Fantasy book that I self-published January 1st, 2021.
Say My Name (No, not like that one Destiny’s Child song, and no, you’re not the first to bring that reference up).

Listen, I’ve lived a rather short life. I’m only twenty-six, but there are many things I’ve done that I’m proud of.
I celebrate the little wins as much as the big ones–it’s how I’ve learned to appreciate myself as a person who is constantly growing and learning and maturing. Celebrate the little things. Celebrate waking up five minutes before your alarm clock, celebrate getting that promotion. Hell, celebrate the losses too. Every failure makes you a better person if you have enough self-awareness to learn and grow from them.

But I’ve never been as proud of myself as I was when I published Say My Name. I don’t know if it’s good, it probably isn’t (Goodreads user Samantha gave it a very generous one star) but God, it is the best thing I’ve ever done.
It’s a book I wrote on my phone while I was working 16 hour days on a production. It’s a book that occupied all my weekends as I holed up in a cafe until they kicked me out at closing time. It’s the book I showed to friends and family, embarrassed but weirdly confident. It’s the book I learned the most from. It’s the book I turn to when I’m writing something new and I feel like the worst writer in the world. I just flip to a page, cringe and say “yeah, maybe I’m a bad writer, but at least I’m not THAT bad anymore” (I bet I’m doing a fantastic job selling you guys on this book, huh?).
It’s the book I’ve learned the most from and it’s the one thing that keeps me going sometimes. It’s a reminder of how far I’ve come, what I’ve accomplished, and how much further I want (and can and will) go.

It’s book one out of four. Book two, Say Anything, is complete and being edited and I plan to publish it sometime this year or maybe early next year. I hope that if I haven’t scared you off yet, and I haven’t completely turned you off from it, you buy a copy and leave three or four stars (five stars would be amazing but only if you like it, obviously) just to show Goodreads user Samantha that she is totally WRONG!!

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

In the film/television industry, you as an individual, go through periods of time when you abso-fucking-lutely hate your job. Working 16+ hour days in the heat, in the cold, in the rain, in the middle of nowhere without any phone service–you really, REALLY begin to doubt why you thought being in the industry was even worth it in the first place. And that’s everyone, I think. You could be a PA and hate it, you could be a producer and hate it. You could be the lead actor getting paid millions, getting your ass kissed left and right, and STILL hate it. Because this industry is glamourized. It’s viewed with rose-tinted glasses. It looks so pretty and so fun and it churns out these amazing final products, so much so that people seem to forget what it took to get there. But that’s not the case for me. I’m lucky enough to be working on a production that is literally the dream job and I’m not just saying that in case my bosses are reading this (Hi guys!).
We’re working reasonable hours, we get weekends off, and every single crew and cast member is kinder than the last.
However, I’m human. Sometimes I’m dramatic and sometimes, I still have doubts that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.
But then, magic happens (blegh, so cheesy, I’m so sorry). We do this cool stunt, or we’re at this super amazing location or someone simply thanks me for this one thing I think no one even noticed and suddenly, I can’t even remember why I was having second thoughts.
I can’t even begin to tell you how amazing it feels when you’re a lowly PA and the 1st AD comes up to you, pats you on the back and says, “you did really great”. Even better when they criticize you, which makes me sounds like a psychotic masochist, but there’s a perfect saying for overbearing mothers and 1st ADs: they wouldn’t criticize you if they didn’t care.
And it’s true, to an extent. Production Assistants are the future ADs and when the AD, especially one as successful as the one I work for, takes the time to teach you an important lesson, it’s hard not to feel like they see something in you. That you might just make it in this biz after all. They’re trusting you, they believe in you. It always seems, when I’m doubting myself the most, am I reminded I belong here.
It’s the same with writing.
No one tells you that self-doubt and confidence are one in the same, and fear is the driving force. Self-doubt is just fear you’ll fail, or make a fool of yourself. Fear is the little voice in the back of your head saying you can’t do it. Confidence is just telling the ever-lingering fear to go fuck itself despite all that.
I was happy enough to say I finished writing a book. But I had been querying it for months, looking for an agent, and had no takers. Fear took the wheel, turning my confidence into self-doubt. That is, until a coworker and dear friend read the first chapter and quite literally said to me: “what are you doing here? You should be writing.”
YEAH, YOU’RE RIGHT, I thought, WHAT THE FUCK AM I DOING HERE??
Thus, started the journey of self-publishing Say My Name.
Sure, agents weren’t interested in my book, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t interesting. It just wasn’t what THEY were looking for. But that didn’t mean NO ONE was looking for it. Just because no one wanted to publish my book didn’t mean it was never going to be published. It just meant I was going to have to do it myself (remember when I said I was a stubborn bitch?).
Now, don’t get me wrong. I still have a lot of doubts about literally everything. If you were in my poor boyfriend’s shoes, you’d witness a very manic Daniela leaning back on her chair, arms behind her head saying “God damn, I’m SUCH a good writer,” and a very depressed Daniela crying face first in the bed she hasn’t moved from sobbing, “I’m the worst writer in the whole world” ALL in a span of a day.
I am scared all the time. I take a step forward with my head held high all while my brain is screaming, “OH MY GOD, I’M A FRAUD, I’M THE WORST, I’LL NEVER AMOUNT TO ANYTHING.”
But, weirdly, that’s one of the most rewarding aspects about being a writer/filmmaker. I’m afraid I’ll never be good enough, I’ll never do enough, but I’ll never let my fear get in the way.
I have too many stories, too many projects, too many characters that need to see the light of day one way or another.
I have too much to say.
I have too much to prove and a lot of supportive people who believe I can do it.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

If you’ve read this far, I truly commend you. If it sounds like I’ve been lecturing you this entire time, it’s because I am.
After all, you’re the one who clicked on this interview.
Maybe you have an interest in writing, or filmmaking, or maybe you thought my picture is super cute and you’re falling in love with me (omg, stop <3).
Jokes aside, I’m lecturing you because that’s my mission. Writing and filmmaking are not for the faint of heart. It takes a lot of sacrifice and dedication that I’m not sure everyone has and that’s okay. Because why would you sacrifice your wellbeing for something you’re feeling lukewarm about? You really, really have to love it. And not to be mean or harsh, but it’s never gonna love you the way you hope it will.
Filmmaking, writing–creativity in general–is cruel and hard and sometimes leaves you feeling like you are the miserable ex still clinging onto a dead relationship.
But, if you love it, if reading this hasn’t made you think “wow, this girl is crazy af, there’s no way I want to be like her” (or maybe it has but you’re just as crazy and you still want to do it) then I hope you listen to me.
You can’t be in it for the money.
No amount of money will ever be worth the misery you subject yourself to.
But money will also never amount to the joy and pride you’ll experience creating something that is your own.
Confusing, I know.
You might be thinking, “Daniela, you’re giving me very conflicting answers”
WELL GOOD.
It is conflicting.
Remember what I said about self-doubt and confidence? CONFLICT, CONFLICT, CONFLICT.
I’m one of the lucky ones, okay? I have friends and family who love and support me and really, truly think I can make something of myself.
But not everyone has that. You may not have that.
I want to be that person for you–that’s my mission.
If you are interested in writing or filmmaking, I want to be real with you cause sometimes, for the sake of being nice, some people lie to you. I know I’ve been lied to. And it wasn’t helpful, it wasn’t kind. It made things harder.
Long, long story short: my goal is to write meaningful stories, to connect with people in ways I haven’t before. And my mission is to tell you that if you feel the same, if you want the same, I’m here to help you. I’m here to tell you to keep going. Push through the bad and the good. Accept the struggle, and celebrate the failure. It means you’re getting somewhere. Never stop trying to be better. Always try to grow and learn as a person, to listen to others’ stories, to help those who are struggling (because wouldn’t it be nice if someone helped you when you are struggling?).
That’s it.
Everything sucks, and you need to appreciate it because when it doesn’t suck–and I promise, it won’t suck forever–you’ll look back and feel grateful.
I know I do.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatevaella__/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/__dacampos
• Other: https://www.amazon.com/Say-My-Name-Daniela-Campos-ebook/dp/B08RWWXFPR/ref=mp_s_a_1_15?dchild=1&keywords=say+my+name&qid=1609604058&sr=8-15