We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dulce Mejía Morales a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Dulce, thanks for joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

When I was in elementary school, I made an illustration book of original fashion designs and the last page was my biography. In it I wrote: “I want to be an artist when I grow up.” It really speaks to me that I didn’t specify that if I wanted to be a filmmaker, painter, singer, writer, performer, etc. I simply knew I was going to be an artist. Now in retrospect, I can definitely say that my love for the arts has been greatly influenced by the trajectory of my childhood when growing up in different countries that taught me to cherish the cultural richness that surrounds me.

Now as a freelance director/producer and production designer , I see myself subconsciously gravitating towards past art hobbies such as painting, music, performance, poetry, etc. more than ever before which illustrates the cyclical nature of art. It just feels like the pursuit of this artistic path has always been meant to find me one way or another. Recently, I have found a calling to expand my art past the screen and into the live events setting such as museum exhibitions or concert scenic design.

A motto I’ve been telling myself is: my art is an act of service. It’s not about me, but rather the bigger pictures that lies past the monitor staring back at us on set. If my purpose in life is to serve others by creating space for our shared love of the arts, then I’d be the luckiest person in the world to call that both a profession and passion.

Dulce, 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?

*Bio:
Dulce Mejía Morales (she/her) is an interdisciplinary artist who was born in El Salvador and raised on Long Island, New York. Her love for the arts is influenced by the rich world views she’s encountered when living in North, Central, and South America. Dulce is a filmmaker who explores the subtlety of human connection and spatial storytelling through surrealist world-building captured through a docufiction lens.

She is currently pursuing a Film & Television Production degree with a personal interest in architecture, exhibition design, and anthropological research.

*Creative Services:
– Directing/Creative Directing/Producing
– Production Design
– 2nd AC
– Sound Design
– Installation/Scenic Design
– Projection Mapping

*What sets me apart / I am the most proud of:
My background in music, drawing, dance, fashion and architecture allows me to understand and communicated with creatives of different disciplines. I also have a knack for taking on big scale projects regardless of the constraints of production challenges (budget, conflicting shooting schedules, remote editing, etc.) due to my experience as a director/producer. My ambition and care for a project and its people really highlights a personal priority to encourage healthy collaboration amongst cast/crew. All I ask from my peers is mutual respect because it really does carry a production we can all be proud of to the finish line.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Last year, I mainly dedicated myself to building up my directing/producing portfolio which was very fulfilling from a career standpoint. However, lately I’ve been more inclined to be a part of something rather than make something for myself if that makes sense.

During the end of last year, I was 2nd ACing on a short film about how dance embodies an act of defiance towards the Iranian regime that has banned the artistic form of self-expression altogether within public spaces. I feel like there is a great sense of individualism seeping through the cracks of several international governments despite their so-called embodiment of ‘democracy’ and its calls for the people to stand for each other and with each other. Filmmaking is one of the most influential forms of public engagement through audiovisual media that can subconsciously have an impression on someone’s psyche and start conversations that encourage a natural exchange of opinions. As I continue exploring my creative journey, I aspire to gravitate towards projects that deal with women’s reproductive health, immigration rights, indigenous studies, environmental law, etc. At this point in time, it unfortunately can get difficult separating fact vs. fiction. I’d like to still live in a world that honors truth through the documentation of the lived experience which can be done through filmmaking, thus being a gift that we the people can offer to ourselves and the generations to come.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I truly do think that an artist is the most free when their inner child feels seen and appreciated. After-school extracurriculars and local art workshops inspired extreme curiosity in my upbringing and its something I’m trying to get back into adulthood now when being on lookout for pottery workshops for example. I also think that encouraging debate-like conversations at a young age would help children feel comfortable in learning to find their voice that they can learn to physicalize through different artistic mediums as they continue exploring self-autonomy later in life. I’m currently taking a video art course at Roski School of Art and Design that has really shown me the value of class critique, pushing the boundaries of my own work into the uncharted yet thrilling territory of performance art. Lastly, we need to keep third places alive. Please. Cafes that turn into music venues in the evening or gardens that become outdoor screening areas are spots that support small businesses and independent artists on the rise at the same time. Art has always been about uplifting the unspoken, so I find great impact in the power of numbers which can be found in third places filled with like-minded people as delighted to see our creative ecosystem thrive in all of its glory!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://dulcemejiamorales.squarespace.com/
• Instagram: @_dulcinema_ (film account) + @heyyooosweet (personal account)
• Youtube: @_dulcinema_

Image Credits

There are a few people to credit, so I could I get back to you on that so I can double check please? Thank you!