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

Hi Elmer, thanks for joining us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

I am absolutely happy as a creative. It’s honestly been one of my dreams growing up and to be able to do what I do now, has been an amazing experience so far.

I very recently had a moment where I went, “Why can’t I be normal and just go to college and get a normal job?” Which threw me for a loop, because I never once thought about my career in that way. It just randomly happened one day, and I genuinely got scared. Since then, I’ve been having a lot of inner turmoil about whether or not this creative journey was for me. But I very recently steeled my resolve and decided to go all in because this is what I truly want to do in life.

I’m still the furthest from being successful and especially where I want to be in life, but I don’t have any regrets with what I’ve done so far.

Elmer, 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?

Well, I’ve been making videos since I was around 4 or 5 years old. I’m a little unsure because some of the videos that I’ve made have become lost media, but I do vaguely remember I’ve been making videos my whole life. I did anything from self-filmed Nerf unboxing videos to Minecraft videos, to pointing a camera at whatever thing I thought was interesting at the time. This eventually led me to learning how to edit, make thumbnails, and do some light 3D rendering and VFX work. Which is where I discovered the world of filmmaking and travel vlogs. This niche part of YouTube was what got me into filmmaking in the first place and what would be the catalyst of where I am today as a filmmaker and photographer.

I currently do a lot of work in the music industry as a filmmaker and photographer with a lot of focus on concerts and music videos. I actually got my start in the music industry by a good friend of mine Rocco, who lifted me up and introduced me to the people around him. Since then, I’ve met incredible fellow creatives who understand who I am and where I come from as a creative. I’ve been told by a few people I’ve worked with on set, that the energy and knowledge I bring really uplifts the entire process. I’ve found myself to be a great assistant director, camera operator, and gaffer that brings a lot of technical knowledge on set, despite my lack of high end gear.

On the side, I do content creation as well. Everything in between short films, vlogs, gaming videos, and streams. Which is something I’ve always done growing up and something I never want to let go. This does sound like a lot of things to do all at once, which it is, but it’s something I’m learning to handle as I go. I love everything about content creation and the music industry as a whole, both of which I’ll continue to do hand in hand. Which I honestly think sets me apart from others. I’m breaking into multiple industries at a time, whether it be in music, content creation, and eventually I want to pursue music as an artist. I’m doing a lot all at once, because I love them all a lot.

The thing I’m most proud of is that everything I’ve done so far, has been undeniably me. It’s really easy to lose yourself in the process of doing great, and I have almost slipped off the mountain a few times, but I’m grateful to be surrounded by an incredibly supportive community. I haven’t looked at a project I’ve worked on so far and said to myself, “This doesn’t feel like me.” Sure there are a few where I look back and say, “I could’ve done better,” but I’ve never given up my artistic integrity, and I’m incredibly proud of that.

I’m a very nostalgic person, one proper look at my Instagram profile will easily scream out to you, “Eruma is a nostalgic person.” People say the feelings shine through in a lot of my work, which honestly makes sense. I’ve actually been told by a few people that they felt this strangely specific string of emotions when they look at a few of my short form videos, that oftentimes perfectly reflect how I was feeling when I created it. It’s strange, but when I think about it, I think that’s one of the highest forms of flattery. When the person viewing your art perfectly understands what you put into it. I like to think I put my soul into my art, which is why people feel what I felt when I make things.

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

There can never be enough stories and art. Which I guess stories are medium of art, but I feel like I have to make that distinction. Nonetheless, I want more people to share their stories and art. (For the sake of myself, I’ll just consolidate it to art from now on). I just started trying to pivot my socials in a direction where that message is a little more apparent. I don’t think enough people share their art because they’re afraid to be judged or that only the art that’s good enough should be shared. Which is a trap that I was stuck in for far too long. People deserve to do things casually and if that involves the various mediums of art, let them do it. Thoughts like that actually stunt the growth as creatives and is very harmful to people in general.

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.

The one thing that non-creatives can’t seem to understand about me, is the need to create something. It’s like if I’m not working on something that makes me feel a certain way, I’m actively dying. A little dramatic, I know, but it genuinely feels like that. They might be able to understand at a surface level, but it’s something that fellow creatives have related to as well. It’s hard to fully describe, but it just feels like if I can’t do something art-related, I’m just wasting my time on this Earth.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://eruma.my.canva.site
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erumasglue/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elmer-ferraren-b6918518b/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@erumasglue

Image Credits
Elmer Ferraren (me)