We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jeremaine Luber. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jeremaine below.
Jeremaine, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?
My parents met in nursing school in Metro Manila, Philippines back in the summer of 1990. Though they experienced getting an education, both of them didn’t exactly have the wealthiest upbringing. My dad grew up in Quezon City and my mom moved around Manila in her teenage years. Like most Asian children, they worked hard all throughout school to be successful and inherited perseverance skills from their parents. When they had me, it wasn’t exactly planned. So when you’re in your mid-twenties and focused on getting your career into gear, you don’t exactly have raising a kid as part of your life plan.
I was a sickly kid when I was younger, asthmatic to say the least. My mom would always tell me that she would always bring me to the emergency room every week. At this point, the doctor advised her that I was unfit to live in a tropical country and It would help with my asthma to live in a colder climate due to my health condition. By knowing this information and with my parents both scraping by to make ends meet with a toddler, my mom knew we had to move abroad. I was very excited because it was a means for me to live abroad and who wouldn’t want that when they’re young?
From there, we moved to the UK. I was 8 years old and my parents were in their early 30s. My parents decided to start an entirely new life. From what my mom told me, there was no money to be made in the Philippines which is why most people live in poverty, even to this day. They worked as nurses in the NHS within the London borough. Everything was all new to us, the language, the culture and the day-to-day life. We were thousands of miles away from immediate family and close friends, so it was hard at first to say the least. I feel like every immigrant family can relate to this feeling of having to assimilate yourselves to an entire new culture.
After settling in for eight years in the UK, we decided to do the same thing again and move to Vancouver, Canada. The cycle started again; getting to know the culture, starting a new job or school and making new friends. Contrary to how I first felt when we moved to London, at that point, I was tired of moving. I didn’t want to leave my best friends behind and I was happy with living there. I remember telling my mom how I was feeling and her reply to me was “It’s part of life, anak.” (“Anak” means “child” in Tagalog). I didn’t understand at the time, I felt sad and angry. However, little did I know, moving to Vancouver would change all of our lives for the better. For me, to say the least, it’s where I discovered my creative passions that I do now. It’s where I started to explore dance, art and film. I also made life-long friends there who have also impacted me to who I am today.
I can make a list of things that my parents did right, but the one thing that stands out to me to this day is that my parents showed me to go towards the unknown even when you’re not sure what’s on the other side. My parents are risk-takers and the hardest working people I’ve ever met in my life. They taught me to always go for my dreams and take initiative in the work I set out to do. They also taught me to be bold and that it’s ok to make mistakes, which has helped me with my process as an artist to this day. Now that I’m older, I’ve learnt to follow their philosophy and go towards anything I want to do even when I’m unsure. I am super grateful that I got to live on three different continents. I got to experience multiple ways of life from such a young age and it translates directly to my life today. I owe it to my parents for inspiring me and being my true pioneers of going towards the unknown.
Jeremaine, 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 is Jeremaine Luber. I am a Filipina interdisciplinary artist, dancer, actress and filmmaker currently living in Toronto, Ontario.
Involved in a variety of work through art, dance and film; I continue my exploration by connecting to my audience with relatable and diverse life experiences, illustrating that every narrative is valuable and worth telling. I draw inspiration from my Southeast Asian ancestry, movies, music, and nature, which I incorporates into my whole body of work.
I attended British Columbia Institute of Technology where I acquired my Graphic Design Diploma; as well as graduating from the Fashion Marketing program at Blanche Macdonald Center. Throughout my 10+ years of dance training; I have trained in several cities including Vancouver, New York, Los Angeles and London, UK.
I am passionate about utilizing my voice to encourage and motivate other Filipinx to cultivate their own stories in the art and entertainment industry. Through inspiration, my mission is to inspire others to gain knowledge of their true potential so it may radiate through their work and the community.
When I am not working, I enjoy reading books about personal growth, watching films, and attending dance classes. I like to combine my art, dancing, and acting skills to do work that contributes towards a positive impact through community and international collaboration.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
One of my main mission is to create space for Filipino creatives to thrive in the industry, whether it be by myself or through collaboration. Filipinos are extremely talented and the world deserves to experience what we have to offer. I truly believe that there is no better time than now.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
As a creative, you’re working 24/7. Most people think that as an artist you have more time in the day but that’s not necessarily the case. When you have a 9-5 job, you can just clock out and tune out of work until you’re back the next day However, as a working artist, I find that your life becomes your work, which is not necessarily a bad thing. I feel that as artists, we’re always working on something; whether that’s preparing for auditions, working on your own projects or administrative work. For me, even when I’m not working per se, I still love to learn and be inspired by what’s happening around me through films, books, podcasts etc. What I learn translates towards my work and I truly enjoy the entire process. The work of a creative never stops. It goes without saying that if you truly love what you do, it will never feel like work and I hope people can experience it for at least one point in their lives.
Contact Info:
- Website: jeremaineluber.com
- Instagram: jemzluber
Image Credits
Film Stills 1 & 2: – Short film “Tambal”, Director: Nicolynne Bonoan, Cinematographer: Alec Holbrough Artwork: – Created and edited by Jeremaine Luber Photographs: – Tina Simaika – Melissa Lam Tote bag: Collaboration with Rebearthed https://rebearthed.ca