We were lucky to catch up with Joshua Diolosa recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Joshua, 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.

My whole life has been a risk. When I was a teenager I found out that during my mom’s pregnancy with me she was told she should have an abortion. That stuck with me. I always figured if God wants me here it must be for something worth being alive for. That way of thinking began my life-long pursuit of the extraordinary. My goal is to be as unsafe as possible, because I don’t believe our purpose is to be safe and comfortable. Safe and comfortable is for the average. Those who live their days filled with risk are the ones who shake up the world. As someone who believes in an afterlife, I know that my decisions echo in eternity. I constantly ask myself if what I’m doing will cause a thunderous reverberation worthy of the life I’ve been given, or am I sending out a quiet moan of desperation. For me, it comes down to, “Am I living, or simply existing?” This has been the driving force in my life. This is what I’m teaching my children to ask themselves. God uses the broken who are willing to take a risk. I’m certainly broken. Beaten down, bloodied on the ground, I’m the one getting up and ready to always take the next risk. I don’t know how it’ll all play out, but I have tenacity in extreme measure. I can’t really explain why, but I’ve always had hope for my future. I don’t know where it comes from, or why the optimism persists through countless roadblocks, rejection, and depression. I figure if I keep kicking at the door, eventually it’ll break through. I’ll emerge from the splintered opening, bloody and pissed off, ready to take on the next thing. Anyone who is a creative and who fosters that creativity is taking a risk. The vulnerability can be excruciating. I take a risk with every song I write and every scene I do as an actor. I risk the world seeing me for who I really am. No masks, no filters. I don’t ever completely get it right, but life is never completely right, so why should art be? Having kids is a big risk too. You’re continuing your line, your blood. If you’re not careful, you’re also continuing your trauma. That shit moves through the bloodline. It has to be taken care of. Addressing it takes a lot of balls. You’ve got to stare that shit in the eye and deal with it, otherwise your children will carry it. That takes vulnerability, courage, risk. I’ve been dealing with that for a while now. The interesting thing is that my work as an artist is being positively affected by it. I think life is about striving for the unknown. It’s a constant risk to live that way, but in the unknown is where adventure is. Getting comfortable with the unknown allows me to always be growing as an artist, and ultimately as a person. That’s really what it all comes down to; what kind of person do I want to be? Safe or alive?

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I was always an artistically creative person. I grew up in a household and a family surrounded by music and movies. Several people in my family are musicians, but I’m the first actor as far as I know. During my college years I was on a different path heading towards a career that I probably would’ve enjoyed, but it wouldn’t ever have been enough for me. I would’ve always felt like something was missing. Things shifted after I got my master’s degree. I made the decision to completely pursue a career in the arts. I’ve been beating my head against the wall ever since. Writing music, making noise wherever anyone will let me, auditioning, acting on stage and screen whenever I can.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I think the life of a person pursuing an artistic career of any kind is the very definition of resilience. The majority of an artist’s life, who isn’t at the top of their field, is rejection. A lot of A-list actors even had to start their own production companies in order to tell the kinds of stories they wanted to tell because the studios wouldn’t be interested. Almost every day there’s a point when I wonder why the hell I keep doing it. Then I think about the alternative and I remember that I feel compelled to do this. I feel like it’s my purpose. God gives us talents, but it’s our job to steward those talents; to hone them. I’ve found that staying active with training helps build resilience. I’m always taking acting classes. Currently, I’m studying with Laura Holloway and Luke Fox at The Studio for Acting in Nashville. I also studied with Rick Dacey and Susan Finch out of that studio. They are creative guiding forces in my life, and I really believe God put me there to help me become the person I am now. I hope I positively influence them in some way too. You’d have to ask them. Maybe I’m a pain in the ass; too obsessed. I also recently purchased a course by Guthrie Trapp, one of my favorite guitar players, because I’m constantly working at my musicianship. Working on your craft not only strengthens your skillset, but it places you in a community of people who are mostly in the same place as you. That helps build resilience. Being of service helps build resilience too. It’s very easy for me to become self-obsessed. I don’t mean in an arrogant way, but extreme focus. I have the tendency to be a workaholic. When I take the blinders off and help someone in need, or just be present for a friend, it builds them up and strengthens my resolve. It helps me remember the more successful I get the more I can help people. I feel like every fuckin’ day is a test in resilience. Mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, as a husband, as a father. Whether you’re an artist or not, it can be a difficult road. We need to be there for each other. Help hold each other up instead of beat each other down.

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

I’ve always been profoundly affected by art. It started when I was a kid and continued into adulthood. Cinema and plays transport me. As soon as a movie starts I’m not in my living room anymore. I’m not in the theater. I’m captivated. The same happens for me with a book. When I listen to music, or see a concert, it’s different. I’m able to be taken on the journey of the music, but also think about my life and what I’m going through. With film and literature that introspection happens after. These experiences have brought escape and healing for me. Art can show us parts of ourselves that we didn’t know existed. It can be a mirror. It can be a way to see how we relate to each other. Human needs are the same no matter who you are and where you’re from. One mission I have is to help bring healing to people through my art just like I’ve experienced it. Another mission is to prove to myself that I can live an extraordinary life filled with purpose. That I don’t need to settle for the average and play it safe. Just like any artist, I have a lot of people in my life that tell me I need to be more practical, logical, safe. What I hear is, “You need to be more average, ordinary, mundane.” My convictions are to shift my bloodline, create a new meaning for my name, and guide my children into pursuing the same fullness of life in their own ways. You can’t accomplish those things by being like everybody else. When I die, I want God to say, “Man, you went for it. And look at all these people you affected in my name with the life I gave you.”

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @JoshuaDiolosa
• Facebook: Joshua Diolosa Official
• Youtube: @JoshuaDiolosa

Image Credits

Grey shirt with black tie – Justin Hopkins, @jlhdotstudio
Red flannel, brick wall – @waterlilly17