We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Josué Vera a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Josué, 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 definitely enjoy a lot what I do as an artist and storyteller, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say it’s a bit of a pendulum. There are many times in which I’m joyful and excited, times in which I’m a bit more neutral and going through the motions, and some times in which I’m exhausted and vulnerable. During those times, it definitely takes a bit of willpower. Especially at the beginning of your career, there’s a lot of uncertainty all throughout, be it financial or in relationships. When the pendulum swings low, I find myself wondering what it’d be like to have something more stable. I know myself though. I wouldn’t be happy at a regular job. At the end of the day, I don’t think it’s the type of job you have that makes you happy, but how you experience it, how you approach it, and who you surround yourself with. Be it in a creative freelance job or in a 9-5, there are pros and cons to both. I chose what feels right to me, and continue to choose so everytime the pendelum swings.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’m a NYC based Puerto Rican music composer specialized in film, video games, and podcasts. I collaborate with directors and producers to help give their stories the music it needs. Having the right amount of music at just the right moment can deepen the emotional journey of the viewer, making them participants and not just spectators. Ever since I was little, I became enamored with storytelling and have looked for ways in which I can involve myself with its creation process. As time passed, I found myself interested in finding out different ways music can contribute to the narrative’s emotional arc, without explicitly telling people what to feel. I began to focus on crafting scores that connect story threads and highlight the emotional subtext. At the end of the day, stories are about connection. I believe that through open collaboration between a project’s creative forces, we can create a common ground for people to share an experience.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
I have to say, moving to the United States to follow my career was a big challenge. I moved from Puerto Rico to NYC in the middle of the pandemic to attend NYU for my masters, and it took a pretty big emotional toll. At that time, nobody really knew anything about covid and everyone was distanced, which made it really hard to connect. I also knew English from learning through school, movies and video games, but I’d never found myself in a situation where I had to rely solely upon it. That took a while getting used to. And I missed my family. I’m thankful to live in an age where we can video call and text. Even with that, it took a lot of willpower to get up every day and face it head on. But I did. And thankfully, gradually, it got better.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
Though several books contribute to my overall approach, I have to highilight the book “Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration” by Ed Catmull. It’s really inspiring to read about Pixar’s journey and how they continously strive to strike a balance between creativity and business, to create a place where people are candid with each other and inspire one another. Definitely a lot of hard work, but worth it. Since reading it, I’ve begun implementing its thoughts in my projects and collaborations, especially when working with other creatives.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.josueveramusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/josueveramusic/