We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lily Fonte. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lily below.

Hi Lily, thanks for joining us today. Some of the most interesting parts of our journey emerge from areas where we believe something that most people in our industry do not – do you have something like that?

The more you worry about that “Perfect Shot” the worst it’s going to come out. It had to be said!

Way too many creators spend the better half of events/outings/vacations either shooting content, or looking at content they just shot, and trying to figure out how to make it better to immediately shoot it again. I was abroad with a group when someone said “It’s all about the content right?” as they looked at the drone shots they spent all day stressing about. Im a videographer and Influencer (and someone who simply loves watching cool videos) and I can still confidently say: no… it’s not all about the content.

I honestly believe that the best content is actually created when you’re not focused on the perfect shot, and you’re focused on the life in front of you instead. And the proof is in my feed.

I know that when I focus the majority of my energy on living in that very moment and accepting and enjoying whatever the experience in front of me is, I can pull out my camera and the footage will not only look good, it will feel good.

I learned the hard way that if you focus too much on the perfect shot, it never comes — your content will suffer, and your mental health will too, because it becomes harder to find the beauty in life when you’re constantly viewing it through a lens.

I was tired of spending hours standing in the same spot with my camera, because I wasn’t getting *the* shot. My time and energy were being drained seeking perfection that doesn’t exist.

I put this rule in place wherever I go, whether its a night club in Miami, hot springs in Costa Rica, or Piazza di San Marco in Venice — and by the time at my laptop finishing my edits, Im not tired, I don’t feel drained, I’m happy and excited because I know that my content will resonate and inspire others too

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 background and context?

I’m Lily, from Miami born and raised by two Cuban parents. I graduated from FIU with a degree in digital communications and entrepreneurship and have been in digital production since I was a teen.

I’ve always been into editing videos. When I was 11 I started my first youtube channel and played around with whatever effects Windows Movie Maker allowed. In high school I traveled and competed in various conventions. One time I won in a competition specifically about editing to the beat of a song they gave you in that very moment.

I worked for a news station from the time I graduated High School until a few years ago. This was my dream job as a kid but quickly became a place I felt extremely limited in. It was definitely a frustrating moment, but once I left and began creating for myself, I fell in love with the freedom that comes with being a freelancer.

I create all sorts of videos for all sorts of clients. But I think the types of videos I get the most recognition for are what I like to call my “Experience Reels”. These projects are my favorite because I get to show up, live my best life, and capture my surroundings on camera as I do.
My Experience Reels are unique for a few reasons. The reels combine my videography skills with my influencer experiences/opportunities and result in aesthetic, dynamic edits that are very fun to watch. The edits are anywhere from 15-50 seconds, shot entirely in portrait mode, and feature experiences from the point of view of an attendee/participant (me).

These sorts of dynamic video edits aren’t usually offered by influencers– and videographers usually shoot from a different perspective than a participant. My reels do great on social media because they’re fast paced, fun to watch, and the point of view immerses you in the experience instead of just feeling like a commercial recap.

Im lucky that I live in a city where the experiences never end. All I have to do is enjoy the ride and keep my camera out.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I mentioned earlier that right out of high school I landed my dream job working at a news station. As someone who loved to have my life planned out, this was great, perfect even. I was just starting college and already had the opportunity to begin working “up the corporate ladder”. With a team that, in the job interview, made me feel so appreciated and hopeful in what I’d be able to offer the company.

I was quickly hit with a reality check shaped like a cubicle. It took me quite some time while working there to accept that even though this was my “dream job” and everything was going according to my “plan”, I wasn’t happy. In fact, there were times that I felt like crying while driving to work in the mornings.
But my frustration wasn’t simply because I didn’t like my job. My frustration was because this path was the only option I ever gave myself and now I had nowhere else to turn (or so I thought). It wasn’t until one day — when I showed my old high school competition videos to a camera-man at the station and he told me “you gotta get outta this corporate job while you still can”, that I realized there were other options at all. Options that made more sense for a person like me. (Options that really aren’t talked about or encouraged when you’re in school)

I’ll never say the decision was easy. And I’ll never say freelancing brought me immediate success. But I will say it brought me immediate joy. The first time I was paid for my edits as a freelancer, I was euphoric. I barely got paid but that appreciation from the client, and the bliss of being able to produce whatever I wanted — that was the first moment I realized there were other paths. I realized I wasn’t weird for refusing a “normal” path of life. It seem’s silly but when your whole life is dedicated to getting the best grades and scores, so you can land the best job, so you can have the best life, it can blind you to literally everything else.

I don’t have it all figured out, but that’s probably the best takeaway from all this. The more you try to figure it out, the more life is going to be like “lol sike!”

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

Its 2022, we live in an age where its much easier to accept that different brains work, well.. different. Even then, those who live conventional lives cringe when I talk about my life choices.

My parents reacted strongly when their daughter who has always been the perfect student with a bright future, said she was going an unconventional route. They didn’t understand how this choice could possibly bring me happiness because to them, happiness means financial stability from a job, with little surprises or big changes. And they weren’t the only ones, I’ve turned down job opportunities from people who believed they were doing me a favor, and then got very offended when I didn’t appreciate their “solutions” for me. So many people believed they knew better than me when it came to a choice about my life. More importantly, my quality of life.

And I may be young, but I understand and accept something that those people don’t really seem to:
Different people need different things to be happy. Some may be happily content with the stability of a 9-5 and the comfort of a purchased home, these things will bring them genuine joy. But give someone else the same exact job/salary/home and they may feel like a caged bird. That individual might require a new adventure every month, and find life boring without surprising changes every now and then. They might get depressed if they’re in the same town for too long. This person feels the same exact joy as the first more conventional person, but they’re doing something completely different.

Accept people for who they are, not who you’re expecting them to be based on your reality. Not everyone likes the same food so why should everyone make the same life choices.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: instagram.com/alilykat
• Twitter: @aLilykat

Image Credits
The only image that needs credit is the one where I’m doing a “305” with my hands. Credit to Nick Vega @vegv_