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

Alright, Mariana thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

Thanks for having me, I like my job and it makes me happy to be able to create something new every day.

In my case, once I thought “everything would be easier If I had a regular job” but then I realized that I would definitely not feel happy, I am a person who performs better doing what I like the most.

During my professional career I have had the need to have both, a regular job and a creative job, I have had to divide my time and be very organized to be able to meet both goals.I am not going to deny that it becomes complicated but you learn to deal with it. I think that living both parts makes you value what you love a lot and although a regular job helps you pay bills, it also reminds you of what your true passion is.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started a little before graduating from university in the world of entertainment doing album reviews and helping at cultural events. After getting certified in Music Business and studying a couple of courses in Film, I started offering my services on my own and building my resume earning some experience while I was waiting for my big opportunity to maybe be hired by a company someday.

In all these almost 8 years, I have worked with musical artists in music production, music licensing, booking shows, management, producing and coordinating filming projects, among others.

To be more precise, my main function is to be the person responsible for making things happen, for companies and artists to achieve their goals.

From creating a strategy to launch a song, an album, looking for a venue for their next show, looking for interviews in digital media, negotiations with record labels, among others. In the film part, put together the perfect team and the perfect conditions to film, give calls, create call sheets, etc.

What you think sets you apart from others?

Some of the qualities that stand out to me as a professional are discipline, seriousness and entrepreneurship. I always look for an alternative that leads us to meet our objectives in a proactive and realistic way.

Promising things that you are not sure will happen is very common in this industry, I prefer that we get to work and use all the tools that are around us to be able to make them a reality.

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?

I think there are a lot of myths surrounding careers in the entertainment industry.

One of them is to romanticize that this career is easy and glamorous where you only go to concerts, that being surrounded by celebrities is considered success, where making movies is not a complicated thing, it is believed that we have life figured out, that we don’t really do anything, that we don’t have anything real to worry about.

When in reality, it is a job like any other, even more volatile than the others, where you can be replaced in less than 2 hours if you do something wrong, where if you make a mistake it costs money, where an entire crew could not reach the correct country if you get wrong planning, even cases where a media outlet does not open the doors to you or your artist again if you miss something, among many other examples.

We have the same concerns as everyone, such as paying bills, being present with your family at important moments and what your next project will be. Compared to regular jobs, here we have work and money while the project lasts or while there are plans with artists. Working 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and then you are unemployed again, we do not have continuous payments, etc. we vacation when we can, etc. is not as standardized as you would normally think.

And not to make it sound like a complaint, but I really believe that careers in art should be more valued and seen as a regular job, which does have many advantages and rewards for many people but, as in everything, has its complex part.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

I think there is always an artist out there creating something new, not necessarily on television or social networks, It could be your neighbor, someone on the street, you just need to look around and pay attention to the details.

Buy their art, share their work with your closest friends by telling them about what they do or you can share on social networks, attend their concerts, even you can help them by giving them advice.

Hire them every time possible, all those small details help their work to be known and they can continue creating and sustaining their art.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://marianrocks3o.wixsite.com/produccioneshm
• Instagram: marianna.hdz

Image Credits
Heat Dance, Nino Oxilia, Bingo MX, Version 80 studio, Edgar R, Cynthia R.