Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Marygold Martinez. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Marygold, thanks for joining us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

Overall, I’m happy and even proud of being a performer.

It is true that at times I do struggle and have that thought especially since there’s bills to pay and a lot in our society requires money. Plus sometimes I want to know when my work ends and begins compared to coming home needing to do some more work.

At times I would come home from my day job tired, but still having to do a self tape, go to classes, or rehearsals. Sometimes I would be so sleepy, but the self tape would be due the next morning so I am up until 2am recording and editing. Or I sleep in the middle of the night just to wake up early and finish. I may even have a prior commitment beforehand so I would be doing something right after work then proceeding to do my audition. Most times we aren’t even called back yet we still jump hurdles to make it work.

There are multiple times where I would think, “If I just had a normal job, I could probably dominate.” Since there’s usually a set path and program I can follow to get where I want to go.

But I don’t think I would be as resilient as I am now if I wasn’t a performer. I’m able to cope more in situations, live more than just the day to day. learn more about others, know more about myself even. And you can’t help being proud of your little wins. You have to be.

I also love learning and seeing new things so being an artist/creative, in general is fun. It just gets overwhelming to want to learn how to paint, draw, play all kinds of instruments, song write, pottery make, etc. and be good at it plus make a living. Wanting to do all kinds of mediums can take a lot of time and money. Even when you are well enough to get paid for your work, you still have to navigate how to get paid appropriately without getting scammed and knowing your worth.

There would be times that I would just do a regular day job, but I would always miss performing. It’s so fun and interesting for me to have something new each time. I’m not too fond of doing the same routine over and over again. Although the fact that I know when my next paycheck is is great.

Marygold, 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?

As a child, I did like performing whether it was acting, dancing, singing, etc. My cousin also liked directing so we would also shoot little films and show family at parties. Though in the beginning, it was just something I did. It wasn’t until I watched a crossover of “The Suite Life on Deck” and “Wizards of Waverly Place” and being annoyed that a show can make me laugh and cry within seconds. I started thinking, “I want to affect people like that.”

I later was told about the hardships with performing and since I was told only “1%” could make a living out of it, I tried to find more “realistic” options. During the time as well, I didn’t know if I deserved being one because I couldn’t talk about who the famous celebrities, directors, and filmmakers were. People would also show so much passion about well-known movies and know all the information like the back of their hand. At times I also felt like I wasn’t “good enough.”

It took people following their passions and asking me why I didn’t continue acting plus watching “Girl Meets World” when I was depressed to make me go back. I thought, “If I could go do something I’m not too passionate about and succeed, why can’t I do it with something I am passionate about?” My mantra for a while after was: “I can do anything I set my mind to.”

And although I would stop performing from time to time because my mental health would drop, I got scammed, I needed money, or I didn’t feel enough; I would always go back to doing it again. I have been working at it for so long that I never felt like being a working artist was a dream, but a goal. When you first start it can get overwhelming, but you then see all the steps you’ve made and now you don’t have to worry about formatting a proper resume or taking a class you already took. You learn that people want you to succeed and how to work with your representation like a team not someone you’re too scared to talk to. You find more about what you value and what’s important to you.

When people are asked why they got into acting, a lot of them mentioned certain movies they wanted to be in. With the help of actor Peter Mendoza who watched my Gloria (directed by Rodney Lloyd Scott) rehearsals at East Los Angeles College, I was able to finalize that I wanted to be able to be the catalyst for people who aren’t able to show their emotions. To show that it’s okay and normal to feel. Yes, there may be ways to direct your emotions properly. But I’m able to get this far because of my anger which if utilized properly, can be passion. I’m personally still working on being more vulnerable, but sometimes I don’t stop my tears from flowing to show that I can still be strong while crying so others can too. My emotions are very important to me. I know what I like and don’t like because of them and they hint to what I value and believe in.

Although community colleges can be looked down upon, I am very proud of ELAC. I’ve met very passionate and great staff there who are willing to go out of their way for their students. They even collaborate with well-known theatres like Center Theatre Group, A Noise Within, The Actors’ Gang, and more.

A project that resonated with me the most was Visions of Boyle Heights led by now retired Theatre in the Community professor James Buglewicz in collaboration with CTG Community Partnerships Director Jesus Reyes. We journaled the stories from the people of Boyle Heights and created an original play that visited libraries and nursing homes. During the time, I was struggling personally but the people in the cast and the community showed me the good in people. And I want to believe in that.

I don’t want to be in a world where I feel like I need to fake myself and I want to be sincerely happy. I want people to feel safe having fun and playing. To be able to laugh aloud. Personally I think adults are just kids who lived longer. We are just told by society to act a certain way.

I gravitate towards companies and people who genuinely seem like they care for others. Someone told me to not trust people in the entertainment business, but I don’t want to think like that. Yes I do get hurt, but I don’t want to always be cynical of people. I’m not saying I’m a martyr or always give people the benefit of a doubt and trust them, but I’ll do what I can.

I stumble, but I do my best to rise to challenges. There are a lot of times when I may not have any experience or prior knowledge, but I do what I can to get the job done. I had a friend (Lorily Herrera) translate my portion to Spanish for Visions of Boyle Heights when performing to a Spanish speaking community. I ended up as Scenic Charge for a bit with little to no experience. It wasn’t astounding and I stepped down after 5 projects, but I did what I can to get it done. This was also while juggling 2 internships, a 10 minute musical, Assistant Stage Managing, family life, work, and more so I overworked and overwhelmed myself. I had to learn not to bite off more than I can chew and I learn better ways to work and get things done. There were so many things I had to give up on that year in order to recuperate.

I’m still working on not taking things too seriously, but I learned that I hate giving up. And whenever I start feeling like giving up again, I would always think of the quote:

“I didn’t get this far just to get this far” and push on all over again.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I want them to understand that although we seem like we’re just playing and doing something to get easy money, we really aren’t .

We have to take on people’s disapproval and put ourselves on the line. Showcasing who we are and being given a value based on that. If we don’ t work on giving ourselves our own value, other people giving their opinions on our value can really take a toll on our mental health. Maybe even thinking that maybe we’re not as valuable as we think we are.

And then dealing with situations where we’re expected to work for less or free sometimes because we’re supposed to be so passionate about our art that we don’t need money. If I didn’t have to pay bills and invest in the materials, workshops, classes for my craft, I’d gladly do it for free. But that’s not our world. Though a lot of artistic venues don’t have a lot of budget as well.

We’re a business but usually not respected as one. We invest, market, problem solve, learn, improve.

For performers specifically, we have to make sure our bodies, emotional, spiritual, and mental health is up to par. Because if even one is lacking, it can throw off our performance completely. We may even have to remove ourselves for a while to heal and recover.

We have to face emotions that others don’t want to or feel is unnecessary for their line of work.

Rejection is something everyone faces and most likely dread yet we choose to risk ourselves time and time again.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I think the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the fact that you grow and learn in ways you may not have ever expected to.

I’m personally an Introvert and I could most likely live without having to see new people all the time and fighting through hard emotions.

But because I’m a performer, I have to go outside and meet new people. I have to face my own personal traumas, insecurities, and belief system. I have to know myself so I don’t lose myself. I have to learn various skills not only to survive but also do a proper job. I have to be so confident in myself that I won’t be pushed around. I am more accepting of people and ideas because I understand them more.

Although there are some aspects of that in different jobs, it’s so interesting to see all the different routes and skills people have while being an artist/creative.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://pro.imdb.com/name/nm9011876?ref_=hm_nv_usr_profile
• Instagram: @marygoldmartinez and @marygoldmperforms
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marygold-martinez-955bb3122/
• Other: ActorsAccess: https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/marygoldmartinez

Image Credits
Albert L. Ortega (Only for Elissa K Studios picture. It’s a Getty Image)
Maya Adrabi – Main Photo