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

Natalia, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’ve love to hear an interesting investment story – what was one of the best or worst investments you’ve made? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)

I think the best investment I’ve done for my career has been my education. I’ve had the opportunity to learn from amazing teachers both here and in Mexico. Learning the craft has given me so much growth as an actor and as a person.

In the classroom you get to explore characters that maybe you wouldn’t explore on set / stage because of your profile, age range, etc. That allows you to connect with other facets of the human experience and understand better the source of every action, emotion and thought. It’s surprising how much I’ve found I have in common with characters who have lived a completely different life than me.

Learning the craft requires investing time, energy and money, which can be very difficult at times.
I’ve worked cleaning, babysitting, serving, selling flowers, and so on; trying to get the money to keep studying what I love.
One of the biggest challenges for me was making the decision to move from Mexico to Los Angeles, to attend the professional acting conservatory at Stella Adler’s Art of Acting Studio.
The decision that changed my life and my career, you gotta take risks!

I’m very grateful for all my colleagues. I learned so much from seeing other people performing and taking the adjustments that the teachers gave them.

Natalia, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m an actor, dancer, writer and director. Originally from Mexico City, I moved to LA in 2020 to continue pursuing my career.

My biggest passion is to create projects that help raise awareness about social issues. I like to give voice to characters who are silenced in real life. Open conversations and plant a seed on at least one person in the audience, to make change.
I think art is a great way to get people to understand realities that might be unfamiliar to them, we all can feel and I believe we can use feeling to connect.

I graduated from The Art of Acting Studio and have been working here since February. I’ve been lucky to meet other creatives with similar values, like the East West Players Arts Education Program, and also had a lot of fun working with people with very different stories to tell, One of my favorites was a “beast” part of an old circus for an absurdist show called The Slippery Knot.

I dance, act, paint, you name it! I love art!

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I had to unlearned the sacrifice mindset.

In Mexico is very common from acting teachers and directors to “break you” in order to get your performance. I was expected to suffer in order to demonstrate how much I cared about the craft. I needed to convince people I deserved to be an actor.
I learned that you only miss rehearsals/shows if you are dead. No matter how sick you were, no matter your emotional state or your mental health. I would work with no pay, stay extra hours, abuse my body.

Now I know I can ENJOY the work. I learned how Important it is to take care of your body, your mind and your heart.
As an actor and a creative, you are your own instrument.

I also learned to take good notes! It’s ok if I don’t get notes or if my teacher / director only says congratulations.
I was so used to be teared apart into pieces with feedback that I didn’t know how much you can grow from also identifying what yes worked and what part of your process gave you the results you wanted.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Right now the most rewarding aspect of being an artist for me is the creation process. I love to share with other creatives and get to know their views and opinions about life.

Everyone I’ve ran into in the rehearsal space has given me something with their talent and art that has helped me grow.
I’m very grateful for the opportunity to share myself too! I love to play.

During performances there’s other things to have in mind like a live audience, or the time on set, you need to be very focused. While creating the characters there’s a fun, playful side where there’s no mistakes and you can be vulnerable with a group of other humans that are there to take you in. I love it!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @nataliaaortega6

Image Credits
Matt Marcheski Cristina Glezoro JoeySnap