We were lucky to catch up with Sophia Gilberto recently and have shared our conversation below.
Sophia, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
From the moment I joined my first community play in the esteemed role of Munchkin #34. I knew that I loved the creative world. When I told my mom I wanted to be an actor she supported me completely and looked for projects I could be a part of. I spent time on sets and began to fall in love with the process, but most of all the community. Although I started off thinking that I wanted to be a performer it was later in high school when I started directing some of our school plays and got the bug for writing and directing which is what I ended up ultimately studying in school.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
Growing up in a single parent household I was always taught the importance of a strong work ethic. I would see (and still see) my mother working incredibly long hours in order to support the two of us and at a very early age I felt that I had a responsibility to contribute as well. I started working very young, firstly babysitting and odd jobs then serving at a pub, then serving at a steakhouse and on top of those two jobs I would cater. I got into a mindset that any free time I had I should be earning money. This ‘grind’ mentality continued through college where I would work three to four different jobs at a time while going through school and doing my internships. This mentality is a blessing and a curse. I know that if times get tough I can work to get through but when I am in a secure place I consistently get the nagging feeling that I am never doing enough. The lesson I am trying to teach myself now is balance. The work/life balance is so important, especially in the entertainment industry where work can sometimes be your everything. Being a strong worker is still important to me, as I still see it as a part of my identity, but now I want to make sure I value ALL of my time, this has helped my creativity immensely.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
There are so many ways that society can best support artists and creatives specifically, but overall in a broader sense, I would say that it’s importance to have patience. Patience to understand that the content you see doesn’t magically arrive. It is made by a person, or a collection of people who are putting time, love and energy into creating it. With such an overload of content to be consumed I think we can take art for granted, I know I have done this! Something of quality takes time, it is not cheap and I feel that it is important to honor the skills an artist has honed and value them fairly.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sgilberto.com/
- Instagram: @sophiagilberto
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/sophia-gilberto