I had the awesome opportunity of sitting down with Vico Ortiz (they/him/her) to talk about their experience growing up Puerto Rican, moving to Los Angeles to act, and exploring their sexuality and gender identity! Listen HERE! Vico has such a strong confidence in themselves that I could sense it from the moment I met them! I could see it when they performed on stages, on the tv screen, and it was solidified in our conversation! And I think a lot of it stems from having a solid base and solid values. I picked out three of those values that I think can benefit anyone who is trying to grow their consciousness, themselves, and achieve the huge goals they’ve set.
1. Build your base
Moving to Los Angeles to act, especially at 17 years old like Vico did, it can be tempting to give yourself a timeline or jump at any opportunity that comes your way. However, Vico came prepared and did not let naivety get in the way of taking small steps to build her career. Since she has started auditioning she has booked about just 3% of them! But because she has a solid base of core values and beliefs, those numbers don’t diminish her drive. For example, she loves performing. An audition is just another opportunity for her to perform in front of other people! Another, she is always learning! She attends acting classes so she can be challenged and keep growing even if she gets rejected in auditions! She also knows she’s in this for the long haul. It is a marathon, not a sprint and just because she gets 100 no’s doesn’t mean she won’t ever get a yes.
Even if you’re not an actor, if you want to do something BIG with your life and hit a level in which, at this point, you can only dream of, you can still build a SOLID base. What are some small things you can do in preparation for your goals? Take being a director, for example. What steps did Steven Spielberg or Ava DuVernay take to become directors? Research it! What kind of styles do you enjoy watching and want to create? Find those directors who have those styles and study them! Take a directing class, connect with other directors or artists on any social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.)! Make these small, concrete steps. In addition to building your knowledge, strengthen your patience. As you study those who are doing what you want to do, I can guarantee that none of them reached their success overnight. They mixed great patience and consistent persistence and that’s how they “stumbled” upon success.
2. Question your beliefs
At 13 years old, Vico told her parents she was not Catholic and did not believe in organized religion. In some families, that person might have gotten kicked out of the house, shunned from the family, or dealt with in other ways, but Vico was brave enough to question the beliefs she had been taught and bring it up to their parents. After Vico telling them, it changed their parent’s lives completely in how they see the world, spirituality, and religiously. Not only that, but it helped Vico live life in a way that they believed in! And just as a side note, you can’t question your beliefs in a bubble. When you question, you might have to have hard and uncomfortable conversations with those around you. Don’t be afraid to take those chances and have those conversations!
I think this is one of the most important values to have as a human being – especially these days! A lot of beliefs that have been around for hundreds of years for no other reason than it “sounded good” and benefitted certain people – mostly white men or white people in general – and those beliefs should be questioned! Beliefs like “homosexuality is bad!” I grew up in a religious household, Catholic or Baptist, whatever church we were a part of that week, and I was taught through those religions held beliefs that homosexuals were sinners just because they were homosexuals. It wasn’t until well after I was out as gay that I actually started to question the “TRUTH”. But this doesn’t have to be about just religious topics. It can also be about beliefs around relationships (“I’ll never find a partner”) or money (“money doesn’t grow on trees”. Be aware of the thoughts that come into your head and question them! Every single one of them, ESPECIALLY if they are holding you back from feeling good, having great relationships, or receiving the abundance you absolutely deserve!
3. Have a vision
“If you don’t have a vision you’re going to be stuck in what you know. And the only thing you know is what you’ve already seen.” Iyanla Vanzant
Vico shared her vision of seeing more queer people on screen. Other than the fact that that’s an AWESOME, inclusive, and forward-thinking vision, it has a pretty clear objective – GET MORE QUEER PEOPLE ON SCREEN. You can see her bringing her vision to life on Vida, These Thems, Criminal Minds, and so many more places! Not only does she have a strong vision, but it comes from a strong WHY. She has had the experience of being a queer person and looking at the Hollywood screens and seeing the same, white, straight characters and stories. But the world isn’t like that! It’s full of different, diverse, queer people and she wants the industry she is a part of to reflect that.
I can speak from experience that creating a vision takes time. It comes from trying a lot of different things, some of them you struggle in, some of them you succeed, but in the end, a vision is creating a world in which you want. Do you want a world where children are more educated about nutrition and exercise? Your vision should reflect that! Or maybe you want to create a world in which it is easier for people to make goals and achieve them! Then maybe have a vision where you create something that supports that! (Like The Freedom Journal I am using). Write your vision down, everything you can think of, dream it, talk about it, believe it, and make it come to life! Remember – this life is for us to CREATE!
I truly hope these three values have served you and will push you to continually build your base, question your beliefs, and create a powerful vision that will change the world! YOU have the ability to change the world! Put the work in, however comfortable or uncomfortable it may be, and keep going!
WATCH our full episode HERE!
Listen to our full episode HERE!
Find Vico on Instagram @puertoricaninja
Thank you for being here. ❤ Whatever you can create in your mind, you can create in front of your eyes. Believe it.
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