We had the good fortune of connecting with Erin Serfass and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Erin, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Work life balance can be really hard to navigate, especially as a creative! In this industry, most of us are here because it’s what we love to do. Our passion is our biggest motivation and it fuels us through the long hours and hard work. But this is also what leads to burn out, and eventually resentment of the thing we once loved. I really enjoy working on my creative endeavors, but at the end of the day it’s still a job. Because of this, I have to make an effort to set aside time for myself to relax or do hobbies that don’t relate to work. I’ve come to realize the importance of finding something that lights you up, and keeping that passion just for yourself. It’s about filling your own cup, and nurturing what makes you happy. If I’m my best self, then that will reflect in my work and creative life.
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I have a few creative passions in the works right now. I started my YouTube channel last year and I’ve been working on growing and getting more exposure. I make fashion/outfit videos, thrifting hauls, and vlogs about my life. Even though my channel is still relatively small right now, I love everything about the process. Of course the actual filming/capturing my life is fun, but I also really enjoy the editing part. Starting YouTube has helped me discover passions I didn’t know I had, and I’m really proud of the work I’ve done so far. I can see my growth from the early videos to now, and I did it all on my own. I think that’s what sets me apart from others, I try to infuse myself in every aspect of my art. Everything I do has a part of me in it, and I don’t try to be someone else or show what I think the audience wants to see. I also now have the short film, which we’re going to submit to festivals in the new year and continue to grow our production company. None of it has been easy, and right now the hardest part is keeping the faith. It’s hard to continue when you see others succeeding and wondering when it’s going to be your time. But anything worth doing isn’t easy, and I know years from now when I achieve my goals, I will be so grateful that I never gave up.
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Favorite spots in the city! This is tricky because there’s so many places I still need to visit, and there are so many new spots opening everyday. But if I had to make an itinerary this is what I would plan:
A new breakfast spot everyday! My favorite is Clark Street Diner in Hollywood, classic old school diner vibes and amazing pancakes! There’s also Wake and Late in DTLA for delicious breakfast burritos. Met Her At A Bar on La Brea for brunch, and Sam’s Bagels in Larchmont Village for the best NYC style bagels. We would have to have a beach day; I usually park at Will Rodgers beach and rollerskate from there to the Venice Skate plaza! But any beach in Malibu is a must for swimming or tanning on the sand. We would also have to have a thrift shopping day, so I would probably take them to Magnolia Blvd in Burbank, because there’s a ton of cool thrift/vintage/secondhand shops including It’s A Wrap, which sells clothes that have been used in movies and tv shows. Then we could also go to Porto’s for some potato balls! We’d also have to get lot’s of coffee, my all time favorite is Horror Vibes Coffee in North Hollywood. It’s the perfect place for those who love coffee and scary movies. And of course, we’d have to see a movie. I love going to the Beverly Cinema to see movies that were shot on film, as well as Cinespia movie screenings at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. For dinner, it would have to be my favorite Thai food spot in all of Los Angeles called The Silverlake House. Then in terms of nightlife, you can never go wrong with rooftop drinks; there are a ton of spots in DTLA and WeHo. I also love concerts and live music and we’re so fortunate to get the best of the best here so I would probably take them to a show. It would be a pretty busy week, and that’s just barely scratching the surface!
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My favorite part of being a creative in Los Angeles is meeting people! I love collaborating with others, and seeing people working to make their dreams come true motivates me and makes me a better artist. Recently, my good friend Connor decided to shoot a short film script that he had written, and asked me to be the production designer. During that process, he created a production company with an LLC, found a group of amazing people to work on this project for little to no pay, and turned his passion project into something tangible. When he asked me to do production design, I was excited for the opportunity but nervous about my lack of experience. But he believed in me and encouraged me from the start, and by the end of the project I felt confident in my abilities. It was such an honor to be a part of this project because I got to do what I always imagined I would do in LA: make a really awesome film with my good friends. We made something out of nothing, and we’re just getting started. So I want to give a shoutout to Connor Thomas and Solana Productions, keep an eye out for our first short film ‘Illuminated’ coming soon, and many more to come!
Website: https://www.solanaproductions.art/
Instagram: @erinhour
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ErinHour
Other: business email: itserinhour@gmail.com
Image Credits
Maylin Thomas, Jon Endow