We had the good fortune of connecting with Gabrielle Garcia and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Gabrielle, what’s your definition for success?
Success is always in flux. It depends on your personal goals, your community, and lots of expectations.

I think I have several ideas for what success looks like, in various aspects of life. For example, within family structure, financially, spiritually, and creatively.

Right now, I think it’s difficult to just exist. Success to me, is just having the ability to drink water and being conscious of my life. I also think success is having the ability to be empathetic to others. Success is being able to see hardships and beauty, failures and comedy, and keep going.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a writer who freelances in the entertainment world. Lately I’ve been taking my typewriter places and writing poems on the spot for friends. As a storyteller, I fixate on expression.

I think about my stories as poems, and then a novel, and then a film. Different emotions within my stories can be curated through different mediums, some formats can express subtle variations of life— the beginning, middle, and end of a moment. Other formats can be more intense.

I studied creative writing with a focus in fiction and poetry at UC Santa Cruz where I experienced being immersed in nature consistently. That wonder replaced my bustling LA backdrop, and helped me process the world as I knew it up until that point.

Being surrounded by beautiful redwood trees, meadows, and the ocean really pushed me to explore and get out of my comfort zone both in life and in writing. Through this program, I self-published my first novel, “Why You Keep Things” which tells a story about a young woman and her mother’s journey with international trauma, culture, and sexism.

Since then— I’ve dabbled in film (first as a PA and now as a 2nd AC), communications, and sometimes the music world via events.

My advice to others is to fall, to fail, and to be decisive once you commit, even if you’re going to eat shit. It’s the only way to get better, and the longer you spend agonizing over it’s perfection, whatever “it” is, the less time you’ll have to figure it out. (I struggle with this still). One way I persevere is by having community.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my “best friend” from out of town came to visit me in LA for a week, I would take them to a show at 1720. Then, we would get some tacos at 113 E. Ave. 36, or if it’s early enough, outside of the Autozone on Broadway. Or the taco spot by Jack in the Box on Daly.

I would also see if there are any other live shows, maybe at the Troubadour or the Lodge room worth checking out.

In the day, I would take them hiking — Griffith Park, Runyon Canyon, or Eaton Canyon. If it’s Eaton Canyon, then it’s tradition to get In N Out after.

For breakfast, we would go to El Huarachito in Lincoln Heights. If they like skateboarding I’d take them to the Lincoln Park Skatepark or the El Sereno Skatepark, and if they need any gear I would show them Innercity.

Now here come the touristy parts— Olvera street, Six Flags if you like rollercoasters, Universal, Hollywood, Rodeo.

My favorite thing to do would be to drive up the coast and stop in Malibu, preferably somewhere not too crowded!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
lam no stranger to community. As a Lincoln Heights native, there have been countless people that have uplifted me and my opportunities over the years. I wish I could list them all. This past year I’ve worked with some amazing people, like Beatriz Cardenas, Ashley Marie Garcia, and LA2050.

Website: Gabbygarcia.com

Instagram: @unpocoawkward

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielle-garcia-writes?trk=blended-typeahead

Twitter: @unpocoawkward

Image Credits
Last photo, black shirt: John Mejia

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.