Meet Heather Yesenia | Actress, Photographer, Artist

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

Hi Heather, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
When I was younger I had a huge imagination, mostly because I wasn’t allowed to watch tv. Since I never owned one I never truly missed it, when I was a kid I live in Atlanta GA with my parents; I loved it because we were surrounded by nothing but trees. I would play outside as soon as the sun came up till night, me and my friends would create fake monsters and go on different adventures together. I think that’s where my creativity came from, that’s where the seed was planted.

When I moved back to LA my love for creating grew more in elementary school; we would have school performances, sometimes it was dancing other times it was performing plays. We would rehearse weeks before then on the day of our show we would dress up and perform for the school, our teachers and our parents; it was the BEST thing. I never thought about anything else, I loved to tell stories because each time I did my heart was full of happiness; but I never thought it would have been something I would continue.

Fast forward to high school and the first day I stepped into my drama class everything seems to make sense. My love for the arts had always been there, and this class was a reminder of that; by this time I was already into photography and drawing. So I began to read everything I could on acting, photography and art; the thing about this journey is that it’s honestly a rollercoaster. YET it truly fills me up, I don’t know what else to do because being a creative soul is where my hearts at. I love to tell stories not just with my acting but with my photographs, my drawings; every piece of me goes into everything I do. This journey I’m on isn’t easy, it can be hard at times and so frustrating but for me it’s always a blessing. It’s what makes me happy and fills my heart, I chose this because I want to leave something that might help someone else; if my art can somehow touch another person’s heart, if it could somehow make them feel joy and help them escape reality even for 2 hrs then I’m so happy I could do that for them. I truly just want to tell stories and help people; it’s the main goal and dream, at least for me.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’ve been blessed enough to work on a couple of projects this year, I’ve been trying to focus on my acting and really challenge myself more than ever. I want to also start producing and writing my own films, I’ve been in the process of starting my own production company and telling stories that truly speak from my heart. It’s a new world for sure but I’m truly excited for everything that will come when I open that new door, I also look forward to directing a couple of these new projects.

My love for drawing has also been a huge focus for me this year, I’ve began to draw more and create more art that I want to include in my photography and in my films. It has been a change because I’ve started to draw on my iPad and learning to do digital art is so different then just drawing with my pencil. It’s a challenge at times but after I see my art I am so happy that I didn’t give up and give into my frustration. I’ve grown to be patient with myself and my art because I’ve realized art isn’t perfect, and I don’t try so hard to make it perfect no more.

When you’re an artist sometimes you get too in your head about your choices, the way you take a picture or how you edit it; sometimes I draw for hours just to look at it and start all over. On top of that you sometimes have days when you feel overwhelmed, not enough or begin to doubt yourself. These are the moments you need to remind yourself of how talented you truly are, embrace how far you’ve come and KEEP GOING. Never lose focus of your goal and passion, keep growing and learning because with each setback comes a blessing. Don’t quit just because it gets hard, learn to love the journey and embrace each moment.

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?
I love taking drives, and when I have friends and family over I love to show them all Los Angeles has to offer. I love going to the beach I think that would always be the first place to go enjoy the ocean, the views and the food. We can plan a day to either Santa Monica Pier, Venice Beach where we can go to the canals, Malibu or even Laguna Beach because of the views we will be able to capture and all the good food we would be able to eat. Many of my friends are street photographers, so I know they would love to capture some of the best views out there. Many historic places would also make the list like, “The Getty Villa”, the Greystone Mansion, Griffith Observatory, Downtown LA and of course Hollywood Blvd. Los Angeles has the best energy, and food spots like Tacos 1986, to some of the best food all IN ONE PLACE such as The Grand Market (located on Broadway in Downtown), Pizzana (because pizza is ALWAYS A MUST), Dulan’s Soul Food Kitchen, or the Urth Caffé which are some of MANY places to try. Los Angeles also offers many places to explore nature without having to go very far which is also a blessing; we can pack our bags and head out to Big Bear where we can enjoy the quiet, the trees, and the snow(depending on the month), or go to places like Joshua Tree, we can go to any National Forrest to hike, explore and capture beautiful green trees, or even take a drive to San Diego and go to La Jolla and explore the caves there, we can also go to Palm Springs, Santa Barbra, or Big Sur. Honestly there is so much to do and see in Los Angeles, we can end our last days at an amusement park, and plan out our next trip.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The greatest shoutout goes to my family and my acting class; I’m so blessed to have a family who are fans of my art, they believe in me even when I have a hard time believing in myself. My mom has always supported my dreams and she continues to till this day; I wouldn’t of made it this far without her. My acting studio has been a huge part of my journey since my early 20s, the studio along with everyone in it have build up my confidence and helped me with accepting my artistic side. I’m truly blessed to have a coach who’s so supportive, positive and encouraging; every single person in that studio have taught me something and for that I’m forever grateful.

Website: https://m.imdb.com/name/nm9759727/

Instagram: @heatheryesenia