We had the good fortune of connecting with Joanna Kalafatis and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Joanna, what habits do you feel helped you succeed?
Discipline and much better time management. Honestly, the difference in my business growth and productivity skyrocketed. A lot of us think we’re procrastinators by nature, or lazy, but the truth is most of that is derived from fear. Fear of messing up, fear of creating something imperfect, fear that we won’t be received well.
I read something very simple that affected me greatly – I can’t remember where – that says something to the effect of “we make the mistake of thinking motivation precedes work, but actually, work precedes motivation”. If we keep waiting for that perfect idea, that perfect spark, that perfect inspiration to come to us to start doing something, we are going to get lapped in life by the people hammering away at things, knowing they’re not perfect but continuously working on improving.
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am an actress, producer, and travel writer, though perhaps it may be best to say travel content creator because I have also sold travel photos, create content on social media, and am now starting my own YouTube channel.
Perhaps what sets me apart from others is that I don’t feel I need to decide between these two paths, but rather, find a nice balance, and know where my priorities lie. I find acting and travel writing actually complement each other quite well, contrary to what most people think, on both a creative and professional level.
On a creative level, both are essentially forms of storytelling. I am telling the story of people, places, points in time. Various cultures and histories fascinate me for the same reason great plays and scripts do; they give me greater insight into humanity.
That being said, it has definitely not been easy at all. Most of my travel writing in the beginning, as it is such an oversaturated field, was done primarily as a hobby in which I earned little to no money until I built up a portfolio and connections. With acting, even to this day, I have some great years, and some no-job years. 2024 is an exciting time, as I have both a show in the UK and one on Netflix coming out in the next couple of months, and my first full-length travel guide, “Best of Greece”, just got published and is in stores now.
The good thing is, that when I’m not really going into auditions or getting acting jobs, I have writing to keep my creativity afloat. And when I do get acting jobs, my writing career is flexible enough that I can scale back quite a lot while I’m on set. So not only are these two paths not in competition, they actually help me keep my creative spirit nourished and money rolling in when acting is a little slow.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would spend the first two days getting all the tourist spots out of the way, including Venice Beach and Santa Monica, the Walk of Fame, Griffith Park, and of course, an entire day at Universal Studios. It may be touristy, but it’s still one of my favorite things to do in LA – I get to feel like a little kid again.
Then I would designate each remaining day to spend in a separate neighborhood I love. I honestly think that’s the best way to explore LA. One day would combine Silver Lake and Echo Park; brunch at Lady Bird, paddling around at Echo Park Lake, going through the cool shops there, followed by dinner at Pine and Crane and a drink at Black Cat.
The next day could be a walk through downtown during the day and the Arts District at night. Grand Central Market, a quick peek into the Bradbury Building and the Lost Bookstore, a stroll down Olvera Street, a little home walking tour in the overlooked Angelino Heights, and then a stop a Wurstkuche for food, Eighty Two and Death & Co. for drinks in the Arts District. Two very different vibes, but how can you go wrong with an arcade bar followed by arguably one of the greatest cocktail bars in LA?
I would probably spend one more day in the wider downtown area, including Chinatown (General Lee’s is a must, as is Pearl River Deli for a tasty lunch), Little Tokyo, which has both the excellent Japanese-American Museum as well as Far Bar, and finally, a night of amazing Korean BBQ at Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong, followed by a group meet-up at a karaoke bar.
Then I’d be around my own neighborhood, West Hollywood, exploring all the amazing restaurants and bars on Sunset Boulevard and in the surrounding area, as well as LACMA in mid-city and the Petersen Automotive Museum, one of my favorite places in LA.
I feel like this could go on for days, but suffice it to say, some other highlights I’d have to include would be the Wildwood Canyon Trail in Burbank for its excellent view of LA, perhaps followed by a dinner at Castaway, the mouthwatering Mariscos Jaliscos stand, too many spots around Highland Park to name, and some beach time in either Malibu or Manhattan Beach.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First and foremost, my parents. I must be one of the few people I’ve met whose parents actually supported them in pursuing acting and the creative industries. Other than that, there are too many amazing friends and inspiring colleagues who have helped me along the way to name. Any type of creative industry has huge peaks and valleys, and sometimes you need people who believe in you and remind you of your capabilities when you’ve lost sight of that yourself. I’ve been blessed to have a lot of people like that around me.
Website: https://losethemap.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joanna.kalafatis/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGtaHwo9CVaftSIkvNIwRaA
Image Credits
None needed.