Meet Lena Luna Bauchet

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lena Luna Bauchet and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lena, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I was born and raised in Orange County, California. My upbringing was filled with family values, faith, music, and exploration. Attending Catholic school from Kindergarten to Ninth grade instilled discipline and a strong leaning toward social justice. Both my parents influenced who I am today and I am forever grateful for their support throughout life. My father’s encouragement led me to sports like basketball, volleyball, and track, while weekends watching my Dad play handball taught me dedication and persistence.
Our home resonated with music, thanks to my father’s guitar playing and singing. My parents also took me on road trips, camping, museum visits, and to wonder around in the library, nurturing a love of learning and adventure.

Life happened. I became a mother at 17 and had my second child by 21, yet persevered, earning an education at the University of California and completing a master degree in business. Resonating, though, in my heart were the words of an art professor who pulled me aside one day in community college. I thought I was in trouble, she asked what my major was. I told her science, she responded back by saying art is what she sees in me. I pushed that back into my mind files, until one day her voice came back.

From 2016 to 2021, I went through a profound period of isolation, I guess you would call it the “dark night of the soul” while living in the Sonoran Desert. This time of solitude allowed me to redefine who I existed as on this Earth. The upbringing of my childhood literally helped me survive this period. In this sacred space, I created Mission Liberty, a 40,000 word project that led me to the City of Los Angeles during COVID in late 2020. From this project, I made short films and completed a feature length documentary which showcased as part of an art exhibit.

I continue to walk into the unknown. For all the chaos called Los Angeles, I have found a peace living in this city and look forward to Los Angeles as my muse and a place I call home.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am most excited about how the project Mission Liberty blossomed into its own. It remains an unpublished novel, however a series of short films have grown out of this project. Pursuing filmmaking was an unplanned venture. From exploring filmmaking using accessible technology to make impact films with a social justice edge, it has allowed sharing others stories.

I make impact projects through creative expression and one has to be willing to let go of expectations. Jump into the flow.

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 take them to Griffith Park’s Fern Dell Nature trail which is a former Gabrieleno/Tongva village site. We would eat at Little Dom’s or Figaro Bistrot then walk to Floral Art by Mia and get a bouquet of dried flowers.

For a long week trip, I woukd take my friend to all the hidden nature gems and hidden stairways in Los Angeles.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Sarah Rafael Garcia from Crear Studio and founder of LibroMobile

Website: www.discoverwithlena.com

Instagram: curiousladylena

Image Credits
Lena Luna Bauchet