Josiah Mendoza shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Good morning Josiah, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
Being an actor, there’s moments I find myself getting caught in the day-to-day; trying to prepare myself for the next move and forgetting to look at the bigger picture and reflect on my accomplishments. I forget to take time to see my life is bigger than me.
When I give myself permission to be fully creatively free without judgement, it’s easy to lose track of time, but it allows me to reconnect with myself. Creating is such a beautiful process. When I’m creating, the wheels are turning and there’s an impulse feeling towards how I want something to look or feel. Sometimes the impulse isn’t always correct, and that’s okay, I roll with it. I take what I liked from it and try again. It’s so easy to want to show someone your work only when it’s perfect, but embracing the failures is so important; failure is truly inevitable in the process. Fine tuning your work through exploration is what makes an artist. Humans make mistakes — in life, in art, it’s all the same.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Josiah Mendoza. I’m an actor based in Los Angeles.
I’m originally from Union City, California. My acting journey began during the pandemic, where I attended the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York where I received training from industry professionals for both on Stage, and Film & TV acting. I moved to LA about a year ago now and have been acting and exploring what Los Angeles has to offer. At the beginning of this year I signed with Kreativ Media Partners which has already given me incredible opportunities and I’m excited for what’s to come.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who taught you the most about work?
My mother has always been the biggest influence and impact on my work ethic and how I move in my professional life. As a second generation Mexican-American, she has worked for everything she has and is one of the hardest workers I know. From a young age I saw my mother working day and night, which was hard at times, but I’m grateful for her unwavering perseverance to keep a roof over my head and a meal on the table. My mom constantly motivates me and believes in what I have to offer the world, and her support is a driving force through my success.
Do you remember a time someone truly listened to you?
Luckily, I’ve created a circle around myself full of loving and passionate people. My circle consists of people I’ve found along the way that are goal oriented–individuals that motivate me to do my best, lift me up, and celebrate my successes. Having a reliable support system is something I didn’t think would help me as much as it has. I always feel heard, and it lets me know that there’s power in my words, in my actions, and how I move about the world.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
Moving about the world as my authentic self is so important. When I’m acting, I understand I have to put my humanity on the line. The whole point of acting is human connection. If I’m on set and I meet someone and they’re truly their authentic self, it’s so captivating and powerful to see how they stand on their own in the choices they make. I love when someone doesn’t care about what anyone thinks and you can tell they aren’t afraid to make a mistake.
With the world we’re in today I don’t want the corporate cookie cutter personality. I actually find I’ve been able to get farther being my authentic self than when I was early on in my career, feeling the pressure to be smiley and bubbly all the time, but switching from being performative to simply existing.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What will you regret not doing?
I hope to not feel regret when looking back on my accomplishments, knowing that I always strive to be the best artist I can be. I have to live life to the fullest now, and embrace everything it has to offer. With every emotion I’ve felt, bringing that to life in my work has given me so much more than any classroom could’ve taught me. A good artist is a well-rounded individual who pulls moments from their life into their work. These experiences are what changes the shape of the work and makes it unique. Life experience is the greatest teacher.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://josiahrmendoza.com
- Instagram: josiahrmendoza
