Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Mela LAVAL of Silverlake

Mela LAVAL shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Good morning Mela, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What are you chasing, and what would happen if you stopped?
I’m chasing life, raw, real, and all of it. The beauty, the heartbreak, the magic, the mess. If I stopped, I think I’d lose the fire that keeps me growing. It’s not about running from something, it’s about leaning into everything.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi, I’m Mela, a French-born, L.A.-based photographer, creative, and digital marketer with a deep love for movement, emotion, and storytelling. My work lives at the intersection of art and real life, blending photography, neuroscience, and branding to create things that feel true.

I work with brands that value sustainability, beauty, and purpose, most recently with Band of the Wild, where we’re redefining children’s costumes as wearable imagination, made from soft, sustainable cotton.

What makes my journey unique? Probably the blend of grit and grace. I’ve worn many hats: photographer, photo editor at a major news outlet, neuroplasticity student, solo mom, creative director, and I carry all of it into what I do. Right now, I’m working on finding ways to keep art, empathy, and play at the center of everything.

Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child, I believed I had to shrink myself to be loved, quieter, smaller, more agreeable. I don’t believe that anymore. Now I know my light doesn’t have to dim for others to shine. I’m allowed to take up space, speak up, and live fully, even if it makes some people uncomfortable.

What’s something you changed your mind about after failing hard?
I used to believe that working harder meant I’d always get the outcome I wanted. But after failing hard, I realized effort doesn’t guarantee results, and that doesn’t mean I failed as a person. I changed my mind about success: now I see it more as alignment than achievement. It’s about showing up true, not just pushing through.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
They’d say authenticity. That what matters most to me is being real, with myself and with others. I don’t have time for masks or small talk. I care about meaningful connection, honest expression, and living in alignment with who I truly am, even when it’s messy.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What light inside you have you been dimming?
My creative fire, the part of me that dreams big, dares loud, and doesn’t ask for permission. I’ve dimmed it to stay safe, to be liked, to avoid rocking the boat. But that light? It’s wild, it’s sacred, and I’m done tucking it away.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://melalaval.pixieset.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melalaval/?hl=en

Image Credits
Mela Laval
Kevin Jones