Today we’d like to introduce you to Rocky Walder.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Rocky. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Ever since I was young, everyone has always called me Rocky. I was born in the Rocky Mountains, spent my childhood in Texas, and then returned back to the mountains for junior high and high school. I’ve lived in Los Angeles for the past three years now, studying at The University of Southern California, and working in media marketing as well as the entertainment industry.
I love traveling, folk music, and stories in all forms. I’m an actress, a singer, a writer. Though all of these career paths may be different, I feel they all encompass one essential element; story. We are not simply one thing and I hope to be able to express all that I am through multiple mediums.
I have always considered myself to be a creative but these passions became more specific and refined after my father passed away. I dove deeply into what I knew how to do best and for me that was work. I channeled the feelings and challenges I faced into multiple creative mediums, and as difficult as this time was, it helped shape who I have become.
Today, I work as a freelance writer, creative director, casting assistant, and actor. I am also still a student. The challenge of wearing all of these different hats has helped me branch out of my comfort zone and has provided opportunities I did not even realize were possible. I am so blessed to be able to explore beautiful places around California, spend time with incredible people, and create content based on the little things that inspire me each day.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
My road up until this point has been far from easy, but these challenges were essentially what built me. When I was 19, my father, the closest person in my life was killed in a car accident. As a passenger in the car, this trauma haunted me and marked my heart in immense ways that I still carry with me today. That being said, I would not have grown and pushed myself to become the type of woman I want to be without this challenge. I do not fully believe that everything happens for a reason because tragedy is a tragedy, but I do believe that we have a choice as to how we look at and handle each curve ball that life throws our way.
I had to grow up. I had to grow up sooner than I expected and handle situations I did not think I was prepared for. At times, trust me, growing up was not what I wanted to do. It wasn’t always fun, but I pushed through and tried to find joy in the small things. It sounds cheesy or simple but finding the light within darkness genuinely forced me to keep going. I knew there had to be something better that was yet to come so I tried to find the balance between creating the life I wanted for myself while still living in the present moment and appreciating what was around me.
Giving advice is difficult because each challenge we face is unique and multidimensional, but as far as career advice I believe the best thing one can do is stay unapologetically authentic. For so long, I felt the need to try to be someone I am not. Moving to LA was hard because I immediately felt pressure to act a certain way, dress a certain way, even listen to certain types of music. As much as I tried, I never fit into the mold I thought I needed to be in, but when I realized that I will never fit into that mold nor do I want to, I found the most success and happiness in both my career endeavors as well as my personal life. By saying no to opportunities, friendships, and relationships that I did not feel fit who I am, I unlocked new doors that opened into the life I wanted to create.
Lastly, I’m incredibly type A. As great as this is in helping me work my butt off, it can also be detrimental. Life is messy and I’m not too great at handling the mess. By accepting this part of myself, I’ve begun to realize the importance of letting things go and embracing the chaos and spontaneity that life can throw at me.
By no means do I have everything figured out and my life is far from perfect, but I’ve begun to practice gratitude and awareness every day.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
The thing I love most about working in a creative industry is the ability to work on multiple projects at the same time. Currently, I am working as a creative director for multiple brands. As a creative director, I find models, photographers, shoot locations, and create the concepts that ultimately turn into photographs. I help organize social media feeds and track engagement.
In addition to media marketing, I am an actor. I have been acting since I learned to walk and grew up taking voice lessons and studying ballet, jazz, tap, and other forms of dance. As much as I loved my experiences with stage acting, I am primarily focusing on film and television now.
The acting business is difficult to get into at the start which is why so many young actors have multiple jobs. Luckily for me, my other job is one that I absolutely love doing. Getting to work in multiple creative industries at the same time has helped me learn so much about what it truly means to be creative.
Finding a mentor and building a network are often cited in studies as a major factor impacting one’s success. Do you have any advice or lessons to share regarding finding a mentor or networking in general?
Networking can be scary and I personally do not like going to forced networking events. Because of this, I have learned to network in other ways. For me, I feel the best connections are ones where both people are offering something, serving one another, and growing. I have learned to never be afraid to ask questions and to reach out to people who I feel I have connected with or could possibly connect with in the future. If you go into it with genuine intentions rather than simply trying to use people, they can tell. People are more open to hearing their advice and ideas that you may think and at the end of the day, we’re all just trying to figure it out.
My best mentors have become more like friends because we both want to better one another and form real connections. The best opportunities have sprung out of real connections when I wasn’t necessarily looking for an opportunity.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://raquelleora.squarespace.com/config/
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raquelleora/
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raquel-walder-512211133/
Image Credit:
Headshots by Cameron Radice Photography
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