Today we’d like to introduce you to Ursula Echeverria.
Ursula, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I am a Guatemalan woman filmmaker. Art has been present in every step in my life. I am a BFA in Character Animation earned at Calarts this year, which is my 2nd degree; the first one is a BFA in Graphic Design earned in Guatemala. I am a former professional ballet dancer with experience in other different dancing techniques. I have 10 years of teaching experience in different artistic areas, mostly performing arts and recently animation.
When I was young, my father used to oil paint for fun, after work he gathered with his friends at a place they called “La Galeria CAOS”, which now is a small art museum in Guatemala. I was about 10 years old, when my father used to take me with him and invited me to paint. I did it empirically, it was a very experimental and a fun activity. Thinking back, I believe he didn’t take any art classes before, he did it because he enjoyed it; I feel I learned a lot by watching him and painting to his side. I was 18 years old when he passed, unconsciously I feel I didn’t touch oils until 2 years ago with Marjan Hormozi’s painting class at CalArts. I felt the love to paint came back to me after so many years.
I started my dance career when I was 8 years old, at the National Ballet Dance School from which I graduated simultaneously with my highschool degree, after that I had the opportunity to get a job at the National Company dancing professionally for 6 years. Shortly after my dad passed away, I got pregnant with my first child, and at 18 years old I became a single mother, recently graduated from high school and juggling between 3 jobs to support me and my family of 4. I feel I’ve become stronger with the challenges that life has put in my way, but also have learned to be positive, patient but overall persistent. Because I have learned a few things; good grades and talent help earn scholarships & nobody wants to hire a pregnant woman.
My dad’s absence, a challenging economical and life situation made me feel sad and desperate. I cried so much, but one day I was tired of crying and blaming someone else for my problems and not finding solutions. So, I made a promise to myself, I said and repeated it to me constantly: “I want to be happy”. I deeply thought about my purpose in life, my conclusion was that we are in this world to enjoy it and share that happiness with others. That is what has driven me and guided me through my journey.
It doesn’t matter what the situation is, I know now that if it’s hard, it’s because you need to learn something, and it’s because it is changing your perspective, your way of thinking, it’s helping you evolve. It hurts, because change hurts, but is needed to be better and wiser every time it happens. Change allows you to keep moving, keep growing, be constantly active and aware of what is needed to be better. Because there is always something that can be done in a better way.
I want to share a few nice stories with you. When my first baby, Mahya, was like a week old, we had a problem with the electric company, they cut off the electricity and we weren’t able to afford paying it until 10 months later. We lived without energy for that many months, with a newborn baby. You may feel was insane, and it was. I used to hand wash our clothes, dry it in sunlight, added to my regular jobs and Graphic design studies, which I attended at nights. Interestingly was the time I cherished the most, because at night we used to gather where the light was; with any noise of technology, we used to talk a lot. I feel it was the most challenging and amazing of all.
All the time that I was at the Ballet Company, I was also getting my Graphic Design degree. I danced for about 20 years of my life, It shaped me. I learned a lot not just about the technique but also to push myself even with pain, to not give up, to be constant and disciplined. After graduating in Graphic Design, I was improving as a ballerina but I didn’t feel the support nor caring of the dancing community. I felt that there was no space for me to keep growing, I was getting older and still in the same place. Right around that time, I got injured so severely that I couldn’t walk for about 3 months, I had no health insurance nor other way to support me economically. Something inside kept telling me that there is something that I still needed to achieve, so I moved forward. I changed my careers entirely and moved into animation.
Something that I’ve enjoyed all my life is watching movies like crazy, feeling the power of: You can do it! There is something about storytelling that is just amazing. It makes you feel, learn, desire and enjoy the moment. No matter what you are living, a great movie can transport you to another world. I wanted to be part of something so big, that can change minds, can make you laugh and cry, feel. Something that can change the world. I know it sounds cheese, even unrealistic, but I consider myself a very idealistic person. I’ve been scout all my life, I truly believe in one of the quotes of our founder Baden Powell: “Try and leave this world a little better than you found it, and when your turn comes to die, you can die happy in feeling that at any rate, you have not wasted your time but have done your best.
My first time applying to animation jobs was so confusing, I didn’t know any of the culture or have the specific qualifications for any of them, I was a graphic designer. I tried some courses in Guatemala, but they led me nowhere. So, for about 2 years or so, I had intense animation self training. I bought books, enrolled into online animation classes, webinars, expositions and festivals. I entered a whole new world that I was enjoying. I got so fascinated, that simple courses weren’t enough, I wanted to formally study it. So I started looking for Master degrees. I was accepted the first time at SCAD, in Atlanta but couldn’t afford the tuition at the time. So I kept looking for options, then I found out about CalArts, with an amazing amount of student films that were so incredible, but they don’t offer a Master in Character Animation. Although, was great having a previous BFA degree because it allowed me to take specific classes in my major. So, I applied with my first animated short film, done on a self taught basis, and I was rejected. That blew my mind. How applying with a better portfolio at this school I was being rejected? The deception and anguish of my dreams being stuck got me, I knew I needed to get better. I took many more online professional classes, I was so committed that I moved for 3 months to LA to take a in person figure drawing class with Rey Bustos. At the time I already was married and had my 2nd baby.
Next year, I applied again with a stronger portfolio. I know when things are meant to be, they are going to happen. You just need to do your best, and then leave to the hands of God. Life is interesting, I got accepted this time and my husband was able to get just enough for tuition and living expenses for all of us. We sold everything we had in Guatemala to afford our living in LA. It’s been quite a journey, life in LA hasn’t been easy, in fact being away from family and friends it’s been quite a challenge. Mostly because of visa regulations, my husband wasn’t allowed to change his visa and visited us on a regular basis. In my 4 years in LA, most of the time I’ve been a full time student, while being a full time mother too. I feel I did my best, and I grew a ton in my time at CalArts.
This journey has changed my life in a way that has expanded my horizons, having friends and knowing people from all around the world makes the culture exchange an amazing experience. This makes closer the bridge of opportunities. I feel I could do something good, bigger than myself. I will “try and leave this world a little better than I found it”.
Has it been a smooth road?
No, but it’s been fun, challenging and a positive learning process for me. One of the big challenges was time management, I needed to take care of my children, which limited the time of socialization. The language, cultural differences and adaptation of the new way of living was a shock, not just me but for my family as well. When everything is new it gets overwhelming; mostly for my kids they need time to adjust, so we find activities in the times that I didn’t have classes for them to recreate. This meant a tight schedule for me. Having friends who are incredibly nice and talented around me did help to accommodate faster through those changes.
Having my 3rd baby in the middle of 2nd year added another layer of difficulties, but the hardest was in 3rd year; we were struggling to sustain our living in LA, we decided to move back to Guatemala. After months of conversations, applications and other legal documentation, I was able to finish school. Maija Burnett has been the “BEST” director I ever had in my life as a student; the support, the constant and effective communication and care, were a key for me to be able to graduate. Remember what I said about the community, I found it here with my friends and teachers.
I moved back to LA alone, for the first time in my life I felt homeless, my very best friend Brenda Kleiman took me in her home. Then, the pandemic happened. With my family being in Guatemala, my husband taking care of our 3 kids alone, we were apart for 6 months. I cannot even describe how hard that was, but I know God will never give you something that you can’t handle.
We are strong, we just don’t know how strong you can be until you are tested.
Please tell us more about your art.
I am a visual development artist, which is where the exploration in design happens, the backgrounds and characters are created, the color is set to help the storytelling in an animated movie. Actually, I am working as a Background designer but pushing myself to be a color stylist one day. I feel what is very distinguished about my work is my use of color. Studying at CalArts has taught me to be a filmmaker, having the chance to develop ideas since the beginning till the project is finalized. Although I enjoyed the whole process, I have found passion in color for storytelling. My way of thinking, my life experience and perspective in life is what distinguishes me. One of my goals in life is to direct/create a kids tv show with music, full of color, and deep content for kids.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Well, LA is the most expensive place that I have ever lived, this makes things harder. Second, this country It’s incredibly huge, which is a good and bad thing; the landscapes are beautiful, and having the chance to go to so many different and exotic places is amazing. But living on a daily basis in a big city is just exhausting. You can spend a lot of time just in traffic. What I really like is the diversity, mostly here in LA, you can find a community of almost every country in the world. This country is full of foreigners who have settled here and made it their home. Having people who know the challenges you’re facing, because they experienced it already, forms a beautiful bond, makes people be more empathic, caring for others alike. It’s simply beautiful the community created through the challenges of being a foreigner. It’s hard to move so far from home, with different language and culture, with no family, but having a community of support really makes the difference.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ursulaecheverria.art/
- Phone: 323.975.2746
- Email: me@ursulaecheverria.art
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ursulaecheverria0/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ursula.d.contreras
- Other: https://vimeo.com/ursulaecheverria
Image Credit:
Films: Pablo Leñero – Music composer and sound designer.
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