Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Castro.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I never planned to be a writer and I don’t call myself one. I’m actually a marketing major at Loyola Marymount University pursuing a career in creative advertising.
During the pandemic, I created a coffee table book called “7 Things” initially as a passion project to keep myself busy and to showcase my creative ability. I’m currently living in the US but I was born in the Philippines and have also lived there for half my life. I feel as though a lot of people in the US, people I go to college with, don’t know much about the Philippines, its beauty, and its people. I consider it to be my first home and I wanted to write about something that meant a lot to me. I wanted to make something that others would appreciate, enjoy, but also learn from. I thought that making a small book would be a start.
This project was supposed to just be for friends, family, and I was never planning to make a profit off it. After seeing and hearing about the injustices and so many news articles about hungry Filipinos who would “rather die from the virus over starvation”, I decided that I should donate the profit to an organization that would be able to help feed. I donated the profit to the Food Not Fear Initiative started by the Fund the Forest and We Are CORA organizations. With every book sold, a Filipino family was provided with copious amounts of rice and vegetables. Not only did the money feed families, but it also supported Filipino farmers who provide those goods. So far, I’ve sold almost a hundred copies, feeding around a hundred families.
I mention in the book that there’s so much we can do, so much we should do, but not much we have done. That line definitely applies to me. There have been so many times I told myself that I have to do something, but I have never actually done much until now.
I hope to continue donating and I hope that my little project not only showcases my admiration for the Philippines but also teaches more people about the country, their culture, and the problems that we can help solve.
Check it out: https://www.blurb.com/b/10183149-7-things
Has it been a smooth road?
Overall it was a pretty smooth road.
I would say it was a bit difficult for me to narrow down what I wanted to include in the book since there are so many things I love about the Philippines.
Another obstacle I also faced was finding the right organization to donate to. It’s no secret that some organizations and people in the Philippines are corrupt so I had to find a trustworthy organization I knew would use the money properly.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
Of course, as a senior in college who will be graduating in December, I also want to showcase my abilities of design, content curation, and writing. I want to pursue a career in creative advertising and working in a creative, media or branded entertainment agency.
Apart from people who can support, donate, and appreciate the Philippines, I also hope employers can see my hard work and my passion. Check out my other work: nicoleccastro.com.
I want to create things that matter, have a good purpose and can help people in some way.
Pricing:
- Book is $21.63, $10 go to donations while the rest of the money goes to the publisher
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.blurb.com/b/10183149-7-things
- Phone: 9493740590
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicoleccastro/
- Other: nicoleccastro.com
Image Credit:
Nicole Castro
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