Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Carlos Cipriano of Downtown Los Angeles-Arts District

Carlos Cipriano shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Hi Carlos, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What do you think others are secretly struggling with—but never say?
I think the secret struggle we all share is the emotional weight of the world’s current state. It’s hard to escape in this age of constant information, where we’re inundated with news and global events. We’re all trying to process this immense, collective reality, and it’s a burden that many people carry without ever speaking about.

This became profoundly clear to me after I started a book club for people of color called La Raza. The goal was to create a safe space to uncolonize our mindsets and reconnect with history. But almost immediately, it became a powerful forum for my friends and peers to express their frustration and sorrow over current events. It’s a natural connection, when you learn history, you can’t help but see how it echoes in the present.

I had always thought this feeling of silent suffering was unique to me. As a veteran, I assumed civilians were either asleep to what was happening or just didn’t feel it as intensely. The club showed me I was wrong. It’s a shared struggle, one that touches people from all walks of life, transcending race and age.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Carlos Cipriano, and I’m an independent artist, and that term really defines my approach to everything I do. As a singer and producer, I’m building my career on my own terms, from writing my music to producing my own YouTube show and upcoming podcast. My “brand” is simple: to inspire and ignite change through authentic expression. My art is my platform, and with every song, every episode, and every project, I want to make people think and feel. My goal is to spark a light in my audience and encourage a deeper look at the world around them. My book club, La Raza, is another way I’ve created something truly my own, a space for my community that’s completely independent and authentic. I’ve also invested in real estate, which gives me the financial freedom to maintain my independence. I’m building my career my way, and that’s what makes me unique. It’s all connected by a central purpose: to create and to inspire.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child, I believed I had to pick just one thing to be. I thought that a successful career meant sacrificing other passions, that you had to choose between being a business-minded entrepreneur or a creative artist. I’ve since learned that life is far more complex, and that I don’t have to choose.

My many passions and talents are not in conflict. I’ve learned to see them as a team, each with a vital role to play. My art gives me a platform to express myself, while my other ventures give me the financial freedom to create without compromise. I get to play so many different roles, and I’ve found a way to let them all coexist.

It wasn’t an easy lesson, and I’m still learning, but I’m grateful to live in a way that honors all my interests. I love that my life is a reflection of all the different parts of me.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Giving up my dream has never been an option, but after my military deployment, I came dangerously close to giving up on myself entirely. I returned home a completely different person, drowning in extreme depression and PTSD. For an entire year, I lived in silence, refusing to get help, and it was in that isolation that I hit my lowest point.

Then came the devastating news that a fellow service member, my age at the time, had died by suicide. It was the final, brutal reality check. It was a mirror that showed me the path I was headed down and the consequences of staying silent. I had the misfortune of being in a unit where we lost more than one promising young person to suicide. In a way, their collective story forced me to find the courage to seek help. I’ve now been in therapy for over six years, which has been instrumental in helping me regain my love for life and the strength to never give up again

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’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
I believe the most important cultural value to protect is community. Coming from a background rooted in Mexican and Indigenous culture, the importance of collective growth was ingrained in me from a young age. It’s a fundamental understanding that our strength lies not in isolation, but in the support and shared purpose we find in each other.

For me, this isn’t just a theory; it’s a practice. It’s what drives me to create spaces where people can connect on a deeper level. The book club is a perfect example of this. By creating that community, we are actively working towards a more hopeful future, one conversation at a time. It’s a value that has shaped my life and continues to guide my path.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
If I knew I had 10 years left, the first thing I would stop doing is overthinking. It has been one of my biggest setbacks in life, a constant source of self-doubt and creative paralysis.

With my time limited, I would consciously choose to live with less fear and more action. I’d stop second-guessing every decision, every word, and every creative impulse. The endless analysis of what could go wrong, or what others might think, would be replaced by a simple, intentional drive to just do things. The outcome would no longer matter as much as the experience itself. I would rather live with the peace of a life fully lived than with the regret of a life over-analyzed.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.carloscipriano.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccarloscipriano/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@carlosciprianomusic?si=wwE5i1UkpO6tAhDQ
• Soundcloud: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1fdVmYdfpUm3D20ELtNK8j?si=IXu9QV6sQauHOq9tIxg-tQ
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1fdVmYdfpUm3D20ELtNK8j?si=IXu9QV6sQauHOq9tIxg-tQ

Image Credits
Lada Egorova, Courtney Geiger, Jerry Parraguirre, Sam Sotelo,