Today we’d like to introduce you to Aaron Requeña.
Aaron, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’ve always loved to create things. When I was younger it started with drawing then it transitioned to music and eventually it led to experimenting with photography and videography. I love to push boundaries creatively and see how much I can question and play with the conventionality of things. Trial and error has been my greatest teacher. When I turned 19, I really fell in love with capturing images and from then on I was taking photos of anything and everything.
Through creating I’ve met many amazing people that have taught me countless things. I’ve learned so much about myself and I think my work continues to evolve as I do as a person.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has been smooth in several aspects, I’ve been fortunate to work with a lot of amazing people and not really have many awkward situations or major mishaps along the way but there are always challenges when you’re pursuing what you love. For me personally, I find that most of these challenges are internal rather than external. There has been times where I’ve felt like my work wasn’t good enough and felt discouraged that I wasn’t reaching my goals as quickly as I would have liked to. It’s so easy to fall into the trap of comparing yourself to others.
As people who create, our work is always on display and open to judgment. When you pair that with the fact that we’re usually our own toughest critics, it can feel like you’re in an endless loop of opinions. That’s terrifying. I can’t count how many times I’ve been close to giving up but for me, it always comes back to one thing, I truly love what I do. That’s the thing that keeps me going. I’m learning to trust myself. I’m remembering how fun this is and there is nothing else I’d rather be doing. I’m taking the pressure off of myself.
I’m lucky to have people who support me in all that I do. I want to make all those people proud. There’s too many things I want to accomplish and too many messages I want to spread. I can’t stop now.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Aaronreq – what should we know?
I joke around with my friends a lot about what my title is and what I specialize in. All my social media bios just say “I make stuff.” I think most people would know me for my photography but I really just do what interests me creatively at the time. I like to play with different mediums. Whether it’s photography, videography, music, graphic design, making clothes, or just sharing ideas, I love the process of seeing a thought come to fruition.
I think the thing that sets me apart is my perspective. I’ve lived in the San Fernando Valley my whole life and I feel like it’s one of the most unique and misunderstood places within LA. I think it’s my responsibility to make my art as diverse, colorful, and lively as the place where I’ve grown up. When you pair that with my Belizean culture, my love for sports, music, and other weird and random influences you end up with a unique view of things. It’s a mix of all these different inspirations but it somehow all feels cohesive and I’m proud of that.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Every person I’ve crossed paths with has influenced me in one way or another. Some have influenced my art directly and some have influenced my perspective and helped me to grow as a human being. The support I’ve received throughout my journey has honestly been unbelievable. It fills my heart just thinking about it. There are so many people who have believed in me during times where I didn’t even believe in my self. They lifted me up and I can never say thank you enough times. It would be unfair to even try to name all the people who’ve played a part in where I am today because I would definitely be forgetting people. Two people I can say have been there since the beginning and shaped me so much are my mom and my older brother. I have so much love for them.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://aaronrequena.com
- Email: aaronreq@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aaronreq
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/aaronreq
Image Credit:
Photos by Aaron Requeña
BTS photos: Jordan Mack
Photo of Aaron: Daniela Rodriguez
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