Rising Stars: Meet Corey Saldana and John Sundara

Today we’d like to introduce you to Corey Saldana and John Sundara.

Hi Corey and John, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Artistry Drop started back home in Seattle around 2018-2019. Both of us (Corey Saldana & John Sundara) were focusing on YouTube at the time while also working on our own professions in Photography and Filmmaking. During our time in Seattle, podcasts weren’t as popular as they are now but it has always been a dream of ours to start one. Being in the art industry we’ve met so many talented and diverse groups of people throughout the years. People with inspiring background stories to become the person who they are now but didn’t get the exposure that they deserved. We wanted to create a platform where we can fully express our Artistry and also give other Artists a chance to be heard.

Whether you’re a Singer, Actor, Painter, Dancer, Photographer, Fashion Designer, etc, every artist goes through a different struggle or a different path but one thing we all have in common is the passion for more in life. We’ve realized as artists ourselves, we have a deeper understanding of what types of struggles that may occur both on and off camera. By bringing these stories into the light, we immediately knew this would have the potential to inspire the world to reach their goals and dreams. We want others to rest assured they are not alone and through laughter, positivity, and support we can accomplish anything. In late 2021, we finally decided to pull the trigger and create the podcast people know today, The Artistry Drop. To this day, we’ve now nearly hit the 30 Episode mark with weekly episodes to add in the upcoming months. Every episode is a new story and an opportunity to inspire others who might be going through something similar. As we continue to spread inspiration to the world, the world comes back full circle and inspires us to push for more.

So far we’ve featured some amazing artists such as Andreao “Fanatic” Heard, who has produced for Michael Jackson, Lil’ Kim, Notorious B.I.G. Michael Taeza, who also goes by “Twisted Pennywise” which is his approach in a much more friendlier and comedic version of Pennywise The Dancing Clown from the film IT. William Casanova and Dennis Lorenzo whom were runners-up on American Idol. Shaina Paulson who is a VFX Makeup artist that has had the privilege of working with Chris Brown, Doja Cat, Wiz Khalifa, Machine Gun Kelly, Nicki Minaj and much more!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The hardest part of The Artistry Drop was getting it started. During the start of the Pandemic in 2020, we knew a Podcast would be great during this time. The problem we faced was our goal was to get Artists on the show. We wanted a more intimate setting to hear their stories physically face to face, so we decided to hold off at the time since everyone was still in quarantine. We know we could have done remote interviews but there was just something more authentic and special about being in person. The spark and passion about speaking your dreams into existence, we’ve felt our listeners can really resonate from hearing. Near the middle of 2021, the Pandemic slowly started to fade away. This created the perfect opportunity for us to start. We purchased all the equipment we needed to get set up for the show. Within the next couple of months, it was a lot of meetings between us both on figuring out a name, how to market ourselves and also reaching out to artists to convince them to come onto the show since we were just starting out. A lot of time, effort, and planning went into the podcast to contribute to the success it is now. We are humbled to receive positive feedback from the community and want to thank everyone who continues to support our journey.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
COREY SALDANA
Hi everyone, my name is Corey Saldana hailing from Seattle, WA but now living in Los Angeles and I am one of the host’s creators of The Artistry Drop Podcast. Outside of doing the Podcast, I am also an artist myself. I am a Filmmaker/Photographer who has been on the path since 2011. Since then, I’ve attended film school and graduated with a bachelor’s from The Los Angeles Film School, Since moving out here to Los Angeles, I’ve been fortunate enough to network with tons of awesome artists and creators which has helped me push the boundaries in my content creation. One of my biggest dreams and goals was moving to Los Angeles after film school to pursue a bigger dream out here and have successfully checked one of those goals off. There are always going to be more goals/dreams to add to the list but also working towards checking off the ones I am in the process of working towards. As of 2021, I have been a part of The Academy (Oscars) working for the Media Production team at The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. I definitely feel grateful to be part of an amazing organization and being able to finally be a part of the Film Industry. The journey thus far has been everything I’ve imagined and planned for. One thing I love saying to myself as well to others is “Anything is possible”. As long as you keep grinding, keep working and stay positive, all your dreams and goals will come true hence “Anything is possible”.

JOHN SUNDARA
Hey everyone, my name is John Sundara also hailing from Seattle, WA. Aside from being a podcast host, I’m a portrait photographer, assistant director, and content creator based in Los Angeles, CA. I’ve also been a dancer for 10+ years and was heavily involved in the PNW dance community such as competing in battles, performing, hosting, and judging events, and also teaching kids & adults. Dance has really shaped my creativity in a unique and open-minded perspective that I feel like resonates with others who have seen my craft. Honestly, moving to LA wasn’t my initial dream. Like most people, growing up I was taught being an artist was never a career and only just a hobby. I threw my dance career out the window to pursue the medical field. During this time, I met Corey. We were heavily into photography, shooting with models and small music videos. I enjoyed it so much, we ended up shooting so often that it started to become our part-time job. There was a lot of struggles and logistics that came with the thought of moving to LA. Fast forward to a couple of years later, I decided to follow my heart and move down. Coming from someone who was once an introverted, logical thinker, who followed his head more than his heart, this was a huge step in my life. I have now been living in LA for three years and can proudly say it has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. Not only has it provided the opportunity to work with more people in the industry as passionate as I am but has given me the confidence to believe in myself to do anything I set my mind to.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
We are always looking for new upcoming artists in the Los Angeles area, whether you’re a Musician, Singer, Rapper, Painter, Dancer, Photographer, Filmmaker, etc, we want to bring you on The Artistry Drop!

Please contact us at our email below to inquire on getting on our show:
[email protected]
Or follow us on Instagram and DM us: @theartistrydrop

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theartistrydrop/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theartistrydrop
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgmwMC5zg5CTvOo4rs5Okg

Image Credits
Corey Saldana John Sundara Michael Taeza “Twisted Pennywise” Andreao “Fanatic” Heard Dennis Lorenzo Shaina Paulson