Rising Stars: Meet Shannon Aquinas of Hollywood

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shannon Aquinas.

Hi Shannon, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am a writer, deejay, and radio host living in Hollywood, California. I developed my artistic practice in the Bay Area and Portland before relocating here. My natal moon is in Gemini and my Jupiter is in Aquarius, which has shaped my outlook on modes of self-expression. Play, experimentation, and meandering are essential to my creativity. Writing and music are the fabric of my practice.

Regarding my current preoccupations, I am editing an oral history project for Club Gay Gardens (of which I am a member) in collaboration with the LA Field Recording Club. I am writing my first play on Reality TV as part of LA Warman’s online workshop while simultaneously cobbling together a collection of short stories for pitching. Musically, I am taking classes at Louder LA with the ultimate goal of blending a coherent DJ set that marries hyphy and hyperpop (hyphypop, if you will). There is never a boring day in my household!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Is it bad that the first question made me laugh? Perception has been challenging for me, and also a lack of control. I am a secret introvert, so performance anxiety has posed a particular threat to my artistic embodiment. Beta blockers and sunshine might be the solution. I have tried most alternatives with little luck.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Above all else, I am a huge dork looking for connection, and sometimes people respond to that. My insatiable desire to learn and unconventional approach are what I hope attracts people to the work. My latest and greatest achievement is my talk show, The Sensual World on Orange Radio. To date, I have profiled a dozen community members of varying backgrounds: critics, naturalists, thereminists, and the like. I curate musical interludes to bookend the talk segments and invite each guest to choose an example of each of the 5 senses that epitomizes their own Sensual World. I owe everything to Kate Bush.

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Sometimes the best mentors are literal teachers you can pay money to share their knowledge with you. Though it sounds transactional, I think it may be my only advice. Because I’m squirrelly, I find that taking workshops and classes contiguously helps me maintain momentum. For networking and making friends, I am a big proponent of clubs and hobbies. I have met some of the kindest strangers by picking up trash, politically organizing, and sorting native wildflower seeds together. I hope the readers meet their people, too.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://shannonaquinas.net/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hollywoodfuturist

Image Credits
Portrait: Ry Noor