Rise: Can you give us a quick background on your life and work? How did you start acting/ singing/ writing?
Maiara: I was born in Seattle, Washington into a multicultural family. My mom is Brazilian and my dad is American. When I was a year old I moved to Sao Paulo where my mom is from. We stayed for a few years before going back to the US. I have loved music, acting, and the arts since I was a little girl. I performed in school plays and talent shows, and I lived in my imagination. I started auditioning for roles at 14, starting off in commercials and eventually working my way into TV and Film. When I was 18 I booked a Disney show called Cory in the House, and since then I have been incredibly fortunate to continue a steady career on shows like Switched at Birth, Vampire Diaries, Desperate Housewives, and Agents of SHIELD. I [was] in Michael Bay’s The Last Ship.
Singing has also always been a passion of mine. Over the last six years, I have been writing with amazing musicians, exploring my sound, learning the ups and downs of the industry, and I am happy to say I am finally working on my first EP! As far as writing goes, I write film scripts and directed my first short film [in 2017]. Everyone always asks me, “but if you had to pick one, what would it be?” And I always give them the same answer. “I can’t pick one and I never will.” To me, it’s all a part of storytelling. I can tell a story through music, through film, through a photo, through art, through any creative expression!
[we agree!]
Rise: What is inspiration to you? How do you get inspired?
Maiara: Inspiration is everything to me. I am genuinely so grateful to be alive and living on this planet. I find inspiration in almost everything… A conversation, a great book, a moving piece of music, an incredibly crafted film, nature, travel, new experiences, humans, other artists, love, food, beauty, imperfection, architecture, learning more about my roots, etc…
Rise: How do you seek out opportunities?
Maiara: I’ve never been the kind of person to wait around for things to happen. If you want something you have to go after it. I started writing film scripts because I was booking the same kind of roles over and over, and once I started writing I knew I would never stop. I’ve had plenty of failures in every creative medium, but none of them have or will ever prevent me from creating.
Rise: How does a regular day look like to you? Do you have a routine and/or creative process?
Maiara: There’s no such thing as a “regular” day for me! It changes on a daily basis! I do, however, make sure to exercise, write, and meditate on a daily basis. Beyond that, I am either working with my producer @houstonfry on music, revising film scripts, going on pitch meetings and auditions, shooting something, responding emails, creating content, or spending time with friends and family.
Rise: How can an artist achieve success?
Maiara: NEVER GIVE UP. The life of an artist is full of ups and downs, struggles, moments of pure bliss and moments of utter devastation. Putting your heart out there for everyone to see is not always easy. But if you love it, if you truly love it and can’t live without it, you’ll find a way. I also believe an artist should always improve their craft, whether that means hours and hours of practice or taking classes. I think complacency is dangerous, especially for an artist, and we should always be learning and growing as much as possible! Also, share, share, share!
Rise: Who are your favorite artists/ musicians/ writers? And who should we be paying attention to today?
Maiara: That’s a tough one! I respect so many artists! I love Nina Simone, Alicia Keys, Gary Clark Jr, Jimi Hendrix, Bruno Mars, Coltrane, etc… I like Oscar Wilde, Maya Angelou, Hemingway, Virginia Wolfe as writers. I love Goya, Salvador Dali, Van Gogh, Monet, and contemporary artists like @charmaineolivia @danielsun @awonderfulmistake and you of course :)
[oh my heart]
