We had the good fortune of connecting with Cami Cossa and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cami, what matters most to you?
I thought about starting with this question because it seems to me values are the roots of our behavior, we act, decide and live by them. I take the values I have learnt throughout my whole life everywhere, they shape me as a person, and, for example, I would never take a job that doesn´t go with my values. I believe the most important ones in my life are:
*LOVE: it can sound a bit cliché but anything you do with love and good intentions will bloom eventually. Love as opposed to fear.
*RESPECT: Be respectful to others, their jobs, and their time; do what you would like others to do.
*COMMITMENT: This one is one of my favorites. To get what you want you got to work hard, you have to know you do it for yourself, you have to understand sometimes it’s gonna be hard, and tiring and you might have to sacrifice some things, but it’s all about purpose, about what you love, and the journey it takes to get what you want
*FAITH: and this one might sound like a sugar coat but, it’s completely necessary, you need to believe you can do it. You need to believe you are already there and remember “if it doesn’t open, maybe it’s not your door”. It’s about trusting the process, knowing that what has to come will come when you’re ready and that you have the power to create your own reality

I would like to make a special mention to my mom here, she taught me all of this and more, and keeps making sure I’m in an environment where I can grow everyday and become the best version of myself

Please tell us more about your art. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
Let’s start from the beginning, my family is very histrionic and I’ve always -since I was 4- practiced some kind of art, started with dance -went from Jazz to contemporary, to urban style-, then I got interested in drawing, after that directing audiovisual projects, but there was a constant in my life, being on stage, that was something I enjoyed so much. I discovered I wanted to be an actress at the age of 11, we were at the last scene of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, I was playing Bottom, in English, no less – I haven’t mentioned it yet but I’m from Argentina, I’ve lived here my whole life, so English is not my mother tongue, but that posed no problem apparently- and just when we were about to finish, one of my mates vanished into thin air, so I improvised something and went looking for her. When the play ended the director came to congratulate me, because I had “saved the scene” but I was still in shock from the applause and the smiles I had seen in the audience. I had done it naturally, I didn’t think about it and that’s when I knew, I needed that to live, needed that excitement, the adrenaline rushing through my veins; doing that made me feel alive and from the mind of that little version of myself that’s all I wanted or expected from life: To feel alive and enjoy it fully

From that moment on, I started studying, theatre, musical theatre, vocal coaching, reading plays, watching movies, participating in my city’s theatre festival (Festival de Teatro de Rafaela). While I was in high school I attended the EMAE (Municipal School of Performing Arts) and when I finished school I decided to move to Buenos Aires to pursue my career as an actress.

First year I got off to a rocky start, I moved 5 times in year, at first I was alone, I knew nobody but as it had been from the beginning, art was my refuge, my safe space… So I started the university introductory course while I took other classes outside. That year (2018) I participated in a musical, in 4 short films and I started doing castings for commercials and other audiovisual projects.

Being an artist, at least in Argentina, it’s not a piece of cake but it’s the only thing I can think of when people ask me what’s my passion. I don’t think I am where I want to be yet but among the many things learning to be an artist taught me, one of them is to ENJOY THE PROCESS. Process, process, process, this word has been said in my university more times than I can recall. As a person who sometimes suffers from anxiety and wants fast results, this was like a bucket of cold water. But I learnt to savor the journey of learning, trying new things, “failing”, more like falling and coming back up.
Not long ago I read a phrase that got stuck in my mind “Most people overestimate what they can do in a year, and underestimate what they can do in a decade” and, for me, this resignifies taking into account the world has gone through a pandemic and many things have changed since then.
Anyways, if I had to put some perspective into everything I said and sum up my ideas I would say, even though the capitalist world says so, we are not our results, or at least not only that. Art is about the process, the path you traverse and life is about enjoying every instant of it, we should redefine success, if you are happy with what you are doing that should be enough.

As for my process as an actress I can say this year is a hinge between doing, non-stop and taking some time to recreate myself as an artist. I’ve undergone lots of changes since last year, I’m planning to move abroad -to the US- next year and that’s something that takes a lot of planning. I used to think about the future in terms of results while starring on plays, going to uni and doing castings; NOW I’m enjoying the present, making decisions which will help me perform better and have more resources as an actress in the immediate future while I plan what a want to do next, still open to a wide spectrum of opportunities. I’m looking for new inspiration, for referents who can stimulate my creations and rouse my creativity.
“We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others” when I read this I felt completely in the dark, I said “okay, well, what makes me special? Why would someone choose me for a project?” And after all this writing I came back to the question and it seemed so clear for me, I AM ME, that’s what sets me apart from others. I have my own vision of the world, my mind creates in it’s own peculiar way and every concept I’ve learnt, every course I’ve taken, every decision I’ve made along the way has built me as person, therefore as an artist. I offer myself to art, to each project I take part in, MYSELF is the only thing and all I have to offer.

And lastly, something I’m proud of, that constitutes a big part of my life, in any department, is PERSEVERANCE; I think this one is a great value too. If you wanna get to a result doing what you love, you got to work until you make it, dedicate time and soul to it, and by doing that you are acting in purpose, which is gratifying by itself.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I know this is about LA but since I’m not a local and I’ve only been there 2 times -hoping to move there though- I’m gonna take the liberty to tell you about some places I went to in my time in LA, but also recommend you some spots in Buenos Aires, where I’m living right now.

If you like the beach, you must know Santa Monica and Venice, right? But those get really crowded with tourists and skaters, so you can try Dockweiler State Beach, and in April you will actually have the possibility to see the sun setting in the water which is quite a spectacle.
The downtown in LA is a nice scene with its tall, shiny buildings. There you can visit some scenic attractions like The Last Bookstore (even if you are not a book worm this place will steal you a smile), the Angel’s Flight (a funicular railway that’s just from another time), if you like art don’t forget to go to The Broad and the MOCA.
Also, if you like hiking a bit you can walk through some natural trails around The Griffith Observatory to get the well-known Hollywood sign
And if you happen to go to Buenos Aires and hopefully after this article you will be intrigued enough, you can start by walking around Recoleta on a weekend, you’ll be able to see the fair, maybe even buy some craft, there you can go to my refuge in town, the Cultural Center of Recoleta, next to the cemetery, after that visit the Carlos Thays Park, see the architecture of the Law University and take some pictures of the Floralis Generica.
If you go to the center of the city you have to cross the widest avenue ever and take your picture with the obelisk on you way to Puerto Madero where you can stroll around and find the Woman’s Bridge. If you take a left you’ll be directed to the South Natural Reserve -a great place to plan a picnic and relax for a bit. If you take a right you will find the Pink House -the equivalent of the White House-, the historic Plaza de Mayo, the De MAyo Avenue and at the end of it, the Congress.
Lastly if you go south you can find San Telmo, historic neighbourhood of the city, with beautiful fairs on the weekends, the Market -so worth visiting-, museums and Lezama Park; in the same day you can further south and discover La Boca, Caminito where you can listen to some tangos and maybe watch a tango spectacle.
You wouldn’t be covering it all but you sure will have an amazing and unforgettable experience.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My mom! I’ve been waiting for this moment since I could stand in the shower and make speeches with my shampoo bottle, the moment to put it out there, to let everybody know.

She’s an incredible person, she taught me or introduced me to almost everything I know. She is a big part of who I am nowadays, she fed my spirit since I was little, giving me possibilities she hadn’t had so I could discover what I liked, what I wanted, and who I wanted to be.

Apart from educating me, providing me with the means so that I could do what I wanted, and standing by my side during the most challenging times, she supported me when I told her, at the age of 11, that I wanted to be an actress. Never, for a single moment, she doubted I could do it, without leaving the reality checks behind she was always on my side.

She’s fierce, determined, and kind and I will always have her as my role model.

I would also like to thank every professor who had me as student and helped me ask myself the right questions to grow as an artist and deconstruct the many layers with which we encage the artistic essence we all have.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cami.cossa/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_QTWmhVjau_0tk0MjEaVPg

Other: https://alimacosbrit.wixsite.com/camilacossa

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