Today we’d like to introduce you to Eliana Nunez.
Eliana, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
In December 2000, I was born in Los Angeles to two creative parents. I grew up wandering around concert rehearsals and art galleries, watching plays and exploring the world of self expression through both observation and interaction. I wrote my first scat song – improvisational jazz vocals – with my father at the age of three. Shortly afterwards, I found myself writing stories, making art, and building structures out of popsicle sticks whenever I got the opportunity. Luckily enough, these opportunities were very frequent in my life, and I was always encouraged to express myself. At the age of 7, my mother and I relocated to Cambridge, Massachusetts, where I started taking photos, playing the djembe, and making sculptures. I enjoyed the cold weather as well as the walkability and safety of my new stomping grounds, which made for great adventures. My favorite thing to do was to hop on the red line and explore whichever part of the city I found myself in. With great freedom came great joy. In 2012, my mother accepted a job offering in San Diego. At first, I was reluctant about the move, but my adventurous spirit got the best of me and I embraced the new experience, culture, and beautiful beaches I hoped to discover in SD with an open heart. Other than spending my freshman year of high school in Los Angeles, I have have been in San Diego ever since!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
For me, being a creative meant that I was extremely sensitive to the way certain experiences made me feel. When I felt happy, I was ecstatic, and when I was sad, it felt like the whole world would come crashing down on me. In the beginning of my childhood, living in two larger cities made for a liberating environment in which I did not face much judgment on account of my hypersensitivities. Having recreational and expressional outlets to place my energetic drive gave me lots of purpose and comfort. When I moved to the suburbs of San Diego, however, I had a hard time fitting into the more slow-paced, reserved lifestyle. Though I knew of San Diego’s public transportation system, it’s definitely more of a driving city. I faced lots of judgment on the manner in which I expressed myself as well as struggled to comply with the traditional structures I was placed in. I grew very conflicted. Though I felt limited by my immediate environment and yearned for a diverse space in which I could comfortably explore my creativity, my early adolescent mentality was a self-conscious one, and I tried my best not to draw any attention to myself in fear of looking like an outsider. In high school, I started skipping all my classes except for choir so I could go home and listen to records, draw, take photos, and read. Despite my ability to maintain an A average, the officials at my school were not always too happy with me or my attendance record. Other than some film projects and basic four chord songs I created every so often, I felt unmotivated in nearly all aspects of my life. Upon receiving a morning warning call about a school shooting threat at the end of my junior year, I’d finally had enough. I grew sick of the cyclical pattern of restricting myself from what I truly wanted to be doing, and decided to test out of high school early. I learned that discomfort is a vital ingredient for growth, and that we must be open and trusting of foreign experiences to create a life of abundance. At first I was mortified and experienced a lot of self judgement and self comparison, but I quickly learned that the only thing worse than any mistake is wasting the present moment resenting the unchangeable past. Learning how to practice presence daily has opened me to more life changing experiences than anything I could have imagined or resented!
So, as you know, we’re impressed with your story – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Though I have been singing and writing music casually my whole life, music has been my area of focus for the past year. Recently, I have found myself singing, rapping, and free-styling. I am heavily influenced by neo-soul music, which is a fusion of contemporary style RnB, soul, jazz, and hip-hop. I love all different types of music though, and never limit myself to which type of sounds I explore or create. I strongly believe in the power of music to move the masses and am fascinated by the ways in which auditory vibrations affect the brain. To me, expression is all about connection, not just an entertainment service that provides others with contentment. Creativity serves as a tool to connect to the true nature of oneself. In being completely raw during the creative process, I am then able to connect to others through art and music in a very intimate. and authentic way. This is more important to me than forcing the creative process for the sake of establishing myself as a musician in the entertainment field. Creation is an art and I do not believe in the unfortunate system of consumerism that many creatives struggle to succeed in without being inauthentic to their creative process. When I’m not making music, I like to go to music and art shows, collect vintage clothing, create public art pieces, and explore both the city and nature around me. Having such a cool spot in Ocean Beach that is down the street from the water has made me appreciate nature and the outdoors like never before. I love to hike, swim, longboard around town, and am learning to surf. Doing these things really get me connected with my body and the world around me. Sometimes, my boyfriend and I like to convert the van into a mobile home and drive it to different cities and spots in nature. This type of freedom is liberating, and living simply has taught me non-attachment to material items, places, and experiences. In being able to let go of these attachments and live in the present moment, my quality of life and creative content has flourished. I aim to integrate these practices into my daily life by always keeping an open heart and open mind while allowing myself to flow with whatever experience comes my way!
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I am currently developing my understanding and skill set using DAWs (Digital audio workshops) and other creative tools. I will be releasing my first EP in 2020, but am in no rush to do so. A mixture of patience and passion, as well as joy and discipline are key to manifesting content that one can be proud of, and I am practicing these values relentlessly. In the future. I plan to develop methods to bring access to music, art, and many more different forms of creative expressions to underrepresented and overlooked populations throughout the U.S. and eventually, internationally. This has been a lifelong dream of mine, and I am so grateful to be on such a beautiful journey filled with an abundance of incredible experiences as I work towards these goals. Right now, my partner and I are looking at methods to alter the van so we can have a self-sustaining power supply, enabling us to create music wherever we wander as well as share these tools with everyone cross paths with! I am a big believer in expressional access, and I see this as my first step in making creative tools available to the masses! I am currently completing my transfer credits in community college so I can study music therapy up in Los Angeles. By gaining this knowledge-base, I hope to develop a greater understanding of how music affects the brain so I can apply it to my long term goals. I also work as an English and Language tutor at my school. Working as a tutor at a public institution has taught me a lot about how people from diverse backgrounds understand, process, and create sound, as well as enlightened me on the metacognitive processes one must go through in order to develop any type of skill. Tutoring through the Community College District is free, and I love the access to academic tools and that I am able to provide students who otherwise might not be able to afford it. Before transferring from a community college to a four year university, I plan on taking a few years off to travel to foreign countries, where I can document and explore creativity and its place in various cultures throughout the world, and apply my newfound perspective on the world to my studies. We are all creators, observers, and students of the universe, and it is important that we follow our hearts so we can live each day with integrity and passion.
Pricing:
- English and Language tutoring – $25 / hr
Contact Info:
- Phone: 8582761515
- Email: elianaxnunez@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/eli.aaanaaa
Image Credit:
all photos taken by me except for two by @chicahhh and @darrinthewizard
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
