We sat down with Camyl Buenaventura (Artist) and talked about growth.
A conversation about growth through the eyes of a freelance director, filmmaker and animator.
Question
What 5 tips would you give to your younger self?
Camyl Buenaventura
First, keep going and don't give up because there's a lot of things in life that you will face. You have to just keep going because no matter how big your dreams are, you're going to get there no matter what happens if you never give up.
The second one, you are good enough and everything you need, you already have. So, utilize everything that you have in the moment or what you have now, and you'll get anywhere you want to get to. It's very important to remind yourself that you have everything you need to get where you want to be.
Third, to balance life and to love yourself, take breaks. Definitely rest when you need to. As the saying goes, it's not a race, it's a marathon. You have to take breaks and balance your whole life. Also, use your energy wisely. We have X amount of energy in a day, so you have to question will this benefit us today? Because we don't have enough time left in the day for us, and now I don't have time to rest. So, use your energy wisely.
Fourth is your dreams are never too big, they're not too big for you to reach. I think it's a good thing when you're scared of your dreams because the higher you aim, the further you go. No matter how big your dreams are, you still end up getting closer to them. As long as you're working towards them every day, by doing your best, you're doing great.
The last one, talk to your parents every day because we forget that when we're growing up, they're also growing old. Because we're so busy with life and caught up in work that we forget to call our parents or even family.
Question
What are 3 things you do to help develop who you are?
As a creative, I always tell myself to learn something new every day.
You'll never know everything and that's okay. You will learn a lot of things, but I think the person who thinks they know everything never really learns anymore. I think in order to grow, you must keep learning and know that you will never know everything. The moment you accept that is the moment, where I think you are the closest to knowing a lot because that's when you humble yourself.
The second is to accept to let things go that are no longer of use to your growth. Sometimes you keep people and things in your life that are toxic to you, and it prohibits you from growing faster than you should.
The last one would be to listen. So many people love talking, and so many people don't know how to listen, but when you listen and when you listen to others this helps you learn something even about yourself. It's a really good quality when somebody is a good listener. That's an essential thing to developing yourself because you learn a lot of things when you listen.
Question
What are 3 things you do that help improve yourself?
One always help others. I was starting out once and I wouldn't be where I am today without the people that have helped me. Usually, when you help other people you learn more things and improve yourself as an artist and as a teacher.
Second, keep practicing your craft. You're never going to be perfect at anything, but you can always practice and come close to it. There's a lot of things out there now that you could use. Anything that you want to practice or learn? You can just watch it on YouTube. There's no excuse for you anymore to not practice or learn anything, all the resources are available out there in front of you. So keep practicing your craft.
Third, always be humble. No matter where you are in your career, even though you've reached a certain goal. Being humble is always a good thing. You also once were where all these kids now are starting out. I always feel for the people who are just starting out, and I think that humbles me. I think that helps with improving myself because no matter how big I get or how far I get, I'm always going to remember where I came from.
In summary, we learn a lot by pushing ourselves when doubt motivates us. Understanding what we have right now can help us achieve our goals. Remembering to help others, staying humble and going outside the box of doubt to achieve our dreams. You can view Camyl's work on her website or Instagram.