Mirra Eden shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Mirra, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
I’ve done a lot of work on myself over the past few years, and with that comes lots of change. More psychological, metaphysical changes rather than visual ones. I’ve spent a lot of time and effort transforming myself from where I was, into someone who’s more aligned with who I desire to become. I’ve still got a ways to go and I’m far from a perfect person, but I do make a very conscious effort to make the most of every moment.
I’ll continue to tweak and alter my trajectory until I reach where I want to be, and I’ll never admit it but I’m (secretly) proud of all the work I’ve put into not only myself, but into my craft. There are countless hours spent rehearsing, researching, practicing, experimenting, and scrapping ideas that will never see the light of day. The sheer back catalog of work I’ve made is extensive, and although all those projects will never meet the eyes of anyone but myself, I’m thankful for the growth I’ve been able to gain as a result of doing the work.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Name a quicker way to watch me trip over my words, than to ask me what I do
I’m an actor, musician, designer, animator, and model; but when asked point blank, “So, what do you do” answering the question never feels simple. “Is it better if I just pick one, or should I list off everything I do? Will this person take me less seriously since I move between mediums, or will they think it’s bad*ss that I’m a multifaceted artist?”
I didn’t make a conscious choice when it came to becoming an actor and musician. Rather, I found myself already knee deep in the professions because of an innate desire to do it. A lot of what I seek I am guided to by my intuition; and many of the skills I’ve learned, I’ve learned on my own out of necessity, passion, or both.
Part of my uniqueness as a creator lies in the fact that I am profoundly affected by everything I encounter. I’m able to connect and confront intense emotions because I’m almost constantly experiencing them. Living from a perspective with such intense senses can be exhausting, but it’s also my greatest asset. The heaviness of my emotional depth is where my art comes from, and I’m grateful for the abilities it allows me to bring to my work.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
I’m kinda like a sponge.
I’m a fairly quiet person. I like to listen, watch, and take in the world around me. In addition to being quiet I’m also a highly sensitive person, but pairing the two leads to me being overwhelmed by my own emotions quite often. For me, every single experience I’ve ever had, large or small, has had a lasting effect on me. I’m easily susceptible to the emotions of others, and despite my efforts, there’s really nothing I can do to dictate the intensity of how deeply I feel. The only thing within my control is where I channel the influx of energy.
Acting and Music have always been my go to sources to get all the emotional static out.
Channeling my emotions into portraying a scene or a character, or writing my feelings down and translating that into something melodically impactful, I’ve always felt helped me to understand my feelings better than I ever could in any other way. When I sit down to write music, I never think of myself as deliberately trying to “create something” but rather I’m more or less just trying to “get it out”. If I’m unable to perform or compose music to release my feelings, they’ll eventually suffocate both me and my creativity.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Oh, plenty. For me to continue to pursue what I do feels like insanity sometimes. Nevertheless, (despite the horrors) I have to continue to follow my instincts and chase what comes naturally to me.
That’s not to say there haven’t been plenty of roadblocks along the way. There’s been many, many instances where things haven’t gone the way I had hoped, or I’ve been forced to scrap all my progress and completely start over from the beginning again. Like any artist who’s worked at their craft long enough, I’ve experienced my fair share of mental strains, burnouts, discouragements, injuries, technical issues, writer’s blocks, and (the age old curse) of actually having the motivation and inspiration to make something, but being unable to, due to some factor out of my control.
Even the act of being a diversified artist comes with its frustrations. At times it can feel like progress moves much slower when split across four fields, than it would if it were all dedicated to one. Sometimes I find myself feeling disheartened, kicking myself for not being as far along as I’d like to be; but I have to remind myself to take a step back and be proud of all the progress I have made. Just because I’ve yet to reach the goal, doesn’t negate my journey thus far.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
I’m not even sure if there is a version of myself that is the “real me”.
I used to make this joke about my name; that it sounded like “mirror” for a reason. I felt that I was a reflection of everyone I’ve ever met. That there was no “real me” but rather I was just a living amalgamation of everything I’ve ever taken interest in. I think there are so many different versions of myself it’s impossible to distinguish if one holds more validity than another. I know what I like, what I believe in, my favorite colors and foods and morals, et cetera, but I’m not sure if all that defines “who I am”. Sometimes I wonder, “If I were to act authentically like myself, what would that look like? What would I do? How would I talk? How would I act? Would it be differently from how I am now or the same? Am I already intrinsically myself, or is “the real me” something I need to search for?”
I think that the quest of finding your “true self” is a lifelong one. It’s a pursuit with no set destination because what you’re looking for is constantly evolving along the way. Much like everyone else, I’m constantly growing and changing; and while there may never be a definitive “me”, I’m excited to continue to meet myself as I progress through life.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
You can ask almost any of my teachers from grade school, I’m not great at doing what I’m told.
I’ve got no problem with following the rules, but I’ve never been especially good at doing things I don’t like simply because I’ve been told to. I’m always trying to follow what feels most authentic and that’s probably why I thrive working in such creative and freeform fields.
I’m an actor because I love to do it. It’s where I feel most in my element and has been my greatest desire for as long as I can remember. I make music because I hear melodies playing in my head anyways and I just need to get them out before my brain explodes. I like to design because I find it to be therapeutic and rewarding, and last but not least, I model because, well why not, it’s fun.
Since I’m such an emotionally driven person I’ll almost always trust my gut. Sometimes that looks like following a different pursuit depending on the day, but I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue to grow and round myself out into the artist I one day strive to be.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mirraeden.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mirraeden/
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/mirraeden
- Other: Spotify:
Image Credits
Alejandro Martinez, David Gary LLoyd, Fransis Chicote, Amy Schneider, Ton Gomes,
