Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Walsh.
Julie, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
It’s been a very interesting road…finding myself and truly developing commitment to how I want to spend my valuable time. Ever since I was a kid, I have loved telling stories. My first memory of telling stories is from first grade. In recess, on the playground, I would ask my classmates to partake in playing pretend. I would give them a role or character to play in a plot, and make up a story, then act it all out with them.
I always wanted to be musically inclined or technical but I got into dance first. I started dancing at five years old. Maybe that’s where I developed the interest in telling stories. In dance recitals, there was always a story to each dance. Especially in my favorite number, “Angelical Cats”, I danced at a competitive studio and was on my school dance team.
I started playing with my sister’s camera and my mom’s Windows editing software when I was in Middle School. I would create skit ideas and ask my friends to be a part of them, then record it on the camera. Skits like just silly things, or sometimes dramatic things. There was nothing like the pleasure of sharing my direction with my friends and seeing them portray it, then looking at the footage and seeing it some together in the edit.
When I got to high-school (Miami Lakes Educational Center and Technical College), I was in between picking culinary arts or T.V production as my major. I figured culinary was interesting and creative, and I would enjoy it. But TV production made more sense since I always liked making videos. Plus, I kind of thought I wanted to be a meteorologist, haha. It was the only occupation that at the time, I thought was a professional one that incorporated the camera. The TV production program had opportunities to work in front of the camera reporting on the morning announcements, kind of like a meteorologist might. But I discovered so much more in TV production. My teacher, Louis Depriest, opened up a whole new world. We learned about films, writing all types of scripts, using high-tech camera equipment and editing programs. I was in heaven.
I kind of discovered my passion for being in front of the camera in high-school. I would volunteer to be in all of my classmate’s film assignments. I loved pretending. I loved acting. In 10th grade, I auditioned for a lead role in a play, and I got the part. I honestly had no idea that I was starting a pathway which would lead me to today. I never thought I could be an actor. Not once. Let alone, make movies That never clicked. I never considered art as a career. My parents always wanted me to be a Lawyer, like my father, stepfather, and sister. So that was the plan; after high-school, I’d study to be a Lawyer, and start a side video production company for events.
But that all changed during my first year of college when I met Jorge Lendeborg, a very good friend of mine. He is an actor. When I met him, though a friend, he had just started out in LA. He was the first person I had a conversation with about their pursuits in filmmaking. That’s when it hit me; you could be and do anything. Literally anything. I started feeling like I was on the wrong road, being that I was about to embark on a journey to being a Lawyer for probably my entire life. Being friends with Jorge, my itch to write stories and film them sparked. Then at the end of my first year in college, I knew I had to make changes. I still wanted to finish college for my family, so I decided to transfer to a school with a film program, The University of Central Florida.
I blossomed so much at UCF. I discovered so much more about my passion in telling stories and filmmaking. I thrived. I was a part of the crew in many of my friend’s films. Then I started making my own films after buying some camera and lighting gear. Heaven again. I’ve met and had the pleasure of working with so many beautiful and talented souls. In my Junior year, I was a producer on Jason Gregory’s MFA TV Pilot. I learned how to produce. It was crazy. It’s so much work! I learned such valuable things being a producer. How to run pre-production, production, and post-production, efficiently and professionally. In my senior year, I did an independent study with my professor Lisa Peterson. I would make my own film with her guiding me as I needed, and with the access to the college’s camera and lighting equipment. I wrote, directed, and starred in my film, “A Petal Trail”. A true story based on my surviving sexual abuse as a child. Riveting. But necessary. I healed so much of my remorse making that film. It is currently being submitted to film festivals.
I moved to New York in August 2019, after college to pursue filmmaking. I worked on reality TV as a production assistant. The goal was to get signed by a talent agency so I could start acting. I was signed to United Crafted Artists Agency in March 2020, after submitting to like 50 agencies. Since March, I’ve been going on auditions. It’s been really fun. My time will come and I’ll get booked for the right project.
When I moved to NY, I met a music artist, Austin. Throughout college, I always sang. With practice, I got good. Since I was able to write sentences as child, I wrote poems and songs most days. In college, I started recording myself singing melodies on my phone and hope to make them songs. I’ve probably written hundreds of poems/songs. So when I met Austin, who had a recording set up, that finally came true. We recorded a song together and I actually sounded good! That’s when I was inspired to buy my own setup. I bought a mic, interface and midi keyboard. I started making beats and recording to them and posting songs on SoundCloud. I didn’t know heaven could get any better. This was a whole new world. I loved every part of it. The passion was just as thrilling as filmmaking.
A little over a month ago, I met 8. His artist name is 8father. He acts as my music manager now. I didn’t know the world could get bigger and possibilities could come faster. He saw my Instagram (@juliealexandrawalsh), heard my music, and told me about his endeavors in music. He loved my work as a music artist and filmmaker. He sent me industry quality beats to record to and songs to feature in. My first song working with him, “Babyface” dropped April 2020 on all streaming platforms. It is FIRE. We have new songs dropping soon. We filmed a music video for “Babyface” last week. It’s been amazing.
I’m just going with the flow. In high school, my dad emailed me some Roy Master’s meditation tapes. I never listened to them until I went through one of my most difficult phases of depression in college. It changed my life. It changed my way of being. I try to just go with the flow. I’ve always been and still am a hard worker, so I just trust that the universe will come full circle. I meditate often and practice being mindful, kind and loving to the world and its people. It’s very healing and comforting. I’ve struggled with depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder most of my life and still do. But my spiritual practice is what gets me through it. I trust. I let it be.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I’d say the hardest part is sharing my art endeavors with my family. My parents and siblings aren’t artists the way I am. So it’s hard for them to see me building a life with music and film. But they’ve come around. Since the day I told them I was transferring to film school, they’ve come around. They’ve watched me stay up all day and night working on projects. They’ve heard me talk about my work passionately. They see what I see. They just don’t completely believe it yet. But that’s fine. They believe in me and that’s all that matters. The rest will come and one day they will be at ease. They love my work though! They are fans.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I paint too. I also practice photography and modeling. I do a number of things. I share all of my work, from filmmaking, acting, music, painting, photography, modeling and dancing on social media and in my everyday life. My attention span is sporadic so I always like to work on multiple different mediums. My work derives from love. Always. A pursuit to express the love I have inside that I want to share with others.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Jorge Lendeborg opened my eyes. Not intentionally. But just watching him go after his dream, inspired me to go after my own. He isn’t only an actor and filmmaker, but he’s a very kind and loving soul. It was his soul that reached me.
My mother has had to work very hard her whole life. She grew up with very little. She’s accomplished so much. She instills strength in me. To never give up and always keep moving. Things come.
My stepfather who has been a father to me since I was about four years old, has also had to work hard to get to where he is. He helped me with my college film “A Petal Trail”. Without him, it would’ve been a mission to complete.
My father has always supported me. We’ve always been good friends at the core. He understands and accepts my choices and pursuits. He always says “put one foot in front of the other and just keep moving”.
I love my siblings. So much! They’re all so different and lovely and hilarious. I’m very grateful to have a loving relationship with them. They push me to do my best and love my work.
Lisa Peterson, my mentor during the making of “A Petal Trail”, instilled the courage in me to make that film. She worked in the film industry for many years and is so knowledgeable on many aspects. I went to her for every question I had and she always had a helpful answer. She was wonderful to work with.
My best friend, Marlon Romero. He is an actor, filmmaker, vlogger and public figure. He has been through everything with me. He’s my rock. He’s been my bestfriend for four years now. He is like my sibling. He always pushes me to keep going. I don’t know what I would do without him.
Most importantly, I give credit to myself. For never quitting. For never thinking of quitting. For staying committed to my heart and soul. I also give that credit to the universe, for picking me to have the heart that I do.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.juliealexandrawalsh.com/
- Email: juliealexandrawalsh@gmail.com
- Instagram: juliealexandrawalsh
Image Credit:
Brandon Vazquez, Vikki Martinez, Adalberto Moscoso, Stephanie Vanessa, MFportraits
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