Christian Rodrigo
The Creative Leaders series features great individuals that have transformed their lives for the better through creativity and Innovation. In today’s post we get to know actor Christian Rodrigo.
After working in business consulting, the food industry and the real state market for years, despite having great jobs and a comfortable existence, Christian felt that something was missing.
He was feeling a void, there was a lack of resonance between what he was doing and his deep passions.
Christian natural passion was acting. One day he took a decision. Over the next many years he slowly transitioned towards a new life. He began to study acting and the more he explored his passion, the more empty he found his current occupations, despite his professional success.
One of his first opportunities was working with oscar winner John Malkovich in Barcelona as his assistant director in the play called Hysteria.
After completing his studies Christian left his job, house and car and moved to Los Angeles, without knowing anybody in the city and not having any job in sight.
Initially he lived from his savings. As always the beginning was hard but slowly opportunities began to appear including joining the ranks of the well known Actor’s Gang, one of the most prestigious theater companies in the world, with 34 years of history and whose artistic director is Tim Robbins.
Today Christian does what he loves and continues advancing in his career.
After a transition phase, what happens if you don’t achieve enough success in the new area you love?
If you wish to do something with all your heart, things come together eventually, but if not, they often take you to another exciting place, usually related, where you can excel.
It’s important that in the transition phase you study the area you love deeply. You need to understand it, understand where you are moving towards and understand if you could really be in that area for a long time. You realize that every field has multiples angles and in my case i have worked not just in acting, but also in production, presenting and as an acting coach. Therefore even if one angle doesn’t work well enough, there are always a variety of occupations in the area you love that you can keep exploring until you find the right combination.
Learn more about Christian on IMDB
Is it worth earning less money while you try to establish yourself doing what you love?
I soon realized that money doesn’t equal happiness. Of course you need enough money to cover your basic needs, but beyond a certain amount, what really makes you happy is to have the time to do what you really love, what really motivates you.
Of course at the beginning this can be hard, but the process is refreshing. You have to plant your seeds and fight a lot, and when you reap the rewards, the satisfaction is amazing. You feel young in body and mind, your whole self is revitalized.
What would you recommend to a person that has a stable job, well paid, but feels a void and has no courage to abandon the current job?
I recommend identifying your passion and going through a transition phase. My transition phase lasted 9 years! You have to do things carefully and responsibly. Why rush? We all have responsibilities, it’s important to educate yourself and make sure that you love your passion enough to stick with it through rain and shine.
That’s why patience is key in any process of change.
What’s your final goal in life?
I’m not looking for fame, it’s not something i care about. What fulfills me is the process, the experience of being able to understand and explore different characters and stories, of doing what i love, exploring society, humanity, the big questions in life, in different historical and social contexts. This makes me feel alive in a permanent state of growth.
Learn more about Christian on IMDB