Camila Moreno: Sensitively Empowering

When we develop our sensitivity, we are keen to be more aware of where our flashlight of attention is directed. Latina actress Camila Moreno, who shines as Lourdes in Ava DuVernay’s highly-anticipated superhero series Naomi for The CW, says, “I am very sensitive, and it can be tricky.”

Our sensitivity is a signal pulsating through our emotions, indicating the focus we give outwards while observing what surrounds us. By recognizing that we are not our emotions, we have the freedom to choose which emotion we want to experience. Being sensitive, in contrast to numbing our emotions, is the starting point to letting emotions move with ease, without repression, and releasing those emotions that don’t feel as good.

“I am more of an introvert. And I think being born and coming from such a small place, like Puerto Rico, where when I go to the pharmacy or the grocery store and I meet at least five people I know, gave me the opportunity to practice the extrovert side of me. Whereas in New York where I live now, you can go out in your pajamas and nobody cares; it’s very rare that you do get to run into people you know. I feel more incognito, being more of the introvert I am. Puerto Rico gives me the warmth, the closeness, and the open heart of the people, and New York gives me the opportunity to blend in and be more invisible. The combination of both for me is the perfect balance to express myself.”

As a Latina actress, Camila has the opportunity to represent and embody so many different angles of her peers on screen. The inclusiveness she exudes comes from her desire to be part and tell stories relevant to an audience that resonate with the storytelling beyond its stereotypical perception. And Camila knows that inclusiveness starts from within, with being inclusive with herself.

“What inclusivity is to me, specifically in the entertainment industry, has a lot to do with visibility. And honestly, we live in a world where if you’re not seeing your face represented in what is considered a cultural context, then it seems that you basically don’t exist to the rest of the world. So being able to open the industry to visibility of the people that we really have not seen yet much throughout the history of movies, projects, cast and crew, broadens this aspect of inclusivity inside out. I would like to contribute and leave a legacy not only as an actress, but also as an individual person, and I know it starts with me. For me, being a Latina and representing my culture is an honor and a gift. And I mean that in all the senses of these words.”

“You don’t have to identify and remove your living beliefs to become somebody different. Instead, you can decide to live above them,” says spiritual manifestation coach Priya Patten. When we rise above any beliefs, we don’t have the need anymore to change them or remove them; we just choose which belief we want to impress at any given moment.

“I truly believe in the power of a positive mindset. And with a positive mindset, I don’t mean ignore your problems, but believe and have faith that I am always in some way going to get the things that I want. Because not only am I thinking towards it, but I’m also working actively towards those things. So I definitely think and believe that you are your thoughts.And it’s funny, because before I booked this role of Lourdes in the series Naomi, I had nothing in the works. I was auditioning, but nothing really stuck. And I remember writing in my calendar that I put on my fridge and picking a random day in March saying, ‘This day, I’m gonna start filming a new project.’ And that day, crazily enough ended up being the day that I flew to Atlanta to shoot the pilot. So I truly believe in the power of manifestation and positive thinking. And I also always try to surround myself with people that are positive, that inspire and empower me.”

We can only inspire and empower others by leading through our own example. There can’t be any assertion unless we allow it to be. We always have the choice of perspective from which we can perceive our desired accomplishments. When we see success as a goal, we often get the feeling of stuckness. When we see success as a process starting from within, we allow ourselves to be immersed in the delicious movement of our own creation.

Weola, the collective energy channeled by Kosta Trifunovic, says, “That which is outside of you, is predominantly stimulating, and therefore motivating in nature. Witnessing the margins of success of others, you can take some of them as yours, and have them as a part of your own success context. And while it can cause an inspired action within you, it is, at all times, only the beginning position of you realizing the feeling of success within you.”

Aside from being part of such project as the series Naomi, Camila’s success is also the new layers of awareness she has discovered for herself by playing her character, Lourdes. Camila says, “Lourdes and I are very different. Which is exciting and great to have the opportunity to play someone opposite of me. Lourdes’ confidence is so much different than my confidence. I think she carries her confidence, inner strength on her sleeve. Whereas, like I said before, I am more of an introvert. So I go cautiously about people and my surroundings. But I feel like Lourdes definitely leads with so much freedom and confidence. I feel it helped me find that as a possibility for my own life to carry myself more unapologetically.”

Camila’s expectation for the audience to take away from watching the superhero series Naomi and in particular her character, Lourdes, is, “To be curious. There’s a lot more to people than meets the eye, I think. And sometimes we dismiss another human being just because of how they look or our first impression of them. So I think with this series I have learned to be curious, open, and more inclusive. You really literally don’t know what people are going through and the depth of their personalities or their history. I learned to give the benefit of the doubt. Not always, right away, but at least to be aware about it. Speaking about my character Lourdes, I think people should take more risks. Lourdes really takes risks, and she’s not afraid of almost anything. She’s a really good friend to her friends. And also, I think that’s a very beautiful and important trait to have.”

Like Camila learned from becoming Lourdes, are you ready to dive into the unknown and take the risk of discovering the delicious unfolding of who you are becoming?

Photography // Allie Hine

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