Meet Simon Freitas | IT Project Manager and Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Simon Freitas and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Simon, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
When I first graduated college I was not familiar with the concept of work/life balance. I feel like it was ingrained in a very early age that you should work as hard as possible, but the idea of self care wasn’t discussed. As I continued to grow throughout my career, I began to see the benefit of taking vacation days, shutting off the computer at 5pm and keeping clear boundaries between my work identity and my personal life.

Also, as an artist it is very hard to find the balance between finding time to be social and finding time to create art outside of my day job. What I find useful has been scheduling out blocks throughout the week to be social and other blocks to be creative. I find that I work best with some degree of flexibility, but giving myself structure has been making it easier to accomplish my goals.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m a multi-hyphenate artist, but I would say my main craft is acting. I started participating in theatre productions in 6th grade. Since I graduated college from the University of New Hampshire in 2018, I have been working on short films, commercials, and music videos all over New England and Ohio. My long term goal is to make my way into high paying commercials and television work.

Currently, I would say I’m most proud of getting signed to two agencies in the last 6 months. I’m an actor/model for “The Talent Group” in Pennsylvania, and “Heyman Talent” in Ohio. If you pursue acting, then it is a very difficult road ahead. One of the hardest parts about this line of work has been the repeated rejection. Every now and then the door opens and you get to collaborate on an amazing piece of art. However, the unglamorous side of being an actor is completing hundreds of auditions and letting the silence sit for a few days before you realize you didn’t land the job.

One of the most important lessons I have learned in my career has been how to let go. Holding onto any preconceived ideas in this industry will do nothing but hold you back. Think about how easy it is to tell yourself “no”. One day I accepted that so many other people will tell me “no” in this line of work, so I’m going to stop doing it to myself.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If I had someone visiting I would probably take them to Brassicas for lunch. Then I would take them on a hike with my dog through Atrim Park. At night I would probably get food with them at 1126 and then go to Karaoke at one of the bars that partners with Excess karaoke.

Some of the most fun I have is when I’m downtown trying food places that I haven’t tried. I’ve become a big foodie since I’ve moved to Columbus. There are just so many options for food here.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I will say that Entropy Theatre deserves some recognition for the skills I developed working on the team with their company members. Helping to brainstorm, organize and execute different artistic productions was one of the most impactful experiences I have had in any work environment. Also, their team was extremely open to feedback and prioritized inclusive collaboration.

Website: https://www.simonfreitas.net

Instagram: https://instagram.com/simonpfreitas

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonfreitas/

Twitter: https://instagram.com/simonpfreitas

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SimonFreitasProductions/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3hMcSps6llhb-iy8eCSK6A

Image Credits
Open Image Studio
Gentle Embers Productions
Ron St. Jean Photography
TNT Productions
BK Productions