Why Singer and Designer Kate Torralba Is Never Afraid to Try New Things
ILLUSTRATOR WARREN ESPEJO
In the 10th episode of the Lonely Hearts podcast with Esquire's editor at large Sarge Lacuesta, we talked to Kate Torralba, the multi-talented artist, musician, designer, writer, and now, filmmaker.
In this episode, Torralba mused about the early beginnings of her music career as a piano prodigy at only four years old, how she transitioned from classically trained artist to new wave fan after being exposed to artists like Tori Amos and Nirvana, and what it's like to work on a one-woman musical—a project she took on based on the advice of her mentor, National Artist Ryan Cayabyab.
Of course, juggling all of her different talents requires being open to learning and having what she calls a “beginner’s mind” when tackling new creative art forms—something she brought with her as she braved through the new world of filmmaking.
“It's fun! And it's like, you're not ashamed to look stupid or foolish because you're clearly a beginner,” Torralba shared. “When you have the beginner's mind, there's no pressure, you have no expectations, and you relax. And I'm not ashamed to be a beginner, because that's the best place to be. It's the most exciting time in the creative journey.”
It’s exactly this frame of mind that allows her to be fearless in taking on new things. And with this courage comes success. Her new film Ha-Ha-Hambog, which she directed with fellow workshopper Jopie Sanchez, was one of the 10 finalists in the International Silent Film Festival Manila's (ISFFM) Mit Out Sound: International Silent Film Lab 2021. For Torralba, film perfectly marries all the bits and pieces of her creative self.
The self-described “winger” is never afraid to take on challenges as they come. To hear more about her creative journey, listen to the full Kate Torralba episode of the Lonely Hearts podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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