Even Stephen

Balanced seems incredibly fitting when I am describing Stephen Estaban (25). Loving nature and the city life you will find him in both, a beautiful balance. Even though Stephen is young he is composed for his age. He is also well traveled having lived in a few states in the USA, China and Mexico. He appreciates different cultures, finds learning languages interesting and important. 

At a very young age Stephen was introduced to the entertainment industry thanks to his mother who started him modeling at the age of seven. Growing up in the industry as an actor and model he has developed an understanding that bodies are moving canvases and the arts are a universal language. We all can feel something (no matter what language) from a painting or a work of art.  “We are the sculptor and sculpture.” – says Stephen. Not only is Stephen an actor and model he himself is a painter and sculptor. His favorite artists are Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso. He also plays some piano and someday he wishes to learn the Oud. 

I asked Stephen what are a few things he would tell his younger self and he said “Be present as often as possible, be patient everything is meant to be, and be content.”, “Speak positively it’s the best way to fight unhappiness,”, and “Be truthful always and don’t be afraid to be different.”.  He also said something that resonated with me, there can be 500 million pieces to one puzzle, that puzzle is your journey.

Stephen strongly believes in community and is a people person. I asked what he would like to be known for in this life and he said “to be a humanitarian, philosopher and environmentalist’. He has a green thumb, chases nature and is certain that plants are the ultimate force and they need preserving. Oxygen is life. Stephen is a part of a community in Mexico where they are eco friendly, health conscious and self-sustaining. This community is his own private oasis where he can recharge after working in the city for months. He also believes in energies and sages his environment for cleansing out the negative energy.  

The body is a tool. When I asked Stephen what workouts he does to maintain his tool he said he loves Yoga and it truly helped him understand movement of the body for his art, he also is a teacher of Yoga, he surfs, hikes and lifts weights.  Living in China for a year he taught Yoga and modeled. We also discussed the importance of being an entrepreneur since the entertainment industry can be a tricky one with not knowing when your next job will come. Stephen jokingly said he has “seven side hustles” although I wouldn’t be surprised if he actually did because he is ambitious and business savvy. 

I couldn’t let Stephen leave our interview without knowing the most important questions of course, food, music and if he had anything else he wanted to add. His answers were “Steak, I love steak oh and octopus.”, “Bob Marley and Cumbia music, I love to drink tea and dance to Cumbia music.”, and “Live and Let Live.”.  Evenly balanced and in true harmony with his life, we can imagine great things to come from Stephen Estaban. Live and Let Live.