Sarah
“Being a woman of colour means breaking down barriers, creating opportunities for myself and lifting one another up.”
Sarah is motivated to pave her own path to success without taking any shortcuts. Her passion for acting has expanded into different media streams, including YouTube and pilot writing, allowing her to take her creativity to new heights. Though the industry of acting is often cut-throat, she has found a way to remain inspired, optimistic, and compassionate. Meet Sarah. This is her story.
K: Please introduce yourself!
S: I’m Sarah DeSouza-Coelho and I’m an actor and content creator. I was born and raised here in Toronto, Canada and wouldn’t change that for the world. Despite the freezing winters, I love how diverse the city is and there are so many creatives breaking out here, especially artists.
For me, I’ve always had a creative bone and acting in particular has always been an outlet for me to express myself. Over the past 6+ years, I’ve had the pleasure of auditioning for and starring in various films, web series and commercials for major brands.
Over the past year or so, I’ve had a longing for creating something of my own. Although the film/TV industry has made amazing strides in terms of greater diversity on screen, there’s still a lot of work to be done. My parents are from Guyana and to take it back even further, my ancestors are from both India and Portugal. Growing up, I never had anyone on screen that reflected my culture and I’m tired of waiting around for the right opportunity. So I launched my own lifestyle YouTube channel where I aim to be a positive role model for my community.
In even more exciting news, I’m workshopping a pilot script about an Indo-Caribbean woman navigating the White corporate world. Very meta, I’ll say! My talented co-producers and I are aiming to pitch it to a network/streaming platform later this year.
K: Describe yourself in your own words
S: Aside from being really creative, I’d like to think of myself as a go-getter. I visualize what I want and I make a plan to get it. And I’m not just talking about that dress I saw online that I know I’ll never wear!!
I’m also addicted to The Office. I don’t think there’s been a day in the last few years that I haven’t watched a single episode. I LOVE cheesecake, pinot grigio and pizza. They should really be their own food groups.
But in all seriousness, I really am self-made. I thrive the most when I’m productive and sometimes that can be to a fault. One thing this pandemic has taught me is to be kinder to myself everyday and take time to reset my mind/body when I feel I need to.
K: What is your favorite thing about yourself?
S: How odd is it that we live in a society that teaches us to love ourselves, but the minute we’re asked to list all the amazing things we are, we freeze up. Or maybe that’s just me, haha. My favorite thing about myself is my compassion. While it’s super important to put yourself first, I always have to make sure those around me are taken care of. I love giving in any way that I can — whether that means checking up on someone with a quick text, dropping homemade cookies in my friends’ mailboxes or holding someone that just had a bad day. All without expecting anything in return. I love generously and unconditionally. That’s something I’ll never change.
K: Tell us a story. Have you had an experience that’s defined you or made you stronger?
S: This is pretty universal and open to interpretation, but heartbreak has always made me stronger. Whether it’s a relationship, a friendship, a role that I auditioned for and didn’t get, a job opportunity, you name it – heartbreak is the ultimate teacher. Being an actor especially, I’m rejected all the time. Any artist will tell you there are ebbs and flows of the job. Sometimes there’s a role I give my all to in the audition, but I’m not casted for various reasons. Reasons out of my control.
That’s the thing. We all have no control over heartbreak. It will hit when you least expect it. But it never fails to teach me something about myself, in order to be better next time and become a stronger person. That’s also why compassion is my favorite quality about myself. If I continue to choose love: to love my work, my bubble of loved ones and myself, then no matter what rejection/heartbreak life throws at me, there is no doubt that I can’t handle it.
K: What is one piece of advice you’d give to your younger self?
S: “It’s going to be okay.” This is a pretty common phrase that a lot of us will say to or hear from others when things aren’t going well. But it’s also something I wish I really understood as a teenager/young adult. I’m 26 and while I’m not exactly where I thought I’d be in life right now (who is?!), I’ve grown so much as a woman in my twenties. I could write a novel on all the dark periods I’ve had experiencing body image issues, being rejected and just not feeling good enough for the world. I wish I could tell myself that it does get better and things do fall into place in ways you won’t even expect. I wish I could make my younger self believe that she will be alright because she has everything she needs to conquer life. I’m definitely not perfect now, but I have a much clearer mind and stronger sense of self than ever before. Wow, I’m getting emotional writing this, ha!
K: What does being a woman mean to you?
S: For me, being a woman means being invincible. To take this question one step further, being a woman of colour means breaking down barriers, creating opportunities for myself and lifting one another up. Especially in the media industry, it’s so exciting to see female BIPOC creators making waves by booking lead roles and creating characters/stories of their own with substance! I’m so proud to be a woman and to have the ability to create my own platform in the digital age where I can share my unique experiences with the world.
K: Who is one woman that inspires you? What would you say to her if she were here now?
S: My best friend Michelle. The story of how we met is so wild. Our university was offering a summer study abroad program in Italy. How could I say no?! I remember feeling so terrified because it was my first time traveling outside of Canada, let alone by myself! I didn’t know anyone. We were a group of about 20 and we all met when we landed in Rome. I can be quite the introvert at first. But when we were all getting our luggage and making small talk, Michelle turns to me and says “I can’t wait to have a shower, gelato and wine.” I looked over and said “I know right?” In my head, I was lowkey like, we’re going to be best friends. The rest was history!
I would tell Michelle that she has such a generous heart and is one of the most hard-working women I know. The way she carries herself and perseveres is inspiring to me. Also, the way she uplifts me is priceless. She’s the kind of girl I can call at 2am when something is wrong and the kind of girl I can stay up until 2am with talking about anything. I love her dearly!