How did Young Guns get on your radar?

I first heard of Young Guns through my EPs, Tomás and Vertel at SOFTSPOT — they mentioned it with such pride and admiration. As someone who was just getting into the industry and learning the different aspects of it, from pitching to writing treatments, awards felt like a long shot, but their way of speaking about Young Guns always stuck with me.

From then on, seeing other peers and people I admire and respect be a part of the past classes and judges has been a constant reminder about Young Guns.

How did you end up in the creative field?

I don’t think I ever “ended up” here — it always felt like something that was calling me.

My family had a very different plan for me. When I was born, my mom’s doctor looked at my hands and said I had the fingers of an artist. My mom immediately responded that I had the fingers of a surgeon. That small moment shaped the next eighteen years of my life. I grew up in a world where becoming a doctor was the clearest path to pride, stability, and proving you were doing something respectable. I followed it because it made everyone around me feel secure, even though it never felt like mine.

Meanwhile, there was this whole other side of me I could never turn off. In middle and high school I was obsessed with photos, design, and the feeling of making something out of nothing. I spent hours Photoshopping pictures of my friends, making fake magazine covers, shooting on my DSLR, and taking long walks around my Orlando neighborhood after school just to chase light and color. It felt like a secret identity at the time. Looking back, it was the truest version of me.

Eventually the inauthenticity of trying to become a doctor caught up to me. I reached a point where I couldn’t pretend anymore. So I took the risk, moved to the city, and gave myself permission to follow the thing that had been there since day one.

Fast forward to now, and I’m living the career I used to think was a complete fantasy. Getting to direct, design, build worlds, and actually make a life out of the thing that always came naturally is a beautiful feeling. I’ve become a real believer in destiny. Some paths are written long before you realize you’re on them.

“Some paths are written long before you realize you’re on them.”

Why did you decide to enter this year?

I’m turning 30, so it was now or never!!! Waited till my absolute last chance to enter :)

You only get to submit six projects. How did you decide what made the cut?

The six projects I submitted reflect the breadth of my practice. They span different formats, tones, and creative challenges, yet each one carries the foundations of my visual identity.

These are the pieces where I pushed myself the most and where my voice as a director and photographer feels clearest.

What was your reaction when you found out you won?

I was ecstatic. Tomás, my EP, called me with the news and I honestly couldn’t believe it. Being a finalist already felt like a huge win. Hearing I actually won hit me in a different way.

I got emotional for a second because it’s one of those moments where everything you’ve been grinding for feels seen. As creatives we’re always trying to get better, always chasing the next idea or trying to outgrow the last version of ourselves. Recognition isn’t the goal, but when something like Young Guns acknowledges the work, it means a lot. It makes all the late nights and pressure you put on yourself feel worth it.

I didn’t celebrate in a big way. I just sat with the moment and let it sink in. It was a really beautiful feeling.

In what ways does where you’re living right now inspire your creativity?

There’s a feeling I get in NY that reminds me why I chose this path — that mix of ambition, chaos, and possibility. New York forces you to pay attention. It forces you to care. And I think that’s why so much of my creativity comes from being here.

A lot of my creativity comes from being observant and really paying attention to who I’m becoming. I’ve tried to be more honest and intentional with myself, and that self-awareness has become a huge creative driver. It helps me understand what I want to put into the world and why it matters.

I’m inspired by all types of stuff: memes, random conversations I overhear at a park, things from my childhood, things I saw growing up in Florida, moments that shaped me, moments that confused me. Good things, bad things, things that don’t seem important at first. It all hits me in different ways.

I think creativity is just staying open. Letting the world in. Letting yourself grow enough to notice what moves you and what bothers you. When I create from that place, it feels the most real.

“I think creativity is just staying open. Letting the world in.”

Now that you’re part of the Young Guns community, are there any past winners you admire?

Chayse Irvin, Alex Prager, Rubberband, and Hassan Rahim are some of the past winners I’ve always admired. Their work shaped a lot of my early taste and showed me what it looks like when someone builds a world that’s completely their own.

Each of them approaches image-making with such confidence and intention, and their ability to blend craft with strong visual identity has always pushed me to raise my own standards. It’s honestly surreal to be part of the same alumni list as them and so many others who changed the way I see creativity. I grew up studying their work, so being recognized alongside them is something I’m still wrapping my head around.

If you could create a new Young Guns tradition, what would it be — and why?

The “Creative Industry Bingo” night during the awards.

Some ideas for the squares: “We’ll fix it in post” • “Just make it pop” • “We love it, but can you make it totally different” • “Circle back” • “Good shout” • “We don’t have budget for film”. First person to get bingo gets a standing ovation.

Name a dream project you’d love to do next. Who would you want to collaborate with?

I’ve got a few dream projects I’m still chasing. One of them is directing a Super Bowl spot — but not just a “big funny commercial.” I want to make something with real storytelling weight and a visual identity that actually feels like me. Something that people remember after the game, not just during the memes.

Another dream is developing a narrative short or feature. I’ve been jotting down scenes, fragments, character ideas for years. I want to finally build that world out and make something that feels personal, cinematic, and a little unhinged in the best way.

But the project that hits the deepest is shooting something in Pakistan, where my parents are from. I want to reconnect with that part of myself and capture it through my own lens — the textures, the landscapes, the people, the energy. There’s a story in there I’ve been circling for a long time, and I’m excited for the day I finally get to tell it.