Meet Karen Gonzalez Aguilar | Actress, Singer & Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Karen Gonzalez Aguilar and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Karen, why did you pursue a creative career?
Art is such a key part of our everyday lives, and it is in my opinion one of, if not the most impactful way to share a message with the word. There is a specific feeling that we have all experienced when a piece of art affects us emotionally, whether its a happy or a sad feeling, its such a reminder of just how alive we are. I think as artists we are just looking for ways to make sense and therefore express how complex, heartbreaking, and beautiful the human experience can be. I feel as if art provides the space to connect with our souls in such a unique way.
I think pursuing an artistic career is pursuing the attempt to make the world a better place in some way shape or form. Its that attempt of making sense of it all and offering that perspective to our communities, hoping it resonates, creates change, and/or offers hope. Many say a piece of art is successful in its purpose if it sparks a conversation and I think there’s some truth to that statement.
I have always been a person that had a passion in the name of human rights and a progressive world, and for a while I thought I would go into a career in politics or diplomacy. I actually got a bachelors in International Relations at CU Denver (with min*rs in French, History, and Political Science). I’m not saying I would never consider that career path again, but I found that I wanted to take a different approach in my passion for making a difference. An approach that fulfills my heart and soul on a much deeper level. Not to mention, any part of the art-making process has never felt like “work,” whether its rehearsal, memorizing lines, producing, performing, or being on-set for 12-16hr days; it has always been fun and left me wanting more.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I would say I’m barely at the beginning of what I hope to be a long and fruitful career so my biggest challenges have all been related to the fact that I’m very much in that “starving artist” stage. I have a full time job in order to pay my bills and I have done my best to not let that affect my presence and progress in my art, but that does mean that my personal life in terms of friendship and family time has taken a small hit because I simply don’t have as much time as I wish. A lesson I have learned is to allow myself to make and have that time to cultivate my relationships with my friends and family.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Would definitely take them to the mountains up north around Estes Park, as well as down south around Colorado Springs to hike and appreciate the beautiful scenery. We would stop into the small mountain towns like Nederland, or Manitou Springs to have some food.
Would definitely spend a big part of one of our days at Meow Wolf.
We would do some walking around the Santa Fe Arts District (preferably on a first Friday), stopping into Strawberry Mountain and the rest of the thrift/antique stores, as well as some of the galleries. We would go walk up and down Broadway/S. Brodway to shop around, have some delicious food, and of course bar hop at the end of the night. I would take them out in RiNo as well so they could see the street art but we’d probably spend most of our time at MeadowLark, Beacon, or Tracks. I would take them to a yoga class at Black Swan, then have some coffee and lunch from Pablo’s and SubCulture, and we’d explore the Cap Hill neighborhood as well.
And of course we would take a drive up and down Colfax because it is such a key part of Denver culture. Maybe we’d do some bar hoping here as well, starting with some games at 1UP.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The list of people I want to thank is so extensive and forever growing because I would not be where I am without every single one of them. My dear friend Peter Nepi I have to thank for being the first director ever to give me the trust to carry his story and bring a character to life. Along with that I have Abby Apple Boes who was the first director to cast me in a paid theater production, there’s the Boulder Dinner Theater where I was welcomed with open loving arms and was given so much career, and life advice by the talented individuals that make up part of the Colorado Theater Community. Of equal importance, there’s the casting team for Vintage Theater’s production of “In The Heights” led by Jonathan Andujar who believed and trusted in me my first lead role in a musical ever; which will forever be an important marker in my career because it was an achievement I thought I would not ever have what it took to accomplish. An accomplishment I achieved largely due to my incredibly amazing voice teacher Sarah Barber who continuously encourages me to become a better performer. There is also the Colorado Film School (known as Community College of Aurora – Cinematic Arts Dept now), where I was given an award for my acting in Peter Nepi’s “Sleeves,” and have built my network that has given me the opportunity to get all my hands-on experience in the film world.
Obviously I would not be where I am without the constant support of all my friends who continuously ask me about what project I’m working on, and have happily attended my theater shows. Another dear friend I would really like to shoutout is Aria Wallace, an incredibly talented and passionate force of a woman that I am forever grateful to have in my life. Aria is also an artist, she is a singer, musician, and actress with whom I deeply connected from the first moment we met. She is such an important part of my career because she has been a huge support through all of it. I admire her and her dedication so much. Her and I are currently working on writing a TV show together which has been such a fun and new adventure for the both of us.
Finally, I’m forever grateful for my sisters unconditional support; and my parents who have flown to Denver to attend all the theater shows I’ve been in, and have not doubted the difficult career I picked.

Instagram: Karen.gnzlz (username will likely be changing in the next week or two, so I can send an updated username once/if thats the case)

Image Credits
Jeanine Watson, RDGPhotography, Mark Dingee, Maxwell Johnson, Will Owens.