Meet Martín Aramayo | Improvisor, Writer & Actor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Martín Aramayo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Martín, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Work life balance for a creative can be difficult because we tend to have multiple jobs. I work a full-time job in the construction industry then I have another job in pursuing acting then another job pursuing improv, then another job as a writer. On top of all of those things I have to find time to do laundry and other mundane responsibilities of life. It is quite difficult to find balance and what can and has ended up happening is that I get burnt out trying to do all of it. I guess my answer is that I have not found balance yet. I tend to find myself feeling overwhelmed because so many of the creative things I want to do can become burdens when you haven’t given your body time to rest. I am always thankful for opportunities, and I feel lucky that improv brings me pure joy which helps a lot. The way I think about balance is that someday I’ll have it, but I don’t yet.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I consider myself a performer. I am an improvisor, writer and actor but I have the most fun and shine the most when I am in front of a crowd. Lately I have had great opportunities for that. I have recently started performing in an improvised puppet show called Edgewood Ave. We perform monthly in Atlanta but before that I had never picked up a puppet in my life. It has been exhilarating to start learning that art. I started writing a few years ago and that has been incredibly rewarding. I am a writer on a live late-night show called Late Nite with Shay Dominguez. I have learned so much, I had never written for that type of format. Shay has been a great leader and given me a place to grow and learn. I also act in the sketches which has been so fun! I am on the house sketch team for Dynamic El Dorado which has allowed me to further hone my writing skills. The cherry on top is then I get to perform those sketches on stage.

I think back to when I decided I wanted to make movies in 2016 in Houston, Texas. I have come so far. If I would have told my past self that in 2023, I would live in Atlanta and have an agent and be doing all the things I am doing. I would have been over the moon. Yet I have so much farther to go. I want so many more things and most of them are money. If I told my past self what my bank account looks like he would quit acting. Luckily time travel does not exist, and I still believe anything is possible!

What I have learned is that the most important thing is consistency. Keep putting one foot in front of the other and when you look up you might just be somewhere amazing. Or you could be a struggling actor in the middle of a pandemic that just got laid off from a bartending job. But it could also be somewhere amazing!

I love making people laugh. It brings me great joy! I am so pleased I haven’t given up. I will continue to learn, train and fight. Sometimes making art is deliciously easy. Mostly it is a battle. As an actor there is constant rejection. The rejection you face as a creative requires a fight. Usually, the fight is against yourself. After a while the doubts start to grow. Should I just give this up and focus on a traditional career? Am I any good? Am I just not good enough? Does my look not work? What the fuck am I doing with my life? But you book one gig, you write one good joke, you make one person laugh. And you are back baby! It is safe to say it gets hot late and that’s what I am holding on to. I am holding on to the hope that anything can happen. In fact, anything happens all the time.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love taking people to Ponce City Market and to walk on the Beltline. I think it is a really great experience! There is neighborhood called Summerhill that has had a lot of new construction and there is a great Mexican restaurant there called D Boca N Boca. I love Sweet Hut Bakery & Cafe on Buford Highway. I would invite them to catch shows at Dynamic El Dorado, Dad’s Garage and Rolecall Theater. The Bakery is a great art venue with awesome art shows, and they also host other really cool events. The aquarium is honestly pretty sick so I would recommend that! Another thing that I really like about Atlanta is how many great hikes there are nearby. The bamboo forest at East Palisades Trail is a great option.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shout out to my family. My mom, my dad, my sister and my brother in law. They always look out for me! My friend Luis Blanco for encouraging me to start improv! My friend Sam Fisher for pushing me to do my best!

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