Nvstalgicc is an editor who has amassed thousands of followers across platforms, inspired countless creatives, and continuously moves the needle in the editing field. But who is she?
Arianna, the twenty-two year old South Floridan resides in Orlando, where she’s a film major at the University of Central Florida (A graduate at the time of release). Her passion for editing bleeds through her daily life. Even while in class her frustrations were simple: “I don't want to sit there and listen to a 3 hour lecture. I want to go and edit.” As a kid Arianna loved creating. “I really enjoyed making things…When I was super young [around] 9 or 10, I’d take these little LPS dolls and try to make a whole movie. Kinda feels like I've always had that enjoyment about it even from a young age.”
As she got older she would watch countless tv shows such as Vampire Diaries and American Horror Story. “I would make edits of the shows I watched. There was a huge community on Vine.” She continued editing day in and day out to the point where her parents asked, “What’s your plan?” Her answer never altered. “I don't know where it’ll take me but I know I don't want to do anything else in life other than editing.”
When you have a passion, going without it isn't all that possible. But how do you keep striving for growth? “To continuously be creative, it’s like exercising a muscle,” Arianna states, “...to have that discipline to sit somewhere, learn more and constantly raise the bar, it’s like a muscle in your brain.” When asked what keeps her motivated she mentions the creative community she’s a part of online, but wasn't shy on the fact that sometimes no amount of inspiration helps. “It takes a lot of energy for me to work on creative projects…. I don’t have unlimited creative energy constantly.” But this isn’t a stagnant viewpoint. “I feel people get creative blocks when they aren't challenging themselves.” Her advice to artists in slumps is learning something new, leaving one project and switching to another, then going back for new insight.
Raising the bar is also what prompted her to start capturing her own footage. “My mom works at a university and a guy she worked with had a black magic camera.” He then asked her, “Why don’t you learn how to use it?” Learning it added another skill under her belt. From figuring out what to capture, to color grading, the opportunity for growth was presented and challenged. Once she got her hands on it, she only needed one more thing; subjects to film. This happened last summer. “I started making so many friends that skated and were in a band. So then, I had something to capture. It’s way different from movie edits because the footage is so good [in film]. There's so much content you can go with. When I started filming my own work, I was very limited compared to before. But I grew a different style and I learned more. I had more fun making things that felt like mine.” She emphasizes the importance of friendship, as even the name Nvstalgicc was given to her by one of her friends. “I was 16 talking to a friend and in conversation he said, 'This memory is nostalgic.'" She really loved that. Arianna replaced the O with a V as ‘nostalgic’ was already taken, and thank goodness it was.
Arianna emphasizes the importance of mindset. “My mindset got me to where I am.” She started uploading to tiktok which got her massive traction, but it really kicked off when Instagram reels came into place. “My reel blew up. I went from 8k to 20k in like a week.” When asked if it affected her work, it actually gave her a boost. “It didn't change my style at all. It gave me more confidence to be more consistent. Be myself more. It shifted my identity. It made me realize my work is valuable [and] people want to know who I am and see it. My thoughts changed my beliefs and my beliefs changed my actions. My actions changed my reality.”
The advice she gives creatives is simple. “You have to really love it. You need a passion for it. I can't tell you a step by step answer. It's literally just been years of me constantly challenging myself and being consistent. When you do that, you don't need anyone to sit there and give you the answers, you’ll find them.”
What's next for this 22 year old phenom? “[I want to] get some merch out. I've always really loved clothes and fashion. I definitely have a really crazy idea.. I'm not going to say it yet, but it’s gonna be so [insane].” We here at Not A Phase Magazine can’t wait to see what the future has in store for her. Her artistry paves the way for creatives daily. She ends the interview with a note. “I always hoped when people watched my work that they would feel something.” It's safe to say she's succeeding beyond measure.
