Today we’d like to introduce you to LuLu Quintanilla.
Hi LuLu, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
From as early as I can remember, I knew I wanted to perform. I was born with a limb difference in my right hand, and while that was simply a part of who I was growing up, I never saw it as something that should define what I could or couldn’t do. My imagination was always much bigger than that.
I was obsessed with music videos, movies, musicals, and performers. I would mimic music videos, recreate scenes from movies and musicals, and constantly imagine myself as a child star. I looked up to the young performers I saw on Disney and Nickelodeon and remember thinking, *that’s what I’m supposed to be doing.* I didn’t just want to be onstage—I wanted to be a pop star, an actress, a dancer, an entertainer. I wanted to be a superstar.
Even as a child, I had this almost instinctive feeling that performing was my calling. I genuinely believed there was something different about me—that little “X factor”—and that feeling dictated so many of my choices growing up. Anytime there was an opportunity to dance, act, sing, perform, or participate in something creative, I wanted to be involved. My interests naturally gravitated toward the arts, while traditional academics and the idea of pursuing a conventional career never really held the same excitement for me.
As I got older, that childhood dream became more intentional. I began learning the different sides of entertainment—not just performing, but also music, production, filmmaking, and the business behind it. I earned an Associate’s degree in Audio Engineering and a Bachelor’s degree in Entertainment Business, and I’ve spent years gaining hands-on experience in production while continuing to develop myself as an artist.
Today, I’m still pursuing the same dream that little girl had when she was performing in front of the TV. The difference is that now I understand the work, discipline, business, and persistence required to turn that dream into a real career. I’m not just dreaming about becoming a performer anymore—I’m actively building the life and career I always imagined for myself.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, and I think some of my biggest challenges came from having big dreams while growing up in circumstances that didn’t always make those dreams easy to pursue.
Growing up with a limb difference, I learned very early that I couldn’t always do things the conventional way. There were things other people could do naturally that I had to figure out for myself, whether that meant adapting, finding another method, or simply being more persistent. That experience taught me a lot about problem-solving and resilience, but it also came with moments where I felt different or like I didn’t quite belong.
Financial circumstances were another major obstacle. I grew up with a young, single immigrant mother, and we didn’t have a lot of money. My mom was navigating adulthood and motherhood while also trying to build a life as an immigrant with limited resources and opportunities. I saw how hard she worked, but there were also so many opportunities I wanted to pursue that simply weren’t financially possible. Classes, lessons, training, auditions, additional assistance—there were things I often wished I could have had access to.
I still sometimes look at opportunities available to young performers today and think, *If I had been able to afford that when I was a kid, where would I be now?* I genuinely believe I had the potential to be a child star, but that just wasn’t the path my life took. And I’ve had to learn to make peace with that.
Probably the biggest challenge, though, was learning how to exist in a world that often didn’t feel like it was made with someone like me in mind. I grew up feeling out of place many times, questioning whether something was wrong with me because I didn’t always fit comfortably into the environments around me. As I got older, I realized something important: sometimes there isn’t anything wrong with you—you’re just in an environment that wasn’t designed for you.
That realization changed the way I viewed my challenges. Instead of seeing every obstacle as proof that I didn’t belong, I started seeing them as things I had to learn to navigate differently. I’m still learning how to do that today, but I think those experiences have ultimately made me more adaptable, persistent, and determined to create a life and career that actually feel authentic to who I am.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My work exists at the intersection of artistry, storytelling, music, film, and visual production. I’m a multidisciplinary artist and creator, and I’ve always been interested in more than just performing. I care deeply about the entire creative process—from the music and the story behind it to the visual world, production, performance, and the way everything comes together as one complete experience.
One of the projects I’m most proud of is my first major passion project, *Demons*. It wasn’t something I originally set out to make, but it became incredibly personal to me because it explores something I’ve experienced firsthand: confronting your own shadow, healing, growing, and being willing to face parts of yourself that a lot of people would rather avoid. The project became a creative representation of that process.
What makes me especially proud of *Demons* is the amount of passion everyone involved brought to it. The people who worked on it understood what the project meant to me and believed in the vision enough to contribute despite the very limited budget. Seeing everyone pour their creativity and energy into something that was deeply personal to me is something I’ll always value.
I think what sets me apart is my commitment to my creative vision. I’ve had plenty of people tell me to simplify things, lower the production quality, work with less, or make something more practical for the budget I have. And I understand why people say those things, but I’ve never wanted to create just for the sake of putting something out.
I grew up imagining myself doing exactly what I’m doing now, and I imagined doing it at a certain level of quality. I’ve spent the majority of my life studying, practicing, working, and constantly developing my craft. So when I know what something is capable of being, I have a hard time intentionally making it less than that simply because it would be easier or faster.
I’m not pursuing this solely for fame or numbers. The dream has always been bigger than that. I want to create work that feels intentional, meaningful, and true to the vision I had when I first started dreaming about being an artist. That sometimes means my journey takes longer, but I’m okay with that if it means I’m proud of what I’m creating.
If I had to describe what I’m most known for—or what I hope to be known for—it would be my willingness to go all in on my vision. I believe in the idea that if you know better, you should do better. I’ve spent years learning my craft, and I want that knowledge to show in the work. I don’t believe in compromising the quality of something I genuinely believe in just to move faster.
Ultimately, I think what sets me apart is that I’m building this career with the same intention I had as a child. The dream hasn’t changed—I’ve just grown into the person capable of bringing it to life.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important lesson I’ve learned throughout my journey is how to surrender without giving up.
I’ve spent so much of my life working toward a dream and trying to understand exactly how I’m supposed to get there. As an artist, it’s very easy to become attached to a specific timeline, outcome, opportunity, or version of what you think your life is supposed to look like. But life has taught me that you can work incredibly hard and still not control how or when things unfold.
There has always been a deeply spiritual element to my journey. I don’t subscribe to one particular religion, and I would never want to impose my beliefs on anyone else, but I do believe there is something bigger than me. I may not always understand why I feel called to create, perform, or continue pursuing this path, but I’ve learned to trust that there is meaning in the calling itself.
For me, surrender doesn’t mean giving up or becoming passive. It means doing everything I can, staying grounded in who I am and what I believe in, and then allowing life to move the way it needs to move. Sometimes you have to stop fighting the current and learn how to move with it without losing your direction.
That lesson has completely changed the way I view my artistry. I’ve realized that I’m not here simply to achieve a certain level of fame or success. I’m here to create, to experience, to learn, and hopefully to make something that means something to someone else.
At the end of the day, artists are human beings before we are artists. Every person, regardless of their profession, is trying to make sense of their existence and find meaning in the world around them. I think creativity is one of the ways we connect to that larger human experience.
So I’m learning to trust the process more. To work hard without trying to control everything. To stay committed without becoming attached to a specific outcome. And, ultimately, to let go and let flow—while still keeping my hands on the wheel.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://missluluq.com
- Instagram: @MissLuLuQ95
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MissLuLuQ95/
- Twitter: https://x.com/MissLuLuQ95
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissLuLuQ95
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/295fb0X5KFlGTmkCuzEFDH?si=XNUxL7RaSoWRZ9NMYTVE0w
