Carla Christina Contreras

Carla Christina Contreras’ tapestry began taking shape very early. Growing up in Los Angeles, she acted in commercials from the age of three, adding the title of Miss America, Tiny Tot to her credits the same year. “Acting was a natural outlet for my creativity. I was in Los Angeles; my father was a Key Grip." Spending days on various movie sets as a child, she fell in love with all aspects of film. By the time she was eleven, she had a recurring role in the popular TV series, The Waltons.

Blessed with both a practical as well as creative side, she earned a degree in Finance from California State University, Long Beach. She briefly entertained the idea of law school, thinking that courtroom drama would fulfill her dramatic vent. Carla was accepted to law school, but acting won the day, however. Instead of three years of law school, she spent three years at the world renowned Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute. This was followed by parts in variety shows, student films, television pilots and several more years of study with various well-respected acting coaches.

One of those coaches unwittingly sent her on her next life’s adventure. “Choose a style of music you would be least likely to perform and work up a routine," he said. Carla chose country music. As with any other project she embraces, she researched, studied, became an aficionado of country music and fell in love with the songs of Roseanne Cash. Her performance was a hit and she quickly incorporated her new country self into her variety act. Almost a cliché, but yes, someone saw her act and asked her to record her songs and invited on a trip to Nashville.

“I fell in love with this countryside!” she says from her home outside Nashville. “And the people were so welcoming.” Delighted to find a community of actors, she quickly found an agent. Dividing her time between Nashville and Los Angeles, roles in television and film followed, including a principal part in 'America’s Most Wanted' and a co-starring part in the Ann-Margret, Brenda Vaccaro, George Segal movie-of-the-week, 'Following Her Heart.' “I had wonderful, respected agents who sent me out for some great parts. I was sent out for some of the same roles as Debra Winger. I was up for the role that went to Rosie O’Donnell in 'A League of Their Own'. I was always the bridesmaid, never the bride,” she laughs. “I decided that acting had been an easy choice for me but that creativity is about designing a life, putting beauty and meaning into everything you do. I decided that acting certainly wasn’t the only way I could add beauty and meaning to my life.”

Now living in Nashville, Carla found a job with Northern Telecom, a telecommunications giant with corporate headquarters in Nashville. Northern Telecom initially hired her because of her degree in finance but quickly recognized and utilized her innate marketing and creative skills. Her nine years at the company were interesting and rewarding. Projects in graphic and web design, producing the companies first and succeeding web pages led to a position as head of Nortel’s information design team. Digital photography, a rarity outside of corporate environments at the time, became one of Carla’s specialties. Using her own photos in lieu of stock photography gave Nortel’s projects a special verve and style not always present in corporate presentations. And, whenever a host or emcee was needed for special projects at Nortel, Contreras became the logical choice.

While at Nortel, Carla also volunteered her time with Metro Pencil Pal Foundation, a nonprofit agency that partnered with corporations, their employees and elementary schools. Employees volunteered their time to tutor students, judge science fairs, be part of the children’s field days. Corporations provided supplies for the school while the volunteer employees provided assistance and encouragement to students. Working at Pennington Elementary School and finding herself adopted by a charming and territorial black cat, she had the idea of collaborating with her young protégées. They would provide the illustrations for her story about Clint her fearless hunter and friend. “Clint the Black Cat™” is now a beautiful children’s book and has grown into a television show concept for PBS – “Empowering Children to be Creative – Teaching Children How to Love, Appreciate, and Respect Themselves!” Carla also performs with Clint (the character) at universities, conventions and elementary schools.

After leaving her job at Nortel, Carla found her time filled with freelance web and graphic design. She set about honing her photography skills with classes and apprenticeships and assisted a well-known, successful photographer with the events he was commissioned to photograph. Carla loves the spontaneity and energy that event photography provides. On her own, she photographed every event she attended. “Because of my affiliation with SAG, AFTRA and others, I was invited to a lot of them. I took a lot of pictures. Soon, people were asking to buy my prints for their portfolios, or for their newsletters.”

The shift from amateur to professional photographer followed. “I have taken the energy and spontaneity of event photography into the way I approach other areas of photography," Carla explains. I have made them events! With an exclamation point! Whether weddings or portfolios, I find the moments that make that wedding, that person, that moment, that building unique.” She now owns her own photography company.

In Contreras’ new, more visual world, she has also pulled out the canvas and the paints. “I had about 30 canvases stashed that had been screaming to be filled. One day I just went through all the closets, pulled them all out, stood them all around and began answering their call.” This last year she was commissioned and completed three murals for the Los Angeles school district. This year will bring more mural paintings. She has created a dynamic line of cards with her floral, butterfly, and landscape photographs. Her cards are in several gift and garden shops in the Nashville area. Her paintings and photographs are in galleries in Nashville and in Los Angeles. “People tell me I’m lucky to be able to do so many things. I do feel extremely fortunate and blessed. I feel even more fortunate to have the ability to follow each project to its conclusion. I think my honors speak well of this ability.”