Who is Gabriella Lester?
I am a magician, but I would describe myself first and foremost as a dreamer. I honestly can’t think of a better word. I’ve fallen asleep every single night of my life imagining the life I want/have/have had. I find so much thrill and excitement in the endless cycle of dreaming, chasing, achieving, failing, and trying again.
I’m also a perfect split between an introvert and extrovert. I love being surrounded by people just as much as I love being alone. It is almost impossible for me to not find a way to be happy or at peace. I try and make a moment out of everything. Whether it’s meeting thousands of people after a show or laying on the ground next to a candle listening to music completely alone.
I think travelling at an early age taught me to love hanging out with myself. I had to. I think that’s one of the most important things to become good at and enjoy. Sometimes a table for one is better than a table for ten.
What would you do differently from what you do now?
I don’t think I have a good answer for this. I love the way I live my life. I don’t drink or smoke (and never have). My biggest vice is creativity and finding new hobbies. I absolutely adore the work I do and spend every day doing what I love.
Sure, I’m a morbid perfectionist, and maybe the instinct to quit after bad shows isn’t a trait I want to carry with me forever… but there isn’t one emotion in the world I have “little of.” I’m passionate in every feeling I have—in anger, in hope, in happiness and in sadness. So, while it may be difficult to have the hardest of hards, I feel grateful to care so deeply about absolutely everything and I hope that never changes.
Who inspires you and why?
Everything and everyone inspire me. From the way my coffee tastes in the morning, to the way I see strangers interact in the world, to my extremely talented friends and family. I am constantly looking for sparks and creative conversations. Fortunately, I can be inspired by both a rock I find in the road, and a Broadway production worthy of ounces of inspiration. There is nothing and no one I can’t be inspired by. It’s a cool curse.
What would you do to make a difference in the world?
I could say I want to be successful enough to be a role model to everyone that needs one, which is very true to me — but I think more than anything my goal is to be good, kind, and honest. Despite a career of “doing the impossible” – I believe the most difficult thing to do in this day and age is to be real and to talk about the hard things, to be fully faceted, and to risk being completely imperfect to both the world and to yourself. I don’t want to have a platform just to stand on one. I want to do good things.
Favourite holiday destination and why?
Honestly, my favourite place to travel to is Vancouver, which is where I grew up. I’ve spent so much of my life on the road and away from family, that my ‘dream destination’ is being under the same roof as my family. I love holidays, and genuinely believe the best way to spend them is with your loved ones – eating home cooked food, living out of a closet rather than a suitcase, and feeling completely at peace and at home without any rush to leave.
When friends come to town, what attraction would you take them to, and why?
When friends visit me at home in Vancouver, I like to take them on the Sea to Sky – which is an incredibly beautiful drive from Vancity to Squamish/Whistler. You drive along a “highway” for hours with mountains on one side, and an endless view of the ocean on the other. All while listening to music, getting kissed by the 360 sun/snow/rain, and arriving in one of the most beautiful places in the world. I’ve done this drive a million times in my life. Almost every time I come home, the first thing I do is get in my car and go. I think everyone should experience this.
What are you currently reading?
I’m currently swimming in drafts and rewrites of my first book, 21, which will be published next year. It’s a life story… which is certainly an interesting thing to write at 21 (hence the title). Writing a book has always been on my bucket list – I just didn’t think it would happen until another lifetime from now.
After my TEDx Talk was released earlier this year, a publishing company reached out and offered me a book deal. I thought it was spam and almost didn’t respond. But here we are, hundreds of pages later, as a (nearly) published author.
What are you currently listening to?
I’m an old soul when it comes to music (and essentially everything else). I grew up listening to music with my father and his taste quickly became mine… and still is. I’ve got an extensive vinyl collection that ranges from Bruce Springsteen to Jason Isbell, to Billy Joel, to Matchbox Twenty, to Counting Crows. It’s always been a goal of mine to take my dad to all the concerts he took me to as a child. As of now, we’re halfway there.
Happiness is?
Happiness is feeling 110% in both your internal and external environment. Happiness is when you can feel just as full by yourself as you do in a room full of people cheering you on. Happiness is every little thing in every little day. Happiness is laughing at the car crash of life. Happiness is bathing in both the good and the bad. Happiness is whatever makes you smile even if no other person on the planet gets it.
What does the future hold for you?
Everything. I am so extremely excited about all the things I do and don’t know about my future. Career wise there are 1.8 trillion things I want and plan to get… it would be impossible to list them all; but for right now I’m getting ready to tour Australia as part of Now You See Me Live! I haven’t spent a lot of time in Australia, so I’m really looking forward to exploring more of it while I’m there and performing to new audiences. I can’t wait.
Gabriella can be seen in Now You See Me Live – which will make its Australian premiere this summer, playing at the Sydney Opera House (19 December – 3 January), QPAC, Brisbane (8 – 18 January) and Crown Theatre Perth (23 January – 1 February). For more information, visit: www.nowyouseemelive.com for details.
Image: Gabriella Lester (supplied)