Today we’d like to introduce you to Ángel Toro.
Hi Ángel, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’d say my journey began when I was 8. I was diagnosed with Autism, and at that time, my parents were very worried and had no idea how to handle someone like me. Overtime, they learned of course, but their worries grew when I started slacking in school. Later on, I got into writing, History, acting, and other extra curricular activities, which were a couple things that helped me figure out what I wanted to do with my life. But I won’t lie, going through all those things wasn’t easy, as I am very sensitive to touch and hearing. I had to learn to overcome those things. I thank my parents for teaching me how to, but to this day, sound is still a struggle for me. You will never see me at a party without headphones. Also, sarcasm was difficult to learn, but my friends and my family didn’t give up on me, and continued to teach me to learn all the cues and languages in making and taking sarcasm. All of these things helped me a lot when I made it to adulthood. I was able to communicate with others, even if it’s still uncomfortable for me. I was able to perform whenever I was on stage for a school play, and when it came to sarcasm, I feel like it helped me write and direct my actors whenever I made short films for fun or school.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I believe no road is smooth. Whether we come from a high class or a low class background, we all have bumpy roads or roads with really sharp turns. One struggle for me was seeing my parents struggle, which made me feel like, “if they’re struggling, then I can’t be what I want to be.” It wasn’t until I got older that I realized they sacrificed so much for me, and they gave up their dreams because they love me. Another struggle I’d like to mention is my social experiences. To this day, people get uncomfortable by me because of certain things I do with my own body, like stimming, or things I say because I can’t be a little too blunt sometimes….or I joke too much. Regardless, back in the day, I wasn’t a people person, but now I’ve become comfortable having people around me. I do have friends that have come to know me and understand me, so it’s been a huge blessing having people, other than my family know and understand me. A final struggle I’ll mention is my temper. I have a very bad temper. Around the same time that I was diagnosed with Autism, I was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Because of my temper, my years in school were full of suspensions, fights, and trouble. I made many mistakes, that not only affected my peers in school, but also my relationships with some of my family members. Since 2017, I’ve gone to anger management, therapy, and church, so that I can control my anger. I often talk about my anger like it’s a different person than me, because it kinda feels like it, and during my time in anger management, I thought the answer was to cage the beast, but the reality was I needed to live with it and control it, not let it control me. I learned it’s ok to get angry, it’s just not ok to act in anger. To this day, I have my temper under control, even if there are moments where I nearly lose my temper. Any other struggles, we’d be here a while.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Currently I’m self-employed. I’m a photographer, artist, author, and I’m on my way of making my first full feature film as a director. I published my first book back in 2023 on Amazon called Stitches, which is about a walking doll trying to find his heart that his creator didn’t give him. Personally, I’m not proud of that book, but the people that bought it tell me it’s good, so I’m glad I have people that enjoy it. But I’m also working on another book, which has been a passion project for a while. What I’ll say about my next book is it’s a full novel, not a children’s story, and with a message that I feel like people need to be reminded of. And going into what I specialize, of course writing is one. Aside from books, I have written scripts, and I’m so immersed and passionate about directing. I made a lot of short films in the past, and I just love doing that, plus telling stories and making it come to life is really exciting for me. My style of filming is to make each scene look as realistic as possible, for any genre I work on, and it works so well. This year is a very special year for me and my friends, because we’re making our first full feature horror film. It’s not my first rodeo with horror, but it is a project that I am very proud of. The film is called, “He Watches” and it’s about a killer who killed his own family, but his younger brother escapes, and five years later, the younger brother is rebuilding his life and battling his inner demons with PTSD, but then a new set of murders start happening, leading him to believe his older brother found him. I wrote the script, I’m going to direct it, I will make a quick cameo, so in a sense I’ll also act in it, and I will co-write the music with a friend of mine. If you ask my peers, or anyone working on this film, they’ll tell you how excited they are for October 2nd, which is our filming date. The process of this film hasn’t been easy, and it still isn’t, but it’s been an interesting journey. So for the film, I drew designs and other concepts, so when I had people actually make those things, like the costumes or props, it was an amazing reaction from my end. It was like looking at a drawing being brought to life. I just love what I do, and how talented my friends are. Like I can’t take all the credit. I’d like to add that my goal with this film is to showcase the affects a victimizer has on their victims.
I’m not exactly sure how to answer what sets me apart from others, when in reality we’re all different. However, if I had to say something about it, I’d say it’d be my faith and willingness to serve God and others. I could bring up my imagination and how much my brain continues to visualize ideas, or even how blunt I am with other people. However, I think I’d like to see what others will say they believe sets me apart, whether it’s true or not. I’m not really one to care what others think, but I do get curious about it, even if it’s negative. Cause, to me, what really matters is what my family and what God thinks of me.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
There’s a quote my dad always told me, and it’s something I always take to my heart, as well as put it in my writing as much as possible. He always told me, “You are stronger than you know.” And I used to believe I was weak or unworthy, or like I could never reach my dreams, but I did become stronger. I overcame my weaknesses, my temper, and all other difficulties. And I’m very honored and proud to be his son. My mom also taught me to never be afraid of who I am, and to never let anyone tell me who I’m supposed to be. I remember she once told me, “You are meant to do great things, but those things can only be great if they come from you.” Both of my parents have taught me many things, all of which shaped the man I am today, but those two things are what I take with me every day.
Pricing:
- Photography is $15 an hour.
- My book Stitches is $5.
- Art ranges from $50 to $120, depending on the medium and details/art style.
- Hiring me as a filmmaker has yet to be charged, but I pay my actors and crew members $25 an hour.
- My next book has yet to be priced, as I’m still discussing that with my publicist.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ddjokerofficial?igsi=MW0yYjAwOXloZzE3Mw==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1EhKsH7Z9w/
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/blindbullproductions?igsi=d3ZseHVlYjkwbnNm
