Sobremesa with Madelynn De La Rosa

After 15 years of creating online, she shares what filmmaking, ceramics, and curiosity have taught her about a creative life.

Jul 06, 2026

Welcome to Sobremesa, an interview series featuring some of the most creative people around the world. Each conversation explores the stories, creative processes, and perspectives that inform the artist’s work. Today, I’m excited to share my conversation with multidisciplinary artist, Madelynn De La Rosa.

Meet today’s guest 🧃

My name is Madelynn De La Rosa, I’m a filmmaker and ceramicist based out of Los Angeles. Video is my one true love - I’ve been making videos on YouTube for a long time (15 years!!!), have made a bunch of shorts, shot on film namely super 8 and 16m, and for the past 6 years have been making ceramics under Maddie Cakes.

I am interested in the creative process, the moon, love, film, space, girlhood, meditation, Jesus, nature, art, cinema, animals, storytelling. All of which inspire my work :-)

Florencia: I would love to start by asking about how has your relationship with the internet changed after creating videos for over a decade? I have been following along for years and your work has always been a lovely source of inspiration and joy!

Maddie: Aww thank you! Well, I think I’ve come full circle in a way. Yes, I’ve been making videos for a long time, and yes, I’ve seen the platform and trends evolve along the way. Even though I’ve been doing it for so long it still feels exciting, and I think it’s because my videos evolve with me. It’s still me underneath it all, but I started when I was 19 making outfit and makeup videos, which evolved into cruelty-free beauty, then slow fashion (over ten years ago!), which eventually led to experimenting on super 8 and 16mm making short films…. You get the gist.

I started when you couldn’t even monetize on the platform, when getting brand deals or sponsorships was unheard of. I first started making videos because I loved video editing, which is still the case. When I moved out to L.A. and it became my job, I definitely fell into the trap of needing to make money from my art, which eventually put so much pressure on it. And now I’m back to where I was from the beginning, which is: I do it because I can’t help myself. I do it because I LOVE it.

Florencia: Was there a particular moment when you realized YouTube could be a long-term career for you?

Maddie: I suppose when Ipsy reached out and wanted to move me out to L.A. in 2015. I had just graduated from college with my master’s degree in elementary education and had been doing YouTube for around 4 years at that point. I was not thinking about what any of it meant in terms of my career. I’m trusting and pursuing something internal that I literally cannot help… I do it for the love of the game, truly! At this point I think I’m finally settling into the fact that I have a huge body of work under me and I can use it as leverage for bigger things as I see fit.

Florencia: What’s something about your creative process that might surprise people who only see your finished videos for instance?

Maddie: This is a one woman show! After all these years I’m the one shooting, editing, starring in, directing, illustrating, promoting, managing…. When I was with Ipsy for 3 years from 2015-2018 I did have help which was absolutely amazing and life-changing. I would work with a crew of two people max (a producer and cinematographer) for larger projects. Aside from that, it’s just me - no manager, no 3rd party editor, no team, etc. It’s hard work and it’s scrappy, but it’s how I know how to work and I think I’m better for it. Ultimately, I know working this way is temporary so I’m just enjoying the ride :-)

Madelynn and her adorable Turkish Delights Hanging Mobile

Florencia: How do you balance staying true to your creative vision while also navigating algorithms, trends, or the expectations of brands that you work with?

Maddie: I make what I want to make, when I want to make it. I’ve never cared about the numbers, what’s trending, or performing for an algorithm. I’m not here to do or be anything that I am not, which is why I stay in my lane, PERIOD. I’m driven by the urge to create and if it resonates with people, or a brand, lovely!

When it comes to working with brands, I have certain guardrails or standards in place already that weed out the ones that don’t matter. Over ten years ago, I made the decision to only work with cruelty-free, vegan, or sustainable brands. I mean, even saying that now I don’t know if it means much because brands have caught on - those terms feel like buzzwords... Bottom line is I collaborate with brands that align with my values and give me creative control.

“Your job is to follow the fun, not what you “think” you should be doing because you’ve done it a certain way for a prolonged period of time, or what you think people want to see from you.”

Florencia: Looking back, what advice would you give to your younger self when you were just starting out online?

Maddie: You are allowed to own your craft!!!

Florencia: Amen! I’m also curious about the role play or experimentation in your work today, especially after doing this for so long?

Maddie: It’s vital. I think that’s why having ceramics helps too because it gives me something to do with my hands, I’m able to take a breather from videos and be in touch with my creativity in a way that’s more meditative and tactile - it feels old, and ancient, and… human. It definitely helps inspire ideas for videos and vice versa. When you’ve been practicing a medium for so long (a decade or more) you have no other choice but to give yourself permission to play. Your job is to follow the fun, not what you “think” you should be doing because you’ve done it a certain way for a prolonged period of time, or what you think people want to see from you.

Florencia: How does rest look like for you right now?

Maddie: Lots of time in nature with my dog, Violet, exploring, bird watching, moon gazing, driving around aimlessly, not filming everything I do, keeping my personal life private. It’s glorious!

Florencia: Are there any practices or rituals that help you overcome creative blocks?

Maddie: Switch up the routine! But also, if you’re struggling with being freelance, make yourself a schedule and stick to it. I made myself a schedule a month or so ago and it’s changed everything for me. It’s given me a container to play within instead of feeling totally aimless (which is how I was working for over a decade - oops!).

“I have a huge body of work under me and I can use it as leverage for bigger things as I see fit.”

Florencia: Please share some of your favorite ways of finding inspiration outside of the internet!

Maddie: I get inspiration from everywhere including movies_,music, nature, children’s books, places I’ve lived/traveled to, my childhood, road trips, spending time with family, going on a photo walk, museums, etc. Mostly being outside and living life on airplane mode (the state of my phone most of the time).

Florencia: Can you share some online and offline things you are enjoying right now?

Offline:

I saw Addison Rae at The Greek last October and I’ll never get over it!
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More is amazing.
My Universal Studios annual pass.

Online:

Favorite YouTube channel and most trusted tastemaker: my girl Christine Mai Nguyen.

Florencia: Anything exciting that we should keep an eye out for?

Check out my YouTube channel (still holding it down!), subscribe to my newsletter, The Art of Slowing Down, , and keep an eye out for a short film — maybe sooner than you think?!?.

Thanks so much to Maddie for her time and generosity answering all the questions for Sobremesa!

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