El Pasoan returns home to film narratives on U.S.-Mexico border
The El Paso Community Foundation is welcoming Valeria Contreras back home as the new artist for the Border Art Residency (BAR) for the spring and summer seasons.
The BAR is an El Paso Community Foundation project that 'enables artists to pursue their craft without the worry of immediate sales or an outside job to pay for housing expenses,' according to a news release by the foundation.
The residency provides artists like Contreras a six-month retreat for creative work with a fully furnished living space and work studio in El Paso's historic Five Points neighborhood, a monthly stipend, and paid utilities, the release said.
Contreras is an award-winning filmmaker and a University of Chicago and Columbia University graduate.
She has received the Michael Hausman/Buffalo Mike Filmhaus Foundation Award and the 3Pas Studios Award, according to the news release.
In addition, Contreras has served on the Young Mezcal Jury at the Festival Internacional de Cine en Guadalajara and is the founder of her independent production company, Apis Mellifera Productions.
Apil Mellifera Productions is collaborating with different filmmakers worldwide, including from the U.S., Colombia, Nigeria and Canada, according to the El Paso Community Foundation.
Currently, Contreras is developing a feature film screenplay, 'Oranges,' that is set in El Paso.
'After growing up in this community, I am passionate about reframing narratives surrounding the U.S.-Mexico border. With 'Oranges,' I aim to highlight connections — family, love, and shared experiences — rather than the often-emphasized themes of separation, violence, and chaos. The story explores the relationship between two sisters and their sense of movement across time, anchoring their story with the historic El Paso streetcars,' Contreras said.
Contreras' first short film, 'Homesick,' screened at festivals, including Femme Frontera and the Oscar-qualifying Atlanta Film Festival, according to the El Paso Community Foundation.
To donate to the El Paso Community Foundation or to learn more about the Border Art Residency, you can visit the foundation's website, visit the BAR's website, or call (915) 533-4023.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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It may not make the rejection or abandonment hurt less, but the pain is easier to hold when your life is enriched by more than just one thread.' There's nothing wrong with following up, but acknowledge why you're doing it. Is it to build a real connection or to ease your anxiety? 'If you feel tempted to double message, give it one sleep cycle,' advises Shumway. 'Life gets busy, and it's possible the other person just needs time to get back to you—plus, sleeping on it will give you the clarity you need about the thread first.' If you do reach out again, he suggests keeping it simple and respectful, like: Hey, I haven't heard back from you, so my sense is you aren't feeling the chemistry. I hope all is well and would love to reconnect in the future. Then, leave it at that. 'Don't send a fourth message. At that point, it's no longer a conversation, it's a monologue,' says Shumway. If the silent pattern continues, you may need to shift from managing your anxiety to protecting your relationship boundaries. 'Don't continue trying to get a response beyond a reasonable time or a number of tries,' says Kathryn Ford, MD, couples therapist and psychiatrist. 'Some people cannot say directly that they don't want contact. Know when to walk away.' 'We all get left on read sometimes, and you can't control or avoid it,' says Morley. 'Accept that it's a seemingly inevitable part of modern communication and use it as an opportunity to embrace growth, practice self-regulation, and cognitive behavioural skills.' It's not about pretending it doesn't hurt, because it does (especially if it's one of those life-altering four-month situationships), it's about accepting what you can't control and taking care of yourself in the process. 'Try to calm your feelings about this hurt," adds Dr. Ford. 'If your mind keeps reminding you of it, acknowledge that this is happening and refuse to restart the emotional storm. We've all done it: met someone and immediately imagined your wedding Pinterest board. We see the potential in people and are quick to put on our blinders and ignore any red flags. Sabrina Carpenter said it best: 'You don't have to lie to girls, if they like you, they'll just lie to themselves.' 'Don't get ahead of yourself,' says Morgenstern. 'If they end up leaving you on read, it will hurt so much more if you already have your whole future planned in your mind. If you stay present, the person leaving you on read after meeting once or twice won't be that big of a loss.' Why Being Left on Read Feels So Personal Even when the interaction is brief or the relationship is barely formed, being left on read can feel deeply unsettling. 'Any interpersonal experience feels personal, even with a stranger, when we feel we didn't do anything wrong,' says Morley. 'So being left on read feels like a significant relationship wound that we don't understand, and this is the challenging part. If we don't know why we've hurt or offended someone, we don't know how to fix it or how to avoid it in the future, which is why acts like being left on read or ghosting are so painful.' In many cases, there's a gap in texting etiquette: where one person might see silence as no big deal, the other may interpret it as rejection. Without shared expectations or clear relationship boundaries, the result is often confusion and overthinking. But the danger is letting these little hurts along the way create deeper psychological and emotional scars that we take into future connections. 'Being left on read hits differently when it touches old wounds,' says Shumway. 'For some, it may just feel irritating or confusing, but for others, it may bring back deeper pain that hasn't really healed. These kinds of experiences train the nervous system to read disconnection as a sign of danger.' And for some, even when the silence isn't personal, it can ultimately damage their self-worth. 'Being left on read by multiple people you have been interested in can make you rethink your self-worth or value in the dating marketplace,' warns Morgenstern. 'While the problem could be you're picking emotionally unavailable people, you could internalize the problem as something wrong with you.' This is why it's so important not to take the silence personally, and instead use it as a cue to reflect on healthy communication tips like expressing your needs clearly or recognizing when someone may not be capable of meeting you halfway. When to Move On While it's normal for replies to ebb and flow, there comes a point when being repeatedly left on read—especially after expressing how it affects you—becomes a pattern worth paying attention to. I had a friend who regularly went quiet. Although she reassured me it wasn't personal and she was just lazy in responding, the silence eventually wore me down. I'd be glued to my phone seeing her post on social media, and I'd spend days on end in an anxious spiral, stuck replaying every exchange and thinking about what I'd done. We had multiple open and honest conversations about how her vanishing act made me feel, but she was never able to meet me halfway. As painful as it was, I eventually learned the hard way that the friendship lacked respect, and I had to set clearer boundaries to protect my peace and mental health. 'Being left on read happens, life is busy—but it becomes red flag territory when it's repeated behavior, even after you've asked that they avoid this habit and have explained how it emotionally impacts you,' says Morley. 'If they don't care and don't change, even when you point it out a few times, it's worth considering if this person can give you what you need in the relationship.' Shumway adds that some grace is needed, especially when neurodivergence is at play. 'Some people, especially those with ADHD and other neurodivergent traits, may have more challenges with certain types of communication,' he says. 'But you are the only one who can decide whether the relationship is working for you, and if the other person isn't trying or willing to treat you with respect, then you will need to respect yourself and set the boundary.' And for those navigating the treacherous seas of modern dating, having a full life outside of your phone is crucial. Reliable friends, enriching hobbies, and outlets that boost your confidence are essential lifelines—especially when you're trying to heal or let go. 'When you have many aspects of your life that you feel good about, one person leaving you on read won't affect you as much,' says Morgenstern. 'Take the pressure off and know that your person is out there, and it's just a journey of finding them.' 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