We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Karina Marquez. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Karina below.

Karina, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

I do have the thought every now and then about what things would be like if I chose a different path and worked a regular job and I realize that the only time I think about that is when I’m feeling doubtful or discouraged which is just a common thought people have when pursuing something creative. There is nothing wrong with regular jobs and I strongly believe that success has different meanings for everyone. If you’re doing what makes you happy, then you are successful. If a regular job is making you happy then that is success for you. For me, what makes me happy is the content I create and being able to positively influence or positively impact others.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I think most people knew what they wanted to do from a very early age and I definitely knew as a kid that online content like YouTube videos was something I was interested in and not just consuming the content but I knew I was interested in creating my own content. I’ve definitely got to credit iCarly for that one too haha. I learned my way and found my niche in content creating over time from making videos just for fun at the age of 12 to making it my job at the age of 25 and in that time I’ve figured out that although my content has changed as I have grown, one thing has stayed the same which is the fulfillment I get from being able to inspire and positivity influence others. If I can make someone feel better just by viewing my content or if I can inspire someone to better themselves in any way whether it be through something as simple as beauty tips or influencing them to follow their dreams and do what makes them happy, then I’m happy.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I really think it’s as simple as just showing support and being vocal about what you like and what makes you happy. I think people sometimes don’t realize the impact of their words whether it’s positive or negative but the unfortunate pattern I see is that those with negativity are more vocal than those who are not. I think if people were more vocal about what they do like and what makes them happy, it would spread more joy and positivity and influence society more than they think. It could be as simple as just leaving a like and a comment!

How did you build your audience on social media?

I’m honestly still building my audience online and there is a long way to go but I understand and value the importance of building a strong community and the patience and work it takes to get there. My best advice for those just starting to build a social media presence is to truly just be yourself and be consistent. Content creating is extremely time consuming and it can take a toll on your mental health if you are not actually enjoying what you’re doing or enjoying your own content. It’s so important to stay authentic to yourself and overtime the right audience will find you and love you!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tiktok.com/@karinabtw
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karinabtw
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@karinabtw