We recently connected with Miguel Lopez and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Miguel thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I became a professional artist in the summer of 2018. Prior to that I had created art just for my mental well being. This year was particularly difficult for me, both in my military career and personal life. I found myself drowning in my own thoughts, fighting mental health issues and art became my scapegoat. After experiencing how much it helped and I decided to share it with the public in hope that my creation will bring a glimpse of light into the lives of those battling this desease. Through my work [visual and written words] I wanted to inspire and uplift others and let them know that even though life it’s hard, eventually everything will be ok.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I’m an artist residing in the gulf coast [Florida]. I’ve been a professional artist for the past four years. I served in the military (US Marines & US Army) for 15+ years. I primarily focus on portraits and military inspired artwork which for the most part is black and white. These works, with the lack of colors (intentionally) helps the viewer dive deeper into the meaning behind the painting.

I’ve dedicated most of my career to help the military community. As a disabled veteran I am well aware of all the struggles service members go through in and out of the military. My goal is to help those in need in any way possible, let that be through my artwork, spoken words, or through my non profit organization, 1 One 9, which I founded to provide free service, mostly focused on the arts, to Veterans.

My proudest moments are when I’m able to create work for former service members and present them with a certificate recognizing their military career. Just a small token of gratitude for all they have sacrificed.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

This is a really good question. For me, personally what drives me, aside from my family, is my love to help those in need. I’ve always helped the needy and although I can’t do much physically, because of current situations, I know my artwork serves as form of inspiration and strength during turbulent times.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

One thing society can do to support artists is buy their products, share their content, or stop belittling artists work. What I mean by this is, there a lot of people who constantly want to compare modern artist with those who came before us, Van Gogh, Picasso, etc. Their time has passed. Don’t get me wrong, I admire and always look for inspiration in their works, but we as artist have evolved and a lot of our work represents current times and are more inclined into our way of life and just like than, our main goal is to bring value to the world through our work. In particular galleries and museum, there is always a lack of modern artists representation. They are still stock on the old model. How nice would it be for a young boy or girl to go to museum and see the work of a current artist who they can relate to, let’s say for example Philly’s native Chuck Style, or Shanina Dionna, or Tyra Powers from Baltimore.

I’m happy to say there are organizations changing the status quote for independent artists and giving them a platform not just by showing their creative works but backing them up with the tool and support needed to become a successful independent artist. Three organizations that come to mind are RecPhilly (Philadelphia),The Gallery About Nothing (Baltimore), and The Unbreakable Artists by Teresa Hagg.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.artbylopz.com
• Instagram: @artbylopz
• Facebook: Facebook.com/artbylopz
• Twitter: @artbylopz