We recently connected with Alecia Vera and have shared our conversation below.

Alecia, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I have always been curious and have had a fascination for the “know how”. I am sure it’s also related to my ADHD on some level as well. I would say it is all about experimentation though. The more you dabble and the more you produce, the more you’ll learn. Treat the mistakes as a challenge to fix the issue by using another medium or painting over it. It’s one of the greatest advantages we have as artists. It’s all subjective. Use that as a driving force to make something you like even if others think it’s horrendous or don’t understand it. We also have access to so many resources now that if you are hungry enough to learn it then it is already at your fingertips. I think I would have been more diverse in college. I was already taking as many creative classes as I could but I think I would have been more strategic about them and access as many resources as I could to balance out my skills.
The most essential skill I have learned is how to sell yourself. Marketing is the largest part of it all. As long as you have the confidence to back your work and your projects then you are already miles ahead of the game. The market is shifting so quickly these days with social media so confidence is key. Just be yourself and be willing to share that with the world and you will find your crowd. But seriously, share it with everyone. Tell everyone you are an artist. I mean everyone. Tell the grocery store clerks, people at social gatherings, your friends cousin. You never know how integral those people can be in your success story.
There are always obstacles that stand in the way of learning more. First and foremost, life happens. We don’t always have the resources to do the things we want to do. We have other priorities that take precedent. It happens but it’s not the end of the world. That is why creative communities are so important. Public libraries, community spaces, etc. There will always be something in the way if you can find it, that’s why you have to stay consistent and prioritize that growth. Everything happens through time.

Alecia, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a visual artist and creative entrepreneur who would describe my work as “murals, funky home goods & tchotchkes that teeter between fine art and functionality”. I guess you could say I have always been involved in the creative side of life ever since I was a kid. My “world” was always under construction depending on what toys I was excited about whether that be Barbie’s or Polly Pockets. All of those inspirations shine through in my work today.
I have shifted a lot of my focus onto functionality as well as upcycling and reusing materials that are often discarded in order to bring life to most things people would consider as trash. This is a roundabout effort to encourage everyone to think outside the box and I feel it is important as an artist to showcase a different way of thinking. That’s why the creative mind is so beautiful. We are able to facilitate an abstract form of education and awareness.
That leads me to the now: how all of those fits together. I am excited about the mural work that I am doing because it allows me to work larger. With a few hotels, various residential spaces, and several small businesses under my belt, I am able to showcase a variety of what I like dependent upon each space. It also ties into interior design and hopefully I can make my way into that world through creating furniture and other items that truly bring a space together. I have truly fallen in love with sculpture and have been slowly creating larger pieces that really stand out in a room.
My work will never be stationary as I keep exploring new mediums and constantly inspiring myself with new elements along the way.
I am always up for hire for new spaces and am really itching to get out of my city to bring life to other areas! So, if you are interested in collaborating, getting a mural, wanting a wow factor for your space in the form of design or furniture – look no further!

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I once transferred to a different college because I thought their art program was better and I would have a better chance at succeeding if I graduated from there. It turns out, that program was more conceptual (which my work is rarely focused on concepts and more on aesthetics) and I ended up getting severely depressed and my relationship with my work started to decline and it was overall not a good move for my mental health. I ended up dropping out of that school and going back to my small private school that I started at and decided that I would rather sacrifice my chances for creative work than to be that emotionally and mentally separated from what I really wanted to do. It was in that following year that my father passed away from a tragic accident and being at that smaller school was a blessing at that time because I had a community that actually understood and supported me at a time when I needed it compared to a larger school that nobody was ever able to stand out in.
In that same year, I created a line of work that was the defining factor in my progress for my future and I graduated with an art degree and went on to facilitate an inclusive gallery like no other in my hometown and truly paved my own way for helping creatives in my area. It was a lot of work over those few years and I had no idea what I was doing but it all goes back to that decision of switching schools and truly listening to my heart and not what society deemed I should do as an artist. Also, it truly allowed me to trust and lean on the impact a close community can make. I will always and forever trust my gut and follow my heart because it has been the main thing to lead my to the progress you see in my work today.

: Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

The mission has and will always be exploring myself. In turn, I hope that others can relate and see the resemblance in all of our lives. I live and practice authenticity and I actively share that with my viewers. I think its one of my strengths and I hope it inspires others to live in a similar way.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.aleciavera.com
• Instagram: @aleciavera

Image Credits
Jaime Smialek from Our Ampersand Photo Rachel Crowe from OkCrowe