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

Daniela, appreciate you joining us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

When I first thought about opening my own business I was a junior in college and started slowly creating paintings, but never thought of actually selling them until I was in my last semester of college. At the time I was a full-time student and had two part-time jobs. Throughout this whole process, I have had all the support and help from my mom and I am extremely grateful we both have created this amazing team together. It seemed almost impossible at first, but with hard work and dedication, we grew and keep growing our business. In my opinion, the hardest thing to do is to start, but once you take the first step everything starts working out. Earning a full-time living from my artwork has been the best decision I have made in my entire life. It has not been easy at all but it has been extremely rewarding. Every day is a learning experience and a new opportunity to be better. I am truly living my dream and even though it is not easy, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I have so many more plans to keep growing and I am so excited to see what the future holds.

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

My love for art and nature was cultivated at an early age. I am originally from Bogota, Colombia, and grew up surrounded by nature, which became my source of inspiration. I started painting when I was two years old and have been taking art classes since the age of five. My passion further developed when I moved to the United States at the age of seventeen and pursued my bachelor’s degree in Studio Art at the College of Charleston.

I truly believe art speaks to people and it can influence how they feel and act. Art is the way I can express who I am, where I am from, and what I feel. It is my way to make a difference in the world. My hope for impact when my artworks are encountered by the viewers is to help them feel connected; to themselves, to others, to nature, and to the world we live in. I want people to see that it’s not about where we come from, our language, or the color of our skin. It’s about all of us learning how to truly live with each other and making the world one big community, loving it, and caring for this gift that we were given.

Botany became the focus of my art when I understood the connection, I had with it, and I wish to be able to express that to my viewers. To help them feel connected to our planet and to others. I get to do this by creating botanical art prints, original paintings, stationery products, and more. I get to share a part of myself and where I am from through my art.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The connection I get to have with other people. I have no words to express the feeling I get every time someone feels connected to my art because it reminds them about something in their lives or it makes them feel happy and even at peace. That is why I do what I do. I wish for people to feel connected and joyful and every time someone compliments my art and tells me how they feel about it. It feels my heart with love and joy.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I moved to the United States by myself when I was seventeen years old. I left my life, my family, my friends, and my culture behind. I wanted to do something and be something different and even though it was the hardest decision I have ever taken in my life, it has also been the most rewarding. It made me grow at a very young age and helped me be where I am today. I had to figure out all of it by myself and once you put yourself in a situation like that, there is no going back. It made me become self-aware and strong and it helped me believe in myself and most importantly believe in my art.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://arenasdesigns.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arenasdesigns/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Arenasdesignsco
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniela-arenas