Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Limaris Burgos- Moye. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Limaris, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

I never imagined my life would lead me here. I have always loved Art, but choosing it as a career wasn’t necessarily encouraged. I decided to pursue marketing and graduated with a bachelors in 2012. I went ahead and earned an MBA-Marketing degree right after. Once I graduated, I realized that I didn’t want to commute far, so I applied for a job as an advisor at the same university. In 2016, I was hired and began working with military students. I felt like I was giving back, and it felt good until I started feeling like I plateaued. I became the best in that position and felt like I reached my ceiling. Since it was a small department, the opportunity for growth wasn’t realistic. I began desperately applying to different jobs, and my mental health began to suffer. I hate feeling complacent. I prayed for guidance. I prayed for direction. A few months later, the university wanted to restructure the department, opening a small opportunity for leadership. I applied, and I got it. The excitement was short-lived. I began feeling the same and started to question my purpose. I was great in this role but felt empty and unfulfilled. Everything in my personal life was so perfect. My husband and I purchased our first home. We were planning for our wedding, and everything else was aligning. However, I still felt like I was drowning at work and couldn’t figure out why. Have you ever felt that you were destined for more but didn’t know what “more” was? That was me! I grew deeper into my depression and felt like I had to wear a mask at work. No one knew what I was battling. I pretended to be happy as always, but my thoughts were so negative. Growing up, I always used art to escape, so I took the negativity and poured it into my art to create something beautiful. In 2019, I began creating more and became more consistent with posting on social media. I received my first commission request and was so excited. I realized that doing art as a side hustle was perfect. It helped me navigate through the highs and lows. Many people connected with my paintings and digital art. It felt good! Sadly, I still felt the same about my nine-to-five. I often cried myself to sleep, asking God to give me a sign or show me that this was meant for me. I kept asking what my purpose was. I earned my degrees in Business and Marketing, but I am working in Higher Ed. I felt so lost and confused. One night, I had a dream and heard a voice saying, “Everything will be okay; you just have to be patient.” I woke up and realized I had to reset and change my attitude. A few months later, I was promoted to Assistant Director of Retention.

Yet again, the excitement was very short-lived. I excelled in this role but still felt like I lacked purpose. In January, I saw that SHEIN was piloting a designer/artist program. I had no experience in the fashion industry and needed to be more confident to apply. After giving myself a pep talk, I decided to take a chance. I had nothing to lose, and the worst thing they could say was no. I threw my hat in the ring, and to my surprise, they brought me on board. I began designing, and my first collection launched in June of 2021. I received so much love and support. I was making wearable art, and it was being worn worldwide.

There were so many positive things happening on the creative side. I played with the idea of pursuing Art full-time, but not having financial security scared me. Despite my feelings about this role, I still had a consistent paycheck. We were also a few months away from our destination wedding, and I had to refocus. The week before our wedding, I told my husband I wasn’t sure if I could last another six months to a year in this role and finally shared that I would love to take a chance on myself. We tabled the conversation and agreed that we could devise a game plan once the wedding was over. I had his full support, and he also believed in me. We had our wedding, and it was magical. I felt like I was floating. However, I couldn’t help but think about returning to work. It made me sick to my stomach. At dinner, I mentioned how I felt to my husband and told him I needed God to give me a sign. At that moment, I received a text message from my project coordinator at SHEIN asking to extend my collection. I looked at my husband and told him I wanted to take a chance. Once we got back home, we crunched some numbers. On October 29th, 2021, I set myself free. I chose me. It was one of the best but scariest decisions I have ever made, and it will be two years since I became a full-time artist.

The truth is that sometimes we allow fear and financial uncertainty to keep us in work environments that do more damage to our mental health than good. We pursue careers that may give us financial stability, but it makes us feel like robots. Every day you wake up, go to work and come back home feeling unfulfilled because deep down inside, you feel like your life is missing something. I took a chance. I left my leadership role to pursue something that fueled my soul. I had no real plan. I just let my creativity guide me. My journey has been challenging, but I am growing and thriving.

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?

My name is Limaris (Lilee) Burgos-Moye, and I am a Puerto Rican self-taught artist from Connecticut. I earned a Bachelor of Science in Marketing with a minor in Art and a Master of Science in Business Administration- Marketing with honors. I worked in higher education throughout my twenties but felt I needed more fulfillment in my career. In October 2021, I resigned from my leadership position in higher education to pursue art full-time. Being an entrepreneur is never easy, but anything is possible when you have the drive, passion, and support. I took a leap of faith to pursue something that gave me purpose and improved my mental health.

I loved to draw and create. I paint what I feel and encourage involvement and imagination through my artwork. I embrace my love for animals, nature, and colors that inspire everything I create. My vibrant paintings and drawings evoke sensuality, love, unity, hope, empowerment, and self-reflection. My style of art can be considered contemporary. I also love Impressionistic landscapes and abstract art. I am also an indie designer, launched multiple clothing collections with SHEIN, and was featured in The SHEIN For All Spring 2022 Fashion Show and Hispanic Heritage Month collection. I had no prior experience in fashion but took a chance at using my art differently. Now, I also create wearable art.

I continue to grow as an artist and create more beautiful art that can be displayed in homes or businesses worldwide. I create a lot of women-inspired, landscape, and abstract art. I also do commission work, host private or public paint nights and sell DIY paint party kits. I love inspiring others and helping people use art as an outlet.

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

My ability to inspire people is the most rewarding aspect of being an artist. I love the work that I create and how it empowers others. I also love that I am a Latina artist and show other minorities that there is opportunity in this field where we can thrive. As an artist, I have the freedom to use my imagination to create and express myself in different ways. There is a sense of freedom you get when you are painting, drawing, sculpting, etc. Having the ability to imagine something and make it come to life is so powerful. But the true inspiration that comes from being an artist is my journey. I worked a traditional job because I was told that being an artist or creative wasn’t a real or lucrative career path. I was also afraid of the unknown and lack of financial security. I pushed through those limiting beliefs and took a leap of faith to do something I was passionate about. I could no longer be afraid of taking greater risks. It is up to me to create my imagined future. I can and will continue to lead by faith and work harder to make it happen. So many people are in similar situations and are afraid to pursue their dreams because of comfort, lack of financial security, or fear. I am not afraid to fail. I am not afraid to try something new or pivot. There is no success without failure, but you can never get to that point without trying or taking risks. I believe in my ability to succeed and know that I am worthy of all the positive blessings and success I have received and continue to receive. I am free, living my best life doing what I love. Art is freedom, and I live by that every single day.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Social media is such a powerful resource, and it is so important that we use it effectively. I wish I had more knowledge about it when I created my art page on Instagram in 2014. I had no idea what I was doing and gave up quickly. My following grew once I started being more consistent and creating art regularly at the end of 2019. I didn’t wake up with millions of followers (yet), but my followers are organic and follow me because they enjoy and value my work, which has, in turn, led to sales or other opportunities.

So much goes into it, but it’s important to simplify your approach so you don’t get burnt out. Your choice of song, hashtags, captions, when you post, and how often plays a role in your growth and engagement. You want to make sure you are interacting with your followers. I strongly recommend a content calendar to help you organize and plan your content. I learned a lot through trial and error. Many of these social media platforms have insights that can also help you. Feel free to do your research or ask questions. There are so many articles and resources available to us compared to before. I love sharing my work on Pinterest, TikTok, Instagram, Youtube, and Facebook. I create many mini paintings for content, which my audience enjoys. The reach with videos is absolutely insane, so if you are not creating reels, Youtube shorts, idea pins, or TikTok videos, this is your sign to do so.

I am still growing and content with how my social media presence has grown. Consistency is key; setting monthly, quarterly, and yearly goals goes a long way. Don’t get discouraged! You can use what works and adjust in the areas that don’t.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.theartoflilee.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theartoflilee/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheArtofLilee/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2Ftheartoflilee
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh54-pCP-b91u7OYL2QfzIg
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/theartoflilee/

Image Credits
Trevor Moye @ Moye Photography & Arts, LLC