We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Abby Cuevas a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Abby, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
The 1st time I realized I wanted to pursue a creative path was when my husband took me to Chicago for my birthday weekend. He took me to a spray paint and sip class. As soon as I realized what we were going to be doing I was so excited. I felt very much in my own element. I felt I was able to release my own artistic ability and it didn’t matter what it looked like. It was still a piece of art. As soon as we left this art studio, I told myself ” I could totally do this back home”.All I need is a space to hold a class it doesn’t have to be fancy. I can always redo it how I like it. I didn’t realize how much joy there is in being able to express your artistic ability with no judgment. I started to fully understand what abstract art really is. It doesn’t have to make sense to somebody else, just to you. I started to see art in random pieces and objects that I would find or buy used. I knew I could turn everything that I found into a piece of art. Every time I found a new piece I told myself oh I can paint this or I can add a texture to that or I can add some kind of print to this.
Abby, 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?
To tell you a little bit about myself:
I am a mom of 4. One boy three girls. I’ve been with my husband since 8th grade. 26 years this month. I am a Registered Dental Hygienist by day and a mom, designer and creative by night, and weekends.
I love to work with colors I love every color. I’ve really had a thing for designing spaces whether that’s in my home or someone else’s. Now with my studio I’m able to design each area of the studio in a different way, different colors, different styles. It wasn’t until recently when i discovered there’s such a thing called maximalism.
I love artsy, creative ,unique, one of a kind pieces since I was young. I remember in 3rd grade being in art class and being very protective over the things that I would draw,paint, color, or create. I would go the extra mile to make my work different. I would also hide my projects over in the corner area so nobody would copy them. Someone once did so that stems from that episode.This continued until I was a senior in high school. I was in a design class and we had to build a small 3-D model of a room of our choice using floor plans. Everyone else was making their model rooms out of shoeboxes. I on the other hand got a big piece of board and bought tons of popsicle sticks, glued them down to the board sanded & stained them to make it look like a hardwood floor. I proceeded to make a tiny leather couch, white shaggy rug, a 4 post bed with canopy included and track lighting. Everything was all white with black finishes with little pops of color here and there. Long story short my project was over the top,bigger in scale and heavy. I turned it in one day late and received a grade B. I was super frustrated and I was not happy with the grade. My mom could see the frustration in me so she did call and explain to them the hard work that I put into it and the teacher raised it from B to B plus.
I got into the creative industry by reflecting on how much I love designing. The spray paint studio that I went to in Chicago was just an extra push I needed to get going on pursuing my creativity.
I knew that designing is what makes me feel like myself more than anything. I’ve asked myself ” what is it about me designing and creating something with my own hands that makes me happy” . And I realized it’s because when I’m finished I feel like a kid again, like I have this mindset that the whole world is still in front of me and all my goals are still attainable. The weight of adulthood, parenthood, work life and all the crazy stuff in between dissappear. And then I just sit in awe of myself. Growing up as a female you were always told not to be conceited, so I never bragged about accomplishments, success, or my creativeness. But as an adult I’ve embraced my talent. The more I’ve shared, the more feedback I’ve received. Feedback that was overwhelmingly positive. I wish I would have thought highly of myself back then.
what type of products/services/creative works you provide,
Some of the services and creative works I provide consists of helping others think about designing spaces, work on a project or craft or help them think outside the box as far as decor and design. Also encouraging them to try something different or even starting a business.
Something that separates my space from others is that I call it a creativity lounge. That way if there’s somebody that’s new to artsy projects, new to painting, new to crafting, sewing, upholstery, new to designing spaces, new to photography they have a space where they can come and express their creative freedom, brainstorm, work on a project or even just a space to get away clear your mind and think what’s the next step that I want to do whether it’s a creative project, a home project or just tapping in to see if they want to learn how to have a creative mindset. Another thing that sets me apart from others is that I’m not afraid of mixing color and patterns. I like using everyday items or used items and revamping them for a different purpose or just to refresh it using a different color or texture.
What are you most proud of?
I am most proud of my studio. It was an old outdated suite in a small strip center. I was able to renovate a long narrow office space into a multi use creativity lounge. I had so many plans and ideas for the space that I could not keep up with my own thought process. I wanted different themes for different rooms. It was covered with old brown paneling, green stained carpet and duck wall paper in the bathroom. Never the less I saw so much potential! After the first walk through I immediately created boards on pinterest to gather ideas for the space. My most favorite piece is the mirror wall. If there was anything that I absolutely wanted to make happen, it was that wall. It’s a very high ceiling with French doors and brown paneling. I right away said ” Ineed to cover this with mirrors ” I knew if I could do it , then it would make the space look even bigger. I was extremely proud of being able to pull it off. There’s times when I’m at the studio alone and i just stare at it because I know all the work and frustration I put into it.
What are the main things you want potential followers to know about you/your brand/your work/ etc.
The main thing I would want people to know about me, my brand and work is that I see potential in just about every piece of furniture, statue, fabrics, paints you name it. To me there is always a use for an object or item even if it’s not it’s original intended purpose. But to an extent because I do like organziation, so no hoarding here! I also love black and white stripes. Always have! People or things that inspire my designs are roller skating, neons, Gwen stephani, 80s/ 90s retro, bright funky over sized pieces,video collages, (something about music combined with a slide shows of images usually makes me cry), anything that I can make mobile so I can take it or move it to a different location. I have tons of inspiration that I cannot even list it all here.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
Early on after highschool, I went straight into the retail world. When I first started I was more than excited. I loved being around fashion,colors,styles etc. I was able to start as a visual merchandiser versus entry level as a sales associate. I took a class at a separate technical center half day my senior year. It was the certificate that landed me the merchandiser position. For being in retail I had a great schedule. Monday through Friday. 9am to 5pm. I was in charge of setting up each area according to color, materials, and sleeve length or pant length. Using only 3 colors to a wall it became like art to me. I’d rework a wall and step back and see what needed tweaking. Then rework it again until it caught your eye with at least 2 items. Now that I think about it, I currently do the same with my creative work when I’m setting up photo walls. After so many years of being in retail , I realized this career path was not family friendly. As my family grew, my priorities changed. It was a struggle to leave retail because I had been in it so long that I had hardly any experience with anything else. I decided to go back to school. I decided I’d become a dental hygienist. I knew it would take some years but once I started I knew I’d have to stick it out. The day of orientation the director said ” if you can get through this program you can do anything “. That was so motivating to me. I finished Hygiene school in 2016. What once was a “top 10 professions to go into” became the last place anyone would be during a pandemic. Due to this I starting thinking about how this may change my direction. Before the 2nd year of covid I decided I would open up a art studio /Creativity lounge. I received the keys in July of 2021 and remodeled all the way until February 2022. And that’s how I got to this point.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
A lesson that I’ve had to learn over the years was to ” remember to care of yourself”. There’s been so many times where I’ve taken on too many projects, too much work or other people’s issues that I become so overwhelmed. I’ve learned that it’s ok to take a time out. It’s ok to delegate. It’s ok if it’s not perfect. I’ve learned to listen to my body. Pay attention to the burn out signs. And remember I cannot be who I’m called to be unless I take care of myself. It honestly feels amazing when I’m able to say no to others but more importantly saying NO to myself.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.pinadesignstudio.com/
- Instagram: I’m on Instagram as @pinadesignstudio. Install the app to follow my photos and videos. https://www.instagram.com/invites/contact/?i=29s7rzm1kn4k&utm_content=nvis2no
- Facebook: Pina Design Studio