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

Alejandra, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

My parents created a safe space for my sisters and me to be whoever we wanted. They taught us we can do anything we put our minds to, and they are my most significant examples of “Never stop trying, no matter what comes your way .”

My mom is the most honest person I know; from her, I learned to speak my mind and that I don’t have to be in places I don’t feel comfortable. Also! She is the one who signed me up for art classes after my 3rd-grade teacher told her I was on to something. I got my creativity from her, and seeing her work on her projects has shown me that no idea is too big to try.

On the other hand, my dad has always been my protector; he’s another example of perseverance. He started working door-to-door selling home goods to support my sister and my mom and ended up building his own company with his dad and brothers. But above all, my dad taught me how to approach life. I remember clearly one day in high school (I went to catholic school for 12 years), we had this particular religion lesson that I completely disagreed with, and I couldn’t wrap my head around it. I came home really upset and went to talk to him. He told me: “Mi vida, en al vida vas a encontrar muchas cosas con las que no estas de acuerdo o simplemente no combinan contigo. Lo que haces es tomar lo que te sirve y soltar lo que no, no dejes que tomen tu energia,” which translates to “In life, you’ll find many things you don’t agree with or don’t go with you. You have to take what does work for you and let go of what doesn’t. Don’t let other people take your energy”. I have lived that way ever since I need reminders all the time, but it was a big thing for me.

Both of them made sure to teach me that I’m valuable, capable, and strong; that I have a place in this world. All I got to do is step up and take it.

Alejandra, 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’m a visual artist and educator. Through my art practice, I translated mental noise and human energy into visual experiences. Lately, these consist of paintings, drawings, and murals. Hopefully, they’ll become installations one day, and these ephemeral mindscapes will become a physical experience.
We live in an era surrounded by information; there’s so much happening outside and on the inside. It’s hard for an individual to process it all. During this processing moment, I believe the energy within my paintings becomes relevant. When you look at my work, there’s life inside. A lot of times, I feel like those tiny marks are pulsating and moving. They become portals to a safe space where viewers can take a moment to be present and explore their consciousness, truly see what’s happening in their mental landscapes, or maybe clear it entirely, regroup and return to the world ready for another round.
I’m proud of the space I’m building for myself right now. My art has turned into therapy and my way of coping. For viewers, it’s this portal or mediation tool. In that same spirit of safe spaces, I’m venturing into teaching other professionals outside the art to find that creative spark inside that makes you look at the world a little differently through my new program, RIPPLE.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

There are two main ones; I’m realizing now how important it is to build a community around you for networking purposes and because trying to grow your career can get lonely. People other than yourself should be critiquing your art and keep you objective. Other artists might also know of opportunities for you and vice versa; you get a broader view. I have also learned to look into local institutions for workshops. A few offer professional development for artists for very little money. Overall, I wish I had looked into the business side of my career earlier, make sure you have that covered.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I think keeping an open mind is vital. Art is very subjective; some you will like, and some you won’t. But at the end of the day, I believe the purpose of art is to spark conversations. To encourage people to question and view things from a different lens. We need to have more conversations. Otherwise, we are stuck in a loop and don’t grow.
We need to create more spaces for these conversations to happen, offer up our walls, share our space for open mics… Ask the artists/creatives you know what ideas they might have; trust me, they’ll have a bunch. If you have a space available, let me know. I’d love to collaborate with you!
Finally, share our work and tell us what you think about it. It means everything.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.alejandragotera.com/welcome
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alegotera.art/