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

Alright, Anthony thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

I took a risk in 2020.

I felt safe at home in Houston, Texas, but I felt like I had come to a standstill with my own personal progression. It was a time in my life when I felt like I needed to make a drastic change if I wanted new doorways to open. I was after new challenges and an entirely different scene – but I didn’t know how to get there. At the beginning of that year, I was working for a wonderful museum, but I wanted to branch out to a new career where I could financially sustain myself and grow to what I felt was “the next level”.

I ended up taking a job strictly for the money but was constantly met with a lack of passion – and running my mind into extreme exhaustion from being overworked. This was not what I had intended to happen when I left working in the arts. It was all happening in such a strange way. I had just taken the job the week that the pandemic hit. Having previously worked in a creative field had given me life in a way where this natural drive within me was constantly ignited. However, my impulsive decision to randomly get a remote job in the medical field led me into unknown territory. I was not as confident as I had once been and I was always met with the feeling of hopelessness. Deep down, I knew it felt wrong to do something strictly for financial gain and without passion. Yet, I decided to proceed down the winding path.

Time went by and I ended up getting let go due to not meeting a high-demanding quota. That job was never for me. I was forced to sit with myself and my decisions, yet I still felt this strange feeling of something bigger coming. Fast forward a few months, and I begin to work on a livestream project revolving around DJs and synthesizer video art with a friend living in New York City. Our project is called Basement Tapes. My friend asked me to go live with her for a few months to see what type of work I could get – and of course, to work on the project. We started to get recognized by online platforms and different people across the world for our unique style and the amazing artists we featured. It was also during this time that I became very interested in the metaphysical arts. By combining what I was learning and applying it to this new project, I started the feel the fire ignite again. The only thing missing was a stable income and I knew I had to start planning again. So – I came back to Texas, training in art handling – and going down another path.

Besides the new career, I also became very interested in astrology and astrocartography. I began studying the tarot, human design, and other esoteric interests with a few friends who were actively researching. It was through these studies that I started to really study myself and feel creative again. My intuition grew stronger in relation to the feeling that “something was coming”. I was also able to pinpoint aspects of my personality and utilize these new tools to help me advance in my thinking and movement in life. So, I started to apply them. Fast forward to 2021, and another impulsive decision was made. However, this time – astrology came into play.

Utilizing the tools of the esoteric, I started to think about my life direction a bit more clearly. This gave me the opportunity to acknowledge my skills from the past and regain confidence. The impulsive decision this time was moving to New York City…a second time. I had received an opportunity to work as an art handler for a gallery in the Lower East Side. Things picked up momentum and I ended up staying for a while – soon becoming their head art preparator. Things seemed to be promising, but something was still not aligned. Chaos and shady business lurked in the shadows of the gallery – at the expense of myself and the rest of the team. I had once again found myself at square one, but this time with new skills.

I would not stop trying to find stability and ended up finding my own clients with my new freelance art photography business and art handling services. This quickly turned into a reality check of working in today’s society. It is sometimes one of the hardest things to get a job that you feel passionate about in America. I feel like you either have to choose between money to support yourself or your happiness. I continued for happiness. Fast forward again to 2023, and I found a job as an archivist for a prominent gallery. It was all a bit odd since one of the artists they represented at the time was one of the last artists I saw at the museum I was working for before the pandemic. Everything came full circle – but this time, with the added benefit of growth.

Anthony, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Anthony Flores and I have been working in the arts since age 15. I started off interning for FotoFest International and the Mexic-Arte Museum in Austin, while also gaining interest in my own photography of friends, artists, and musicians. My first job out of college was as the Imaging Technician at The Menil Collection and through multiple trial-and-error situations, I gained skills in art handling, prop styling, furniture design and fabrication, divination, astrology, and fine art photography. Although my skillset felt very random and niche, I have been able to combine them to help me in ways I never thought possible. Currently, I am a visual artist, an archivist at Gladstone Gallery, an astrologist/tarot reader, and a freelance photographer.

Life experience and going towards natural passions taught me what I know. I decided to stay on the path of creativity after swerving away from it and it has led me to a place of wonder. My skillset has allowed me to offer two different types of services: Art Services and Metaphysical Services. My aim is to help better people’s lives, while also adding a touch of beauty and mystery. Studying my own personality and astrological birth chart helped me acknowledge my natural talents. It all made sense why I was interested in what I was interested in. I am grateful that I have been able to work for entities such as Vogue/Conde Nast, various record labels, art galleries in Texas and New York City, and of course, artist friends.

In relation to all of the work I have done with others, I have also grown in my own artistic practice. I have been lucky to be around people who constantly inspire me and push me toward new ideas. This year, I have gotten back into drawing and digital art. I was even able to showcase my first video sculpture at Fourth World NYC, an electronic music festival of the underground in Brooklyn. The new opportunities to fully dive deeper into my own creativity have helped me feel more balanced within myself.

I am most proud of my dedication to being curious in a world that seems to try to stop you. I hope to inspire others and help them get to a place where they can also feel confident in their own ability to change life in a way that they desire. I have been fortunate to continue working in the arts and plan to continue to build my own foundation. My next dream is to have my own gallery and/or art advisory agency.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

My story relating to taking a risk illustrates my resilience perfectly. I went from jumping from the comfort of Texas into the unknown world of New York City. With the trials of finding a job, being met by toxic characters, pushing my body and mind to the limits, and paying my debts – I was still able to push through to find my own happiness in a career path that I had started to manifest at age 15. I hope that you can truly find the life that you desire when you search for the path of least resistance.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is getting to view the world with wonder. It is something that some lose during childhood, but I plan on retaining it for as long as I can. The feeling of getting lost in the multimedia arts and experiences of the creative can help unlock things within you that will help you progress in life. By the time you know it, your mind is wide open, and new doorways appear. Your next challenge is choosing which one to go through.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.enjoyyour.world
• Instagram: @enjoyyour.world
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/aaanthony

Image Credits
Filenames correspond to titles. 1. After Exiting the Garden, 2020. Pencil on paper. © Anthony Flores 2. Anthony in VHS, 2021. iPhone photo. © Anthony Flores 3. Photography Portfolio via enjoyyour.world 4. Goblin #4, 2022. Digital sculpture. © Anthony Flores 5. Lobby, 2022. AI and digital manipulation. © Anthony Flores 6. Monolith of Prophetic Visions, 2023. Wooden structure, LED television, and infinite video. © Anthony Flores 7. The Calling (Occulus), 2022. AI and digital manipulation. © Anthony Flores