We were lucky to catch up with Carolina Muñoz Awad recently and have shared our conversation below.

Carolina, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you 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?

My story is a little bit funny in that aspect, because it is almost as if I have been incrementally running away from more stable professions (in the common understanding that there is an established way–and jobs–to perform in). I started in medical school, then changed to architecture, I became an architect, then went to art school, thought I was going to do sculptures, and ended up doing almost solely performance art–which I do not sell as tangible products. So, what do I do now for a living? I am aware of my safety cushion, that I can go back to work as an architect if needed, but under a student visa that only allowed me to work in something related with my field of studies–fine arts–I was presented with an amazing challenge. Firstly, I did some teaching assistantships, and started to realize that the collection of my skills was well valued when helping other artists. I then was hired as studio assistant for a couple of artists, and the fit was perfect, because I had to be a little bit of everything and I enjoy that. Some of the artist I have worked for have asked me if I am okay with certain tasks–that diverge from just art–almost as If i might feel offended, which I do not at all, but understood where they were coming from. I have found myself excelling in creative jobs that are not about my works directly, but that if it wasn’t for my creativity, I wouldn’t be as good as I can be. Working full-time for other artists takes a big load from having to be creative for my own creations in order to sustain myself economically. I am a perfectionist and very self-demanding, so my own art has taken a much more tender space during my weeks, because it is done in a free of schedule time, just for me, and I have so much more ideas since it lives in the back of my head while I witness others with much more experience do the same. It is beautiful!

Carolina, 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 am a multidisciplinary creative, with an own performance art practice, and a background in architecture. For the past 3 years I have been involved in the fine arts industry as an studio assistant, research assistant, art handler, art installer, and educator. My varied skillset makes me very handy for artists who need assistance with executing their artworks, organizing their art records, consulting about structural design, 3D modeling, and more. I am always ready to provide with ideas, possibilities, and I consider myself a great problem solver. I also have experience working for galleries, non profit organizations in the arts, and museums. I enjoy administrative work, am super organized, and plan ahead of time. What I am most proud about is how maleable my skills are for different situations, and the adaptability I can have to certain aesthetics and materials. I believe that working with other creatives is challenging and rewarding not only in result but in life experience and learning for my own self.

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

I think a very rewarding aspect, I have learned in the past few years working as a creative, with artists, is that who you are as a person is indeed an important aspect and reason for you to feel valued and be valued by others. I started doing very simple tasks as studio assistant, that I though anyone could make them–which is probably true–,but after a while, I realized I was not just being hired because of my skillset, but also because of my personal integrity and lived experience with creations and problem solving. Having a good attitude towards this kind of job is key, and in my case, since I do really enjoy it, it is very easy to maintain.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

A lesson I had to unlearn, or maybe stop being scared about it, was that it is ok to mess up. When you are working for someone else, they are also making a decision to put certain responsibilities on you. One is human, and making mistakes in crafts, and execution, is normal, moreover if you are new to a certain technique. Of course this has a limit, and if you are not good for something, whoever hired you will notice, believe me, but if they are taking the chance with you on delicate stuff, lift some of the weight of your shoulders–it is not just on your shoulders–and as far you don’t lie about your experience, all will be good!!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://carolinamunozawad.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolinamunoza/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolinamunozawad/

Image Credits
Martin Seck, 2022 (picture that is watermarked with it)