We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Catalina Pinon. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Catalina below.
Catalina, 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?
When I decided to leave my school district, my family and friends thought I was insane! They asked me: “Why are you quitting the status, security, and benefits you worked so hard for? Wasn’t this job supposed to give meaning and purpose to your life? Isn’t it an honor and privilege to be a part of the school district’s staff?” They even went through all of the small, yet noteworthy perks, like those two-month summer vacations, lounge treats, limitless coffee, holiday gifts, and students’ adorable cards.
And all they said was true except for the fact that being a full-time Spanish teacher didn’t give me a sense of purpose, as teaching students who were obligated to take the class wasn’t a fulfilling experience. If I were to continue teaching, I wanted to teach art, not only because it was my original degree but also my passion. I wanted not only to incite this passion in others, and to also have the time to create my art.
Before moving to the United States, I was the coordinator of a Binational Center Cultural, I used to teach a variety of subjects on the University’s visual arts campus, and occasionally create some art.
For many years, I pursued art teaching positions at a couple of schools, but it appeared that these positions were in high demand, and the district would only offer me Spanish or bilingual assignments. I kept asking myself how that could be possible? I kept listing in my head; I have the experience, I am a visual artist, I have the credentials and certifications, I have inspired my past students to enjoy their learning in many classes, and I still can’t get an art teaching position.
Now, I recount that story in my head many times, going back and forth with an internal debate: How could I have spent all these years following the expectations of others?
Since I moved to the United States, my life had taken a turn; I wasn’t even in the realm of art anymore! Instead, I taught Spanish for more than eleven years, instructing students of all ages!
Every day, while teaching Spanish, my mind and emotions were constantly feeling uneasy until I finally reached my breaking point.
The school year was about to end, I got the contract form from the school secretary, and I kept it in my case for a week, glancing at it several times and reflecting on all the things I’d always wanted to do but had been putting off for so long.During those days, I spent hours exchanging long text message audios with my friend, who was starting his journey as a life coach. I feel so grateful for his support during that time, as it made a giant difference! Although I was still terrified, I was growing courage as well.
The timeline for returning my annual contract was there, and instead of returning it to the principal office, I wrote a resignation letter. It was insane, I was turning down a job that many would love to have, but I needed to be brave and move out of my “comfort zone” which wasn’t comfortable at all.
Just one detail was left, I didn’t know where to begin.
I wanted to pursue my dream and was finally determined to do so, but at the same time, I didn’t want to put our family in a financial bind. We had finally bought a new home after we had lost it all a couple of years before. On top of that, being a single mother with two teenagers was also a source of stress. I finally had a vision, but I had no idea how to make it a reality. Believe it or not, there wasn’t even a hint of a plan before I ended the contract! Therefore, I developed a strategy around paying the bills and looking after my family.
Of course, I needed a job, but not just any job; I needed revenue that gave me enough to pay the bills and allowed me to do what I love and at the same time make it profitable. So, I thought of NuMinds! It was the perfect place to have the flexibility and work with a team of creative, inspiring people. I’d already had a couple of amazing summer camps with them, and I was eager to spend more time with the team. But, unfortunately, this one job wasn’t going to cover all the bills!
So I created a detailed list of our expenses with the exact amount of money I needed to take care of all my responsibilities. The goal wasn’t the money, but we still needed it. I had to utilize my experience teaching the S.M.A.R.T method. I learned about it while teaching middle school. This acronym stands for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound and allowed me to stay focused on selecting goals to improve my results.
Then I ended up with a large number in my notes, and I broke it down into the amount of money I needed to make every day. I also made a list of all that I wanted without worrying about how I was getting it yet. It was crucial to write it down and see it in my mind’s eye. Those were my daily goals, I was focusing on the daily ones to move towards the big one.
I wrote everything in my Google calendar, and I added colors for each event. I created appointments as they were already happening and I even wrote down in each event the amount of money I was making for the invested time on it. Every single event had an amount of money on it.
Meanwhile, I was becoming friends on social media with all the people in the community who were involved in the art life. I called many places in town and found a studio to run my classes. I put together all my old art lessons, and I designed new ones. I wanted time to start producing art, that was about to come soon.
I finally got the opportunity to become one of the official artists in the Art House, my profile was displayed on their website and offered classes. This wouldn’t give me the income I desired right away, but it was a good start.
While interacting on social media, I started reading anything I could learn about how to promote myself and my art classes. The results of my marketing were immediate, and I received a large mural contract for a client! That was the other source of income I needed, and because it was a large mural, I would have enough money to reach my goal income.
I adjusted my garage and materials for my masterpiece, I couldn’t wait to start it. After all, I hadn’t painted anything that big in over 25 years, but I just went with the flow.
I was excited and proud, I was finally feeling like an artist again!
Everything appeared to be going according to plan; lessons were going well, I was developing new art contacts, workshops, and new projects, and I was producing art again!
The next step was to open art camps for summertime, I already had experience with that, so I was ready. I wasn’t planning on opening just one or two camps for summer, I was going to open one four days camp each week for two months. I created a strategy for the promotion, and based on my experience, full-day camps were more likely to sell faster.
I wasn’t intimidated by what was coming, I was visualizing camps full of students enjoying art and having fun.
Now, after this experience, I am certain that when we focus on our dreams, everything begins to fall into place. There may come a time when breaking the rules is needed. It doesn’t have to be actual laws; it could be customs, norms, habits, or expectations that we have been following. If something about the circumstance doesn’t feel right, it isn’t the right environment. If It is time to make a big decision, there is the question: Is this giving me a sense of purpose?.
Catalina, 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?
I’d like to introduce myself as a visual artist dedicated to education, my name is Catalina Piñón, and my students call me Ms. Pie. I am grateful for working in the education field since it allows me to spend quality time with my family and students.
We have a family of five members, my son Christian, and my daughter Catalina, both honor students at Prosper Rockhill High School. Our affectionate cat named “Paintbrush” and our active puppy Pug, Mocha. We love to spend time together and work cooperatively, as a result of our mutual support, a couple of years ago, we even got our black belts in Taekwondo. We used to do training and work cooperatively.
As a naturally curious, imaginative person, art has always been an invaluable part of my life; for several years, I dedicated myself to the study of ballet and other forms of dance. At home, we all play some musical instrument, and we like singing as well, even if we aren’t very skilled at it! I was that student in class who drew all the time, even when the teacher was teaching the lessons, they didn’t like that. In addition to the fact that I used to participate in all the activities of the school such as; dance, music, theater, poetry…any extracurricular I was there!
My curiosity and impetus for adventure led me to travel to many countries and destinations with the desire to learn about different cultures and environments. I was fortunate to meet unique and memorable personalities who influenced along the way the direction of my life, Always keeping my heart and mind open to learning in all fields, and an abundant amount of flexible mindset.
These experiences established the foundation for my learning style discovery, which I use to encourage my pupils in their educational journey. I am presently creating new artwork, teaching weekly art classes in my art studio, teaching private lessons, and organizing and leading weekend art parties.
When I decided to return to the art world, I began referring to my artwork with my family nickname saying “This is a PINCZO!” My surname consists of two surnames, Piñón Cerezo, so combining them results in Pinczo. Now I feel so proud when I Google Art Pinczo in the search engine, it actually shows everything related to my art studio name!
Some of my professional careers include the planning and production of international exhibitions, galleries, and the coordinator of a binational cultural center.
I hold a Bachelor in Visual Arts and a Master of Art Education. I have been teaching in McKinney/Prosper, Texas school districts, for the last couple of years, and some of my certifications are Art EC-12, Core Subjects EC-6, and Spanish EC-12.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
It was January 2020, I had all my summer art camps ready to start promoting them in February. I was so excited and courageous; they were bound to be a great success, and I was 100% confident.
But in March 2020, COVID came to the scene, putting us again in the unreliable zone. I had to reimburse all the enrollments because of the quarantine, and we didn’t know how long this distressing event was going to last. Like many of us, pandemic times hit hard in our lives and finances. It was time to look for a plan B. There were too much information, worries, ideas, and emotions. Here is when I had to utilize some of what I teach to my students; critical thinking and use of creative thinking. Thinking beyond the box is more difficult at my age, but kindergarteners know how to look at things from many perspectives, that was exactly what I needed to do. I switched my mind into a kindergarten mode and kept telling myself, “Just keep going, follow my dream, and money will be”, and don’t forget to subscribe!
We all were in the new internet era, the quarantine and the social distance, with many new opportunities to adjust and find new ways of life. I wasn’t able to continue the classes in person, the school was closed, and everyone was at home. The internet was our only platform.
Right away I took action, I created an art group on social media, recorded videos, and started teaching online to my private students. Immediately we had a zoom meeting with NuMinds’ team, and we started the STEAM live TV. All of the inspirators took turns going live every hour and showing educational videos throughout the day. I gained expertise in presentation skills, improvisation, and virtual communication, all of which I would need in the future.
I developed tighter ties with some of them throughout the challenging times, and I embarked on a new initiative with one of my closest friends, Mr. T, as his students dubbed him. This highly scholarly retired teacher and I began collaborating on the “Tinkerzone,” a wonderful and inspiring endeavor. Children at hospitals will benefit from this project, which will provide art and other educational resources.
The fantastic events kept rolling in; I started the plan to open a new art studio, and I got to plan a whole new season of summer art camps. My private students and I had time to produce new work, and I made new artistic and brilliant friends and partnerships with whom I share my goals and aspirations, all of this happened during the pandemic.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding aspect of being creative is allowing me to exist in an imaginative and expressive experience. When I can integrate the education field into it, my inspiration, communication, and innovation grow! I am grateful for the opportunity to internalize the function of creativity and show it to the world without limitations. Since art is a universal language, I can communicate with people from all over the world!
Through time, we learned to disconnect from the creative process. I remember while growing up, the school used to promote these repetitive and rote tasks, gradually supplanting our ability to learn through application and analysis. These processes don’t belong to the human being’s natural creative capacity.
This lifestyle naturally allows me to keep in a creative thinking flow, and it helps me reinforce the ability to find non-obvious answers and solutions to everyday situations. The aspect of my work with kids gives me the most fulfilling sense of life, as it encourages me to keep moving forward. Having the gift of immersing the students in colorful lives with diverse forms of arts is really rewarding.
Someone told me once:” I can sense your youthful spirit at first sight. Maybe it’s because I spend so much time with students, or maybe it’s because I’m rebellious and refuse to be confined in a world devoid of wonder, constant curiosity, new experiences, and fantasies. It is rewarding to prove in every artwork that we have power in our thoughts and our imagination, and when we use it with a purpose it turns into a tangible reality.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.artpinczo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artpinczo/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artpinczo
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/artpinczo
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/catypinczo
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpzLfTenyNyMAamD4Ud7Hng
- Other: https://www.arthousetx.com/our-teachers/catalina-pinon/about-catalina https://www.pinterest.com/ArtPinczo/ https://allevents.in/org/art-pinczo/16741530 https://www.schoolandcollegelistings.com/DE/Auerbach-%28Vogtland%29/177485242679874/Art-Pinczo
Image Credits
https://goldenhrphotography.com/ www.artpinczo.com