We recently connected with Celeste Rodriguez and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Celeste thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I learned by doing. My hands are always moving, and so that naturally turned into creating. As a kid, I found drawing and painting, and as an adult I learned to polish my skills with experience. I went to college for art, and while it can be a controversial investment, I am really glad I majored in art. It gave me the time and space to create. I was surrounded by creativity and motivation, and it helped me grow into the artist I am today.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Kids naturally love to create, and I just never grew out of that. I use my art as a way to communicate. I interpret the world around me and my experiences with paint. I work symbolically, and tell stories with my art. Sometimes it resonates with others, and sometimes it is just for me. People who look like me don’t always have the ability to use their voice, so I want to add the voice for all of us.
Drawing turned into painting. Painting turned into relating with others, and I absolutely love connecting with others with my art.
My original inspiration are my parents. Their sacrifices and struggles are quietly handled while the world treats them like lesser beings, and I am not okay with that. My parents, and immigrants like them, deserve the world, and I strive to let everyone know that.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I don’t think there are words to explain what it feels like to finish a painting, but I will try. Imagine this: you just painting the last stroke on your piece. The pride you feel for yourself builds you up. It makes you feel like you can take over the world. The piece you made, YOU MADE, is born into the world and has a message to spread. It touches people. And these people tell you how it has resonated with them, and now you all have a connection because you were able to turn a little idea into a masterpiece.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

We need to value artists. They are innovators, keepers of humanity and history. If I were to tell someone I wanted to pursue art for a career, most would just laugh. Whenever I told other students my major, I always got “Oh, how fun. I wish I could just paint all day.” Art is not mindless work. It is research, practice, evolution, and hard work. Respect the work. Buy from small artists instead of mass produced designs from TJ Maxx or Target. Promote work that you admire. When you see art you love, let the artist know that they have sparked a light inside you. Let art be a legitiment way of life.

Contact Info:

• Website: celesterodriguezcreations.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/celeste.rguez.creations/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/celesterguezcreations
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/celeste-rodriguez-6794651b9/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/CelesteRguez_