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

Chloe, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

To be honest it probably started when I was three years old, in my first ballet mommy and me class. I fell in love with dance and dreamed of being a professional ballet dancer in New York City. While growing up I was introduced to many different styles of dance as well as drawing, painting and knitting. I continued my dance education at Orange County School of the Arts to then receiving a BFA in Contemporary Dance from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee in 2015. I then moved to New York City and danced professionally for 5 years. During this time I have also worked full time at knitting and needlepoint shops. There have been times in my dance career where injuries tell me to slow down and that’s when knitting and drawing have saved me. Now I work part time at a knitting and needlepoint shop and just last year opened my Etsy shop selling hand painted designs for needlepoint. Life may change and not end up exactly how you planned, but one thing I know for sure is that art is what guides my path.

Chloe, 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?

Art has guided my path since I was three taking my first ballet class to painting and designing needlepoint canvases. I have trained and dance for most of my life, leading me to New York City to injuries telling my body to heal. Knitting and drawing have always been a creative solitude for me. Which bright me to working in knitting and needlepoint stores to gaining the courage to create and paint my own designs. I am forever inspired by urban city and raw landscapes, animals, pop culture and representation. I offer hand painted needlepoint designs inspired by my surroundings, as well as custom pieces. What makes me proud is seeing creative stitchers take my canvas designs and make them uniquely special to them and their loved ones.

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

As a society to help support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem, I would say diversity is very important. Diversity in all forms such as languages, cultures, identities, art forms and much more. There is space for everyone and no one and nothing is perfect or permanent. Imperfection and honesty is where beauty lies. All art forms are forever changing and transitioning and so is life.

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

A rewarding aspect of being an artist and creative is that it allows me to communicate my voice with others. I would describe myself as an introvert and with my art I can express a story or a moment with anyone. Whether it’s a dance movement, a photo or painting, it can evoke an emotion or story that can be translated wordlessly to anyone. It’s a universal language without any words.

Contact Info:

• Website: Chlojondlpt.Etsy.com
• Instagram: chlojondlpt
• Other: [email protected]

Image Credits
Ballet photo taken by Lorraine Cashman Photography