We were lucky to catch up with Christina Sutra recently and have shared our conversation below.

Christina , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

As a young woman, I had always been invested in all things art. Art for me, gave me permission to be wild and eccentric. It felt like, I could let my passionate soul out to play without having to make excuses for myself; I would simply say I’m an artist, what do you expect? I loved to sew my own clothes, make art, and use makeup as a form of self expression. To me, our whole life is art. Later on in my own motherhood journey I had kind lost touch with myself in some ways; I wasn’t truly tapped into my creative passionate self. One day I decided to buy a sketchbook and carry it around with me as a way to train myself to be more creative. Gradually, I began taking pages out of my journal and putting them on my walls. I then realized how much I loved to be surrounded by artwork, and I turned my spaces into art studios. When people began wanting to buy the sketches out of my notebook, that’s when it started to become real for me. I began selling artwork effortlessly. People could feel my passion + love for what I do and that in turn, allowed me to experience abundance from doing what I love. I began to take it more seriously and there was a point where I was selling 4-5 canvases a day, all online. I of course, loved that whole experience but one thing creatives have to be careful with, is making sure we don’t lose our focus, or lose our passion. If selling art ever becomes about the outcome, we can become distracted and lose that fire. I try to always bring myself back to the magic of creating vs producing. To me, producing is very logical and focused on outcome whereas creating is a magical process where time seems to disappear. For me, as an artist, that is when I feel most alive. Doing what I love, without worrying about the outcome.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

My name is Christina and I go by Christina Sutra on socials. I first started taking my art seriously when friends on social media wanted to by art off my wall. They were just sketches out of my notebook and I was flabbergasted that I could actually make money from doing what I loved. After a few sales, I decided it was time to really make this my legacy. I have always called myself an “art soul” because being an artist was always my highest ideal. I loved everything about art. Art supplies, art processes, materials, the whole spiritual experience of creating something out of nothing…being an artist and creating art just gave me so much life in every way possible. From time to time I like to share with my audience that I actually failed art class in college, twice. And somehow I still managed to create a successful business with my art, thanks to social media. I just love that because even if other’s dont see our potential, that does not matter. What matters the most, is how passionate you are about what you do. People can feel the energy you pour into your creations, and that is what draws them in. I don’t necessarily have the “best” artwork, or the most refined…but I do have my own style. And that is what I focus on cultivating and improving. I am really proud of the fact that I have created what I call the Sutra Art Academy, which is a 4 week course on learning the ins and outs of how to create and run an online art business. I have had over 150 students so far since it’s creation which has helped me support my family even more than just the art itself. What continues to blow me away is how creativity itself, is a well of abundance. Whenever I feel like I want to make money all I need to do is create something. And its fun! I love to help others become aware of their own creative well of abundance. Humans, in my opinion feel their best when they are creating. Personally, I have so much gratitude in my hear that I get to create art and do what I love everyday. I love to bring people into my creative world by sharing content online, everything from my art process to inspirational talks and my personal lifestyle. I have, like many creatives, a multi passionate heart and I think we live in a time where that is valuable. We don’t have to settle for one thing anymore, and that is so special.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

One lesson I had to unlearn is that our trauma, or our “sad story” is the least interesting thing about us. As we are evolving it can feel important to share where we came from, why we are who we are, etc. But I have realized that keeping stories of hurt, pain, and trauma alive seem to perpetuate similar patterns of energy. As I have learned to live in a balanced way, I see so much value in contributing positive energy to the world around me. We all have a sad story, but what are we learning from it? How can we take what we have and make it even better? These questions really light my fire. Inspiring and encouraging others is a passion of mine, because I do know what its like to be in a dark place but I also know the power of our own spirit and how we can truly transform our lives when we decide to. Alchemizing our emotions into our artwork is a powerful practice, and it can help us create from a very passionate and deep feeling place, which in my opinion is the best creating of all.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I am so passionate about helping others discover their own innate creativity. I think as we grow up we can be conditioned out of our natural artistry, because our society values productivity, linear & logical thinking so much. But creativity is where so many of us feel truly alive. It is our true nature. Creativity shows us how we can transform our own experience of life and make it into something truly beautiful. We are never stuck, and I love how this truth is reflected back to me as I create art. If I don’t like it, I can start over, or I can add another layer. Or I can walk away and come back with fresh ideas and new energy. My goal with my personal endeavors is to inspire and motivate as many people as I can, through authentic sharing and personal story telling. Art has healed me in so many ways, and this is my way of giving back.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.christinasutra.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christina_sutra
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christinaSutrah
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/christinasutras
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ChristinaSutra/