Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Daniela Gomez. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Daniela, thanks for joining 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 picked up a pencil and started drawing when I was about six years old. I remember filling up my notebooks in just a few days. At the beginning, it was mostly copying cartoons from books or drawing outfits for my friends, but it quickly escalated to more detailed and intricate work. I was devoted to capturing anything in my world onto those pages. I would say I learned 95% of what I know by practicing. I never really took any art classes, I believe if you have a passion for art you can become a great artist, all it takes is practice. For me, it was essential to experiment and keep myself motivated. Setting deadlines and goals for myself not only helped me grow as an artist but challenged me to stay creative in my work. Part of that has been challenging myself to try new materials. Paper is not the only surface we can draw on and charcoal is not the only medium out there. Set goals within that work. Every month I set a quota for the number of sketches I want to do. This encourages me to practice, to not create perfect art, but to try different styles that keep my creativity flowing. I wish I could say I took this incredible class and then found this easy path to becoming an artist, and while that certainly helps, it’s much more. It’s devoting your time and energy into the work, crafting it through the moments that come easy to you and especially through the moments that it doesn’t. In the last two years, I have dedicated at least 20 hours every week to drawing or painting. That may seem like a lot but it is possible. The more you experiment the better you get. It wasn’t until I developed that consistent practice that I started to see improvement in my art and began to develop my style as an artist – it just takes patience.

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

I am a Colombian artist and my art is mainly a mixture of realism and surrealism. I have been creating art since I can remember but during college, I unfortunately had to set it aside, which took a massive toll on me. When I stopped creating art my mind got overloaded with ideas and that left me feeling lost. I no longer had an outlet. So in my last semester, I decided to move to Italy and immerse myself fully in art. As I was going to art museums every week and spending more time with creative people, I found that passion for art again. I started creating art every day and realized I never wanted to put art to the side again – I realized I never could. Upon returning I moved to Austin Texas and got a job as a civil engineer but also kept my focus on building my career as an artist. Balancing these two careers has been challenging. They are incredibly similar but vastly different. I have been forced to learn a lot about time management, problem-solving, navigating relationships, and have had to overall improve my patience and discipline. While there has been doubt at times, I can now confidently say both compliment each other in such a beautiful way and I have been able to find balance.
I currently sell my art and manage my business through my website and social media. I take commissions for drawings and paintings. My commissions are divided into three categories, portraits, drawings with a meaning (inspired by my client’s stories), or a piece created totally from my imagination. I open commissions every two months. Within that time I also try to take breaks to experiment with new ideas of my own. But when I do take commissions I take that process very seriously. I like to get to know my clients, understand their vision and personality so I can create something truly special to them.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My biggest goal is to bring art into people’s lives. I’m not focused on any tangible goals necessarily, as I believe art is a vital aspect of life, like breath. Art has impacted my life in so many incredible ways. It has helped me disconnect from the stressors of the world and bring me to a different state of mind. Time does not exist when I’m in my studio. When I’m in that space my mood completely changes and I just feel lighter. I want everyone to find their inner artist, accessing that same feeling, in whatever form that takes. And I would love to be a part of that process.

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

The process is by far the most rewarding part of being an artist. To be able to translate something from my imagination onto a piece of paper is so fulfilling. For me, my inspiration can come from a thought, emotion, or even a dream. It’s an adventure that has no tangible conclusion, it ebbs and flows like trying to communicate this different language to someone, a language that only I know and see… I will never know if other people will see the same thing or even if it will come out in the way I want to. But, that is what excites me, challenges me, but most importantly fuels my creativity.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://danielagomez.art/
• Instagram: danielagomezart
• Linkedin: Daniela Gomez
• Other: Email: [email protected]

Image Credits
I would like to give credit to the photographer who took the first picture a uploaded of myself: David Teran.