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

Diego, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I think I knew I wanted to be a professional artist when I started to understand that I liked the business side of it too. I like marketing and people and understanding art as form of communication. Those are the elements that helped translate the work into dollars. The art comes through pure and true but the marketing strategies can be tailored to the narrative and business goals you set for yourself so it’s best to learn what fits your needs sooner than later.

Diego, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Abundant love and blessings to whoever is reading these words on their screen, my name is Diego Garcia. The quick version of my life is that I am a painter and have been for some time now. It was something that called on me before I ever called on it, for as long as I can remember I’ve been drawing and interested in art. Fast forward at 17 years old, I made a college art portfolio that I instead used to get myself in group shows and I eventually started to sell paintings. Never attended university and I’m now certain that everything is playing out exactly how it’s supposed to. After countless successes and failures and 10,000 hours, since 2015 I have had seven solo exhibitions featuring original paintings. I am very thankful that people continue to buy my work and support my practice.

Like the majority of us in 2023, I am constantly multitasking and only doing more of it as my career expands. Commission work, solo exhibitions, dj gigs, production and curatorial work are all elements of the job.

I don’t know if I’m any more or less special than the next person, and it’s not really my concern. All I know is that I care about making art for people to feel and experience. It would take a deeper conversation to tell you what things set me apart from any other painter trying to sell you this same type of story online. The universe has provided me enough testimony to continue on this path.
The things that make me different are being defined by my life’s work as I go.

I am a conduit, first and foremost. I see things and feel them with a clarity that allows me to visually document them. Then I learned what it takes to get the work out to people in a tasteful way that reflects my personality and values. Everything after that it’s just like any garden, I make sure it has all the space, nutrients and maintenance it needs to grow.

And that’s what it’s all about, I’m just trying to water my garden with my time here on earth.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

One of the most rewarding things about being an artist is hearing how much a painting has connected with someone. When I go speak at a school or have an exhibition and someone shares with me what the painting does for them truly moves me. It’s heartwarming beyond words.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I think the ability to pivot is absolutely crucial to any success, let alone in a creative field. I learned this when I became a dj. Some years ago my homies would spin at my gallery shows for me, sound is always a huge part of my inspiration and intention with a project. Once I realized it was an important layer that I wanted to understand more, I pivoted and got myself some dj gear to practice. Now it is a big part of my business and that layer of culture has grown my journey in ways that I wouldn’t have expected. Life can be extremely serendipitous and it will require to adapt and learn as you go, so pivot it up my friends, be as versatile as you authentically can be.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @diegoagc

Image Credits
Instagram – @thirty1eighty8