We were lucky to catch up with Greta Olivas recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Greta thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I have known since I was a small child that I was an artist, I used to draw for hours, so throughout my adult life all I wanted to do is be a professional artist. Life happened, so my dreams of becoming an artist had to wait. I got married and had kids, so working a “regular” job got in the way. I always thought to be a real artist I had to go to college, but when I met a successful local artist at a party he told me that “If you want to be an artist you just need to do it! No excuses.” So at that moment I decided to start teaching myself everything I could.

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 was always drawn to abstract art, but being self taught I mostly learned how to paint things that existed, like flowers. I finally took an abstract painting and collage workshop where I learned fun techniques. One thing I had believed before that was that I had to know exactly what I was going to paint before I started, but learned that was definitely not the case. I also learned that play is a big part of creativity. One evening I was at my studio with the music playing and I decided to just play with paint. I let go of trying to control what to paint and allowed the watered down paint itself to do it’s thing. When I returned to the studio the next morning what I found was like magic. That was the beginning of my Cosmos Series. I feel painting has helped me learn many life lessons. I tell people I don’t know if my personal growth helped my art or if my art helped my personal growth, but I think it’s both. I feel my paintings are energy expressing itself through me.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

Some people may see being an artist as not important enough, but I have come to realize that creativity itself is more important than we realize in our lives. From looking at abstract art and allowing themselves to feel what the art is expressing, to being involved in creating art, it opens us up to something bigger than ourselves. When lost in the act of painting it’s like time stops. It’s like a meditation. It’s a connection to the divine. And if we are open to learning from the process there are many lessons to be learned. For me some huge ones were letting go of control, trusting the process, and if it’s not working, be willing to take a chance and possibly fail. That’s the only way to come up with something new.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

When people say they “feel” my paintings, or connect to them at a deep level, I know I achieved what I was meant to do. I also hear from many people that have been inspired by my work or my story. I love hearing from people when they share that I impacted them in some way. Those stories make me realize that each one of us can change the world one person at a time.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.gretaolivas.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gretaolivas/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gretaolivasartist
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gretaolivas/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/golivas
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/GretaOlivas