Jorge, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

From the moment I discovered the craft of carpentry, I was instantly captivated by the beauty and richness of the wood with its intricate designs, tantalizing textures, and varied grains and colors. I’ve always loved creating art, and wood is the perfect natural medium offering endless possibilities, styles, and shapes.
Living in Mexico, my life as an artist was limited by the lower purchasing power of a country where most people cannot afford to spend hard-earned money on sculptures and other pieces of art. So, when I started wood sculpting, I was truly motivated by the love, excitement, and satisfaction of bringing something from my imagination into the physical world. Many times, I gave away my artwork or sold my pieces for prices that didn’t even begin to cover the hours I spent creating them.

My story in Canada is very different, though no less simple. When I first arrived, I found work wherever I could, shoveling snow, painting houses, and doing odd carpentry jobs. It took me a full year to set up my workshop, which is relatively quick compared to the 5 years it would have taken in Mexico. Harnessing the necessary space and tools has made all the difference to my art. I’ve received a very positive response to my creations here in Canada, and I’m grateful to live in a community that highly values artisan labour and is receptive to artistic work. Still, there’s more to it than that – to make an income, I began to modify my projects so they would appeal to consumers and still allow me to enjoy the creative process.

I don’t know if this is true for everyone, but I strive to achieve a balance between the monetary value and the creative value of what I do. When I first started out, all I wanted to do was make wooden sculptures, but I quickly came to realize how difficult it can be to sell these works of art. As a marketing strategy, I came up with the idea of adding light to my sculptures transforming them into lamps. In addition to being an artistic piece, each sculpture now serves a practical purpose. This modification made them more appealing to consumers, but it also had the added benefit of making the illuminated pieces much more interesting, mysterious and special.

If you were to ask me what, in retrospect, would I do differently to speed up my process, I would say to believe in myself, my talents, and my project right from the beginning. For a long time, I was afraid that if I quit my job to dedicate myself to exploring my imagination, I would end up without enough money to pay the bills. So, I put off my vision year after year and kept my art at bay, pursuing my projects as a simple hobby. Today, though I am certainly not a millionaire, I earn a decent income creating art which fills me with excitement and allows me to do what I love every day. There’s a saying from where I come from, that when you work doing what you’re passionate about, you live your life on an everlasting vacation!

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 Jorge Izaza, and I am a master of wooden sculptures with light. For over two decades, I have dedicated myself to the art of woodworking, creating intricate pieces that capture the essence of natural beauty.

My journey with woodworking began in an unlikely way. Over 20 years ago, I was running a wholesale clothing business and had saved enough money to open my first retail store in a small mall in my community. However, after paying for the space and all the required fees, I found myself short on money to order all the necessary furniture, cabinets, and displays for the store. Rather than giving up, I decided to take matters into my own hands and purchase basic carpentry tools to make everything myself. Despite the process taking much longer than it would have with a skilled carpenter, I loved the creative process of making my own store fixtures and designing the store’s style, which ultimately proved to be a great success.

Within a year, I had recovered my investment and had enough money to open a second branch. However, this time, I decided to take things a step further. Instead of hiring someone else to remodel the store, I decided to pay myself and design my own displays and cabinets once again. This decision led me to purchase more professional tools and equipment to set up a small woodworking workshop. With more experience, I discovered that I could not only create furniture but also artistic pieces, which quickly became my life’s passion.

As I refined my craft, I began to experiment with light and discovered the profound impact it had on my wooden sculptures. By adding light, my pieces took on a new dimension and became both practical and aesthetically appealing to my clients.

What sets me apart from others is my unique approach to the artistic process. I allow the wood itself to guide me in my work, preserving its natural beauty by incorporating its unique edges, cracks, and grain as integral design elements. I see the imperfections found in nature as a part of its perfection, and strive to bring that perfection to life through my art.

My passion lies in creating abstract figures, which offer an unlimited potential for creativity and interpretation. Unlike a carved piece of fruit or animal, abstract pieces are not bound by pre-established forms or identities, allowing the observer to interpret and invent their story. With each piece I create, I strive to bring something entirely new into the world – a one-of-a-kind creation infused with my hands, heart, and energy.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me, art is the very essence of freedom. And creativity is the vehicle that we use to reach that state of consciousness. The most rewarding aspect of my journey as an artist is the winding path that I have traversed, with all its twists and turns, its peaks and valleys, its triumphs and failures. For it is on this journey, where you truly discover yourself and find the courage to express your deepest thoughts and emotions

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I believe it would be good for society to turn its attention more towards the third world to support it. There are many talented young people in Latin America, but most of them cannot fully develop their talents because they have to focus their time and energy on obtaining the most basic needs. I had the opportunity to come and live in Canada, which has made it easier for me to develop as an artist, but I know that such opportunities are not available to many, and I feel that North American society could benefit greatly by supporting those talents that are lost and wasted among the gaps in the third world. Perhaps we would never have known Lionel Messi if FC Barcelona in Spain, had not paid for his growth hormone treatment, or what would North American be like if Nikola Tesla had never emigrated to the United States?

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jorgeizaza.com
• Instagram: @jorgeizazawood
• Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/izazaandco/ [email protected]

Image Credits
Fernando villaseñor