We were lucky to catch up with Juliana Flores recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Juliana, thanks for joining us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

I love being a business owner. This love comes with a lot of ups and downs because it’s always uncertain, every month is different when you’re a business owner. Of course I’ve had the thought “if i just had a regular job, everything would be easier!”, a regular job has a beginning and an end to the day, it has an expected income and takes are taken care of by someone else! However, I’ve had my business for 11 years now and I can’t picture myself going back to a regular job because i feel my creativity would be jeopardized, having the freedom to change things last minute for the best of the class or program adds a certain spark to what i do.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I started working with children and families during college at a job I got with the YMCA, first as an after school counselor and then as a site supervisor. I noticed there was a strong need for creativity in our programs, that children had been in a structured school setting all day and really needed to exercise their imagination, thoughts and express themselves in creative ways. I began offering a “creation station” in the classroom with random art supplies that children could use in any way. Eventually, I started developing the curriculum that would lead me to opening Pachis art studio. A space for children to focus on the process of creativity, expression, connection and creative growth. Eventually i grew the business by including programs for all ages and inspire the whole family to live a more creative life.

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

Oh! Great question. I learned the hard way that I can’t say yes to everything. There was a point I felt like the business was never going to grow, that I needed to make a certain amount to pay my overhead and it didn’t matter if I didn’t pay myself. I know having a business would come with that risk of not taking home a penny for myself but the stress got me tangled in a cycle of “yes to everything”. I got so burnt out, exhausted and my creativity plummeted faster than I ever imagined. I felt like a circus clown pulling things to do for kids and i lost the beauty of slowing down and allowing children to create. It became a task more than a creative process. I started doing projects and events that I didn’t enjoy and that took so much energy. So, I took a break and checked my feelings and where I was, made peace with the fact that I might lose some customers in the transition, stopped following so many social media accounts that caused feelings of competition, anxiety and focused on what i was doing at home with my daughters, what creative approach was working for them as i saw them grow. I started reading more books, forcing myself to go to museums and galleries for inspiration rather than the trendy things happening on social media, i restructured my programs, my schedules to fit my needs as a business owner that’s also a mom and Pachis art studio became once again what i always had aimed for, an extension of my creative home where people feel comfortable and free to create.

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

I had a beautiful and very lucky thing happen to me. My studio was in Liberty Station in the Point Loma area of San Diego, CA. My lease was coming to an end and by December 2019 I needed to make a decision to renew or not, I had been feeling like I needed a new space, a change of scenery and I decided I would stay through the end of my lease and start looking for a new space. My lease was up on February of 2020, little did I know the world would shut down a couple months later. I started adventuring into the idea of a mobile art studio which worked for a bit but it was clearly not what i wanted. Because of the pandemic, I started making art kits and delivering them around San Diego, CA but due to the world state, supplies were not always available so I just stopped and focused on my family, on learning and reading more about the importance of art, creativity and play in our lives regardless of age and especially during a time like a pandemic. I felt like my business went through many business models in a matter of 1 year. Eventually, when things started slow down with the pandemic, a friend asked if I would host a class for her friend group and that’s how the new model and location of Pachis art studio started up and running again. I am so happy with the outcome, I love the new space, my clients love it too and the program took a turn for the better that now has a more nurturing and creative impact on people.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.pachisartstudio.com
• Instagram: @pachisartstudio

Image Credits

all photos are taken by Juliana Flores and with permission of the adult responsible for any child in the pictures.