We recently connected with Luis Valle and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Luis , thanks for joining us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?
Fortunately I have gotten to the point where I can survive off of my creative been able to survive off of my work full-time. It wasn’t always this way. I’ve done so many different jobs in my life just to get by as I was pursuing my career. My first job was selling newspaper subscriptions for the Miami Herald when I was only 15. I was mainly doing graffiti back then. Since that job I’ve worked at call centers, sold cellphones, chopped trees, washed dishes, worked as busboy, bar-back, waiter, bartender, worked for catering companies, hand modeled, video editor, art teacher, was a gallery assistant for many years, as well as a gallery director. The main thing is that I alway made sure I had money coming in so that I wasn’t struggling why I was honing my skills and figuring out how to get paid for my work.
Putting myself out there and not waiting for opportunities to show up was crucial. When I was younger I felt all I had where the opportunities that were presented to me. This mentality kept me back. Sometimes you have to make your situations happen in order to succeed. I learned that if you can make things happen for yourself without waiting for others, more opportunities will present themselves.
Luis , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My path to art started at a young age. My family was exiled from my homeland of Nicaragua where a civil war exploded, to the United States in 1979, when I was just 2 years old. I grew up in Miami. It was very tough for my parents to lose everything and start in a new country with a large family. I used art as a way to escape and deal with the many traumas that came with being uprooted. My first memories where getting lost in coloring books. I started to show signs in school that I excelled at drawing. I will never forget that my second grade art teacher told my mom that I was going to be an artist someday. I grew up in Miami in the 80’s and early 90’s and began to do graffiti as a teenager. I went to Florida State University and received a BFA in painting. I later went on to graduate from NYU with an M.A. in painting and minor in video. After New York I moved back down to Miami in 2006 and became heavily involved in the arts. I worked as a gallery assistant for various galleries and went on to help open 2 art galleries as the director. I also began to work with different art organizations dedicated to working with underprivileged youths. Here I worked on many projects and made murals with kids which then led to me working on my own murals. Now I provide all types of services for clients. The main thing that keeps me busy are the wall murals. I paint floors with my art as well. I also provide custom artwork to clients such as canvas paintings and work on custom items.. I do lots of work for restaurants and businesses where I refurbish and design elements for the location. I paint custom furniture and just about any anything presented to me. I also provide corporate team building art workshops and graffiti classes.
What I am most proud of is my ability to adapt and put my creative touch in various worlds. While I am able to adapt to different situations what you will always find in my work is the natural and indigenous elements. My work is about respecting nature and its importance to our survival. It is about figuring out a way to live life in balance and harmony with nature.
Can you share your view on NFTs? (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)
I have a few views on NFT’s and have been reluctant to get on it. On one end I see the need and the potential for artist to capitalize on them. On the other end also see the pyramid schemes and artist getting their work ripped off. I feel that at some point the dust will settle and then we will see the real potential of what NFT’s can be. I am aware that the art world moves in trends and this is definitely the latest one. In the meantime I am still figuring out what to put out if and when.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
I want my work to help bring humans back in harmony with nature. At least to help spark that conversation. We live in crazy times where things are moving at a rapid pace and just getting faster. I believe that in these times nature will play a pivotal role on how long we keep this human experiment going.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.luisvalleart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/el_chan_guri/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/luisvalleart/