We recently connected with Marisa Alvarado and have shared our conversation below.

Marisa, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

I would say two things. I am a photographer and artist so there have been quite a number of experiences that have been meaningful.

As a photographer, any time I can capture the magic of a performer or experience is meaningful. Those fleeting moments filled with passion and heart that can only be shared by those witnessing it is something I don’t take for granted and strive to showcase. Those photos become records of memories for those performers to share with family that may not be able to experience their performances.

As an artist, I would say any time I am chalking is meaningful. Once again it is a fleeting moment, limited time magic as it will be washed away by Mother Nature or other forces. Creating something on a massive scale (usually 8ft by 10ft), braving weather conditions and varied surfaces is not easy. The joy however comes in sharing that with anyone who comes to see the process. Talking with them, sharing their connections as well as my own to the subjects being depicted is truly special and unifies people of all ages and lifestyles.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am primarily a fine artist and high school art teacher.

Photography was always something I enjoyed and was instilled by my father’s experience. If went from capturing nature to taking it to the baseball stadium to now photographing the magic of Disney.

Chalking came about from Disney as well. I saw artists during the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts chalking the walkway and thought, “I’d really like to try that someday.” I went home, tried it on my driveway and sidewalks and kept with it. It started to become a dream to chalk at EPCOT and I worked hard to improve. Wild as it still seems, I chalked at EPCOT for two years now and hope to continue. My very first year introduced me to an artist who has now become one of my greatest friends. His name is Shawn McCann and he has opened so many doors to the chalking world. He has pushed and encouraged me to try new things and travel the country to chalk and ironically enough, that’s what I am doing while balancing teaching and photography.

Sometimes it is hard to talk about achievements or myself at all for that matter but if I was to ask a family member or friend what sets me apart, they’d probably say my dedication and heart. I always look to capture my subjects in the best light and often put immense amount of pressure on myself to do so. I’m quite the perfectionist and always want to get things just right, not because it looks off if it’s not. It’s more so that I feel as is I owe to my subject to put every ounce of myself into the piece, even through injury. If you ask any of the other artists I chalk with, I’m a bit of a klutz but I battle through it all. I recently recovered from wrist tendinitis in my dominant hand (wearing a brace and tape while chalking). I recently injured my finger on my other hand during a festival where I had to get stitches but returned back to chalking to finish the work in the best way I can.

I love photography and chalking and could easily ramble on and on about them.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

The answer to this is actually mentioned in the previous portion of this questionnaire but I’ll elaborate further.

I’ve recently battled and overcome wrist tendinitis. It was an injury I sustained while lifting weights (I’m passionate about physical fitness as well). The injury left me unable to write or draw with my dominant hand. As an art teacher, I feel like I was failing my students. They would ask how to approach something and while I normally would demonstrate that, I was unable to. Being in a brace for several months, going to physical therapy broke my heart even further knowing I could not give my norm for my students but I would give the best that I could. I started drawing with my non dominant hand. I worked hard to refine the skills there as much as possible to convey to my students what needed to be done. Thankfully they were understanding and supportive of me every step of the way.

That injury became even scarier when it came time for the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts. I was signed on for multiple days and still in a brace. My wrist was weak and would need to endure at least three straight hours of chalking. The brace would not allow me the mobility I needed so I taped my arm and somehow made it through. I was able to get through all of my sets and hopefully produced the same quality I would normally have been able to do.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist and photographer would have to be the connections made from what is produced. Whether it is in the process or the product, finding those connections is truly special. I don’t just mean the friendships forged but seeing the emotional context that arises from something produced.

One such instance is a piece I did in Somerset, PA of two first responders of Flight 93. Both firefighters were instrumental on September 11th and both have since passed on due to related illness from the recovery. Their families, friends, and firehouse members all came. Hearing the wives of these gentleman tell me as if I brought their husbands back to life was a feeling I will never forget. I met the chief who is battling his own string of health issues, touring the site and the firehouse was probably the most meaningful experience chalking I’ve ever had.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @artteach3114 and @behindtheearswdw
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarisaAlvaradoArt?mibextid=LQQJ4d