We recently connected with Mark Gomez and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Mark thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

In a way, I look at my art journey as my most meaningful project. This ongoing “project” got started sometime within the year 2020, when I was doing cognitive behavioral therapy. One major thing I struggled with, was expression; I was socially inept, and I couldn’t talk to people, or explain the emotions and thoughts I had. Although I made substantial progress through therapy, art is what made me progress further. It became my source of therapy, and my form of expression, allowing me to form meaningful connections with people and continue to further understand myself.

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?

My name is Mark Gomez, in the art space I go by “mediocre mark”, I am an artist based in the city of Pomona, California. My works of art are made primarily out of charcoal and graphite, with the subject matter being mental health. My art career started on June 10, 2023; when I put my art on display for the first time, at a local gallery in Pomona, CA, called “Artist in the Alley”.
The thing i am most proud of, and what i believe makes my work unique; my art is personal to me. My concepts and ideas stem from my own experiences, thoughts, emotions, ideas, and trauma. I feel that makes my art more relatable to the viewer and can provide a space for reflection.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One major challenge for me was learning how to be confident, not only in my art, but with myself. I am a person that grew up with low self-esteem, and for most of my life I completely loathed myself. However, my journey through art has completely made my perspective change. I have to be okay, knowing that people could see a very personal part of me, I have to be confident in my art, and myself enough to submit to galleries. Of course, It is an ongoing process and I am still learning and developing.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My goal with art is to create connections with people, through my art, because it is the best way I can learn about myself. When people tell me how they feel about my art, or share an experience it reminds them of; it is the greatest feeling. In my opinion, these connections make it all worth it

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @mediocremark