Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nadia Paredes. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Nadia, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Setting up an independent practice is a daunting endeavor. Can you talk to us about what it was like for you – what were some of the main steps, challenges, etc.
When I started my Creative Wellness practice back in 2017 I had no idea what I was doing. I knew I had a lot of people with a lot of opiniones about it. What I should be doing, how I should be doing it: What are your goals? What are you selling? What are your offerings? I felt extremely overwhelmed as I felt that all concrete definitions I made for myself where limiting. Any time I would fail to “meet my own standards” I would feel like a failure. Like I wasn’t made to follow this dream of mine.
But somehow, I kept going. I kept trying and failing. And then I noticed something: my intention was clear. I wanted to bring the healing arts to the people. Re-establish the value of the arts in our society. And once I noticed that, I realized I didn’t need concrete goals or standards to know I was progressing. I began to develop my business more intuitively, listening to the happenings, fixing or steering the wheels wherever it felt right. And then things started to flourish for me. My business has re-invented itself a 100 times, but 6 years later I now know what I offer & what I sell: I am now an International Speaker and I also facilitate arts for wellness workshops. And the best part? Now I know I don’t have a traditional occupation, therefore it’s road and development can be its own thing. It doesn’t need to follow society’s rules about what an enterprise looks like and how it should be built.
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.
I came to the United States in my late 20’s to study my master’s in Art Therapy at Loyola Marymount University. I was a psychologist back home in Mexico but felt a deep calling for the Arts. I was afraid to call myself an artist, so studying about Art through a psychology lens felt safe. I then practiced Clinical Art Therapy for 7 years before I realized all I wanted to do was make art and become the Artist I was meant to be. Now I help in my business like minded people, who want to connect to the art world but are afraid to. I do this by teaching them how to use art as a mindfulness practice. I am an arts advocate and help people understand that art is a great Mental Health tool for emotional management and self-transformation. And I do it both in Spanish and English.
During my workshops or speaker presentations, clients learn how to connect to art materials through emotionality rather than mastering a technique. It is so easy, anybody can do it! I know how hard it can be to feel you are not worthy of calling yourself an artist, so I use my experience to help others overcome that fear. And notice that everyone can benefit from having a weekly (if not daily) art practice! However, I will add that I am very proud of also having helped seasoned artist and creatives find their authentic artistic voice and helped unblock creative blocks as well. With me, people learn how to connect to the arts in whole different way.
I specifically use Art Journaling to help clients connect with the art. That way we keep the art private and lessen the expectation of beauty. A journal is after all private and for your eyes only! It is also a practice that helps contain and process our thoughts and feelings. However, in journals you only write, but when you add the visual component of the arts, then you take your expression to a different level. And that’s when it becomes more emotionally healing. Remember an image says more than a thousand words! Also, this practice helps with cognitive development: through it, you can strengthen your Creativity! And guess what: creativity is not only for artists. The more creative you are, the better you become at finding solutions and fixing problems. And who doesn’t want that kind of adaptability? I see art journaling as a gym for the mind. Creativity is a muscle that needs strengthening, so why not do it in a fun way?
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
When I was working as a full time Clinician in the Mental Health field I noticed I was burning out quickly. I was constantly frustrated by noticing how many of the issues I was helping my clients with could have been prevented. Negativity and demands of the system were constantly bringing me down. However, when I was looking for answers and decided to connect more to the art world through intuitive painting, I suddenly had an epiphany while creating art. I had a background in preventive Mental Health work and it suddenly clicked: I could be helping people prevent problems if I used my artist self and my positive psychology training. It wouldn’t hurt if I also did it in my own native language of Spanish. If I dared to steer away from the negative framework permeated in the Psychology field, I could probably be more useful and also, more aligned with myself and my personal strengths of positivity and empathy.
Once I took the leap, I realized it was the best decision for me and my professional path. Not only did I still get to do the Psychology work that I am passionate about, I now got to do it in a way that was aligned with my values and personal strengths. It is no longer a chore to go out and do the job of “fixing” problems. I am now more in a sense of flow and feel constantly rewarded not only by results, but also by noticing my own energy levels. Even when times get rough, which they obviously do, I am able to navigate them with more grace, compassion and confidence in my own natural abilities. I don’t feel depleted by having to fit into a system, I am creating my own and so proud to help others do the same.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
In my experience, it’s been a continuous open mindset and courage to put myself out there. I had to build my confidence to share my knowledge through social media platforms (Instragram, Youtube, TikTok) but also in real life. I looked for partners that I thought could help me become more visible and reached out to them. It was nerve wrecking as I suffered (and still do sometimes) from Impostor Syndrome and thought it was not appropriate or that they wouldn’t listen. But most of them did! I have taken multiple volunteer positions, but with a mindset of investment in my own reputation. I don’t just give my work away for free! I strategize and invest in places where I know I am getting more than just a pat on the back. I look at what opportunities this volunteer work offers, am I getting visibility? Potential clients? Affirmation that I am a professional? All these things are important to consider as ROIs.
I also think that constantly working on improving and maintaining my credentials in Mental Health and Art trainings has helped. I love learning, so I am constantly investing in my knowledge so I can assure clients they are obtaining the most professional and current content they can get. I will confess sometimes this is not enough, and that I have used it to hide from taking professional risks as I think “maybe this new training can help!” but then end up using it to distract myself from building the business. So I have had to become mindful of when to get trainings, but also when to stop and focus on investing and putting myself out there again. I am telling you, that Impostor Syndrome can get in the way sometimes!
Another way I have helped build my reputation is by volunteering to become a leader in my profession. I am currently President-elect of the American Art Therapy Association and having that role has helped me meet other professionals and discuss my work. This move has helped me so much to professionalize myself, to look at my field through a different lens but most importantly to connect with like minded people who help me at the same time move forward in my own business.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.artfooddreamers.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naiscreativejourney/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadia-paredes-197b1515/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqrq_6ZH0q062St7nDxdHXw
- Other: tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@revolucioncreativa?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
Image Credits
Jesus Vargas