We recently connected with Salomon Vertiz and have shared our conversation below.

Salomon, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

On December 30th, 2024, five fellow artists and myself gathered at the Bell Gardens Art Walk, which has been abandoned for a few years and we posted our respective art pieces inside these empty Shadow Boxes. However, by the next morning the pieces had been removed. There was an idea to post art in a place where it belongs, to provide something else besides a shopping center (where the art walk is located). We acknowledge the irony of our art being removed from an Art Walk. I think it’s hilarious. We were aware of the stakes, of the real possibility that these pieces could be/will be thrown away. I wasn’t emotionally attached to them. It was all about the ritual. In some cultures, they burn voodoo dolls of themselves for New Year’s Eve, decorated with personal paraphernalia, in order to cleanse themselves of past energy. To sacrifice the past for the future. I’d like to think that’s what we did that night. Manifesting our futures as artists. We had our moment and it was glorious. I won’t let anyone tell me otherwise.

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 have been self-publishing since 2015. I began to write, draw/curate artwork and print my own zines (homemade magazines), usually poetry or music related. My opinion as a creative remains that we as artists are not good business people. I just want to get my work out there, just want to share this shit with everyone, anyone. So I’ve never charged for a zine or a print. Always free. However, I’ve never returned home with zines in hand (actually, it did happen once). But with these actions, new opportunities appeared. I was gaining experience. Confidence in my work solidified. Whenever I submitted work to a literary magazine, it was almost always a rejection. With persistence though, someone read and liked my work enough to publish it. Then one day, I was actually paid for something I wrote in a few minutes. I was paid $25.00 for a micro-fiction piece, which consisted of one paragraph. It felt great to be validated monetarily. But there’s a vapidness to money, I’m not impressed by luxury. And I’m definitely not motivated by money. I just want to express myself. I think if you go into the creative field with this sentiment in mind, you’ll be fine. By just expressing yourself, you’ll invite those paid opportunities, eventually. Your experiences will inform your work. As far as a brand goes, I find that the most powerful imagery is the most effective when it’s personal. I have drafted an image of a hare that I will be replicating in different mediums: Art pieces, enamel pins, T-Shirts, postcards, prints, etc. and the image is personal, rabbits have been a presence throughout my coming of age and are now a part of my creative life. I believe in this ridiculous drawing of a bunny. Most importantly, I think it looks cool.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I find personal fulfillment in making my ideas become reality. Being an artist gives me the freedom to be myself or a version of myself that gets to express themselves through fiction, essays, through art/painting. That’s the reward. That’s why I do it.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Social media is a tool that should be used by the artist, not the other way around. I’m still learning how to use my social media but I’m not wholly dependent on it. I lose interest in the Internet quickly. It is not reality. I appreciate the ability to upload your movie, your art, your stories almost instantly and to an immediate audience. You can share for free or behind a paywall. The artist takes stock of what they have available at their fingertips and uses those tools to share their work. Social media tends to propagate the idea that we are all competing against each other and that you need to be the most popular thing. I’m only competing with myself.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.saturdaynightwristblog.wordpress.com
• Instagram: @salomon_vertiz
• Twitter: @Salomon_Vertiz
• Other: https://theoffingmag.com/micro/coyotes-noir/

Image Credits

Photos by Jesse Vertiz
Polaroids/Art by Salomon Vertiz