As an artist, I can say that the best investment I have ever made is investing time into my craft.

Over the years, I have invested countless hours into my artwork production, researching concepts, teaching, practicing new techniques, and experimenting with different mediums which helped me to better understand myself and the world around me. The biggest gain from this is being able to use my work to connect with others and encourage meaningful conversations, in other words, stimulating the “collective-creative-self,” which yields to compassion.

By dedicating oneself to continually improving and refining one’s artistic skills, and, thereafter, passing it on; human beings can not only achieve personal growth and fulfillment, but also play a valuable part in promoting positive change across the board.

My art journey began in elementary school when a teacher inspired me to make art because she thought I had talent. A talent I did not see at the time, yet, I thought that if I worked hard enough, maybe someday I could become really good at it. At an early age, I was already actively looking for opportunities. I needed to make a living as a young immigrant that had no other family in the United States (at the time, I was here just with my teenage brother) & did not speak the language. So art seemed like a good route to pursue.

Fast forward to the 2020’s, I noticed a greater demand for art services in the South Florida area as an influx of people from all over the country began making Miami their new home. That is when I consolidated my art practice & used my hospitality skills to establish Samara Ash Studio.

I believe that art should be more than just decoration; it should be a reflection of our values, beliefs, and aspirations. This commitment to listening to my clients’ stories and translating them into inspirational bespoke art solutions has been the key leading me to expand my services nationwide.

Building a social media audience is a crucial component of establishing your art practice. While there are many strategies for building an audience, I believe that the most important factor is to post things that make you happy while doing them; said joy will emanate and capture audiences in due time.

It’s also important to place yourself in your audience’s shoes and ask yourself “what is it that they would like to see?” By considering your target audience, the things they are interested in, and what you would like to convey to them as an artist, you can tailor your social media content to be more engaging and relevant.

Trial & error is your friend, so be sure to see what works for you in all aspects of your process so that you manage your social media account not the other way around.

Most importantly, always stay true to yourself as an artist. Your social media presence should be an extension of your creative vision, and by staying authentic and genuine, you can build a loyal and engaged audience that will support you through thick & thin.

There are several things that non-creatives may struggle to understand about my journey as an artist, especially in regards to the amount of energy and effort placed into making artwork that feels right to me. Oftentimes extraordinary amounts of passion and dedication go into creating each art piece and it is hard to convey that to friends, family, & others. To tell you the truth, there have been moments in my life where I’ve come to ask myself, “why am I working this hard on this? Will they understand where I’m coming from? Will they get it? Will people be able to appreciate the effort that went into this?”