We were lucky to catch up with Sandra Duran Wilson recently and have shared our conversation below.
Sandra, appreciate you joining us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?
Hallmark cards had nothing on me as a 6-year-old card designer. That is where I got my start, that, and painting with my great aunt, Santa Duran. I even had my own oil paints and brushes. I grew up with artists as role models. They always complained about how tough it was selling and dealing with galleries, but they wouldn’t change what they did or give up the freedom of self-employment. On the flip side my parents were doctors and nurses, and I was drawn to science. I was praised for my cards and handmade gifts and long after I had enough allowance money to buy gifts, everyone still wanted handmade gifts.
I was motivated by watching my grandparents and my great aunt survive in a world as self-employed creatives and businesspeople, and I discovered I too had an entrepreneurial spirit. As a teenager I would sometimes inherit my older brothers’ jobs when they got better ones and eventually, I went on to create my own jobs. When I wanted an expensive jacket and my mom wouldn’t get it for me, I decided to make my own. I designed and made accessories as a teenager and sold them to boutiques. This foundation became the launching pad for my creative career.
I turned my love of adventure travel into a jewelry business when I bought rough stones in Mexico and learned to cut them and make them into jewelry. When I was still a teen I opened a jewelry shop in downtown Santa Fe, NM and I have been here ever since. I always viewed my jewelry as miniature sculptures. I later went back to university and got an art degree and a science degree just as a back-up.
All these experiences helped grow my skills, but often I had a second or third job to make ends meet. When I began showing my work at outdoor art fairs in Santa Fe is when my art career really took off. I was able to personally connect and develop a collector base with people from around the world. I began to teach some of my techniques and then I went on to write six books on art and I wrote for several art magazines. I kept saying yes, and one thing led to another and before I knew it decades have gone by.
I turned my love of adventure travel into a jewelry business when I bought rough stones and learned to cut them and make them into jewelry. When I was still a teen I opened a jewelry shop in downtown Santa Fe, NM and I have been here ever since. I always viewed my jewelry as miniature sculptures. I went back to university and got an art degree and a science degree just as a back-up.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am an acrylic painter and sculptor. I have written six art technique books and authored numerous articles for art magazines. My work is shown internationally and I even have a digital image of one of my paintings aboard the spaceship OSIRIS-REx. I have always been intrigued by chemistry and I love to mix things up in my art.
I work with clients to create a unique work of art for their home, office, commercial spaces or even spaceships. Working with materials in unique and innovative ways keeps me searching and exploring. I share my adventures with students that study with me. Some come to my Santa Fe, NM studio to learn in my intimate workshops and others come with me on life changing international destinations to make art.
I am most proud of the hundreds of aspiring artists that I have helped move beyond limiting beliefs and push for their highest creative self. One of my favorite success stories is about a long-time collector who is now a painter that attends my workshops and shares her work in public spaces. She never thought this would have been possible. I have helped many move into careers as artists through my mentoring programs and online classes.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
First, I believe that everyone has a creative spark inside them. That doesn’t necessarily mean they are painters or singers. I am very creative in many ways, but don’t ask me to sing! For someone who has discovered the creative spark it is as essential to life as air. I am always thinking of new ideas, paintings or sculptures. My mind is constantly searching for solutions to problems I didn’t even know existed. I think it is the passion, out of the ordinary inspiration, and the unusual way of seeing the world that some may struggle to understand. The choices I make for my life don’t fit in with a normal consumer lifestyle. I look at the world upside down and I strive to change things and the imbalances that I see in the world through the power and magic of art.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
Have you ever wondered about the rise and fall of great civilizations over the course of history? What happened and why? Why are the writers, artists, philosophers and even scientists the first that are silenced. When the spirit of creativity is suppressed, censored or manipulated, civilization suffers.
To support a thriving creative ecosystem society needs to let artists express themselves. We are the boundary pushers. Creatives allow fresh ideas to enter into the mainstream and keep the culture vibrant. Artists need to be acknowledged and compensated equally. Imagine women artists being paid and represented equally. Now that is a world I want to see.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sandraduranwilson.com/about
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandraduranwilson/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sandraduranwilsonartist
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/sandraduranwilson
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/duranwilson/sandra-duran-wilson-art/?etslf=9248&eq=sandra%C3%BAsotwo0duran