We were lucky to catch up with Sonya Palumbo recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Sonya, thanks for joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I mostly use acrylic paint in my artwork. Funny enough, I use to hate painting. I tried painting once in middle school and the process stressed me out so much that I told myself I would never paint with acrylic again. I stuck to sketching in my journal and eventually began using watercolor.

One day I was gifted a set of acrylic paints and for some reason felt the need to try how to use them. It was like overcoming a fear that I had. I would practice painting every Friday night on my dinner table. This became my favorite routine.

I don’t think I would speed up my learning process if I could. Everything I did came from inspired action that seemed to show up at the right time. I like to do things on my own time, not when I feel forced.

Drawing was the hardest part for me, especially when I started working with large canvases. I’m not sure if this makes sense to anyone else, but I feel like when I look at an object I see blocks of colors instead of shapes and lines. But I know I can get better and that’s what motivates me to practice. I think an essential skill for me is being able to switch to other mediums. It’s key for helping me find inspiration and to avoid creative block. It can be easy to get too comfortable to where you end up just doing the same thing over and over until you’re burnt out.

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’m a self-taught artist and I’m currently into painting animals and experimenting with shapes and patterns. I’ve been creating art since I was little and my skills and style have evolved over the years. I only started calling myself an artist and sharing my work about 3 years ago.

I’m really proud of myself for taking the leap and putting my work out there. Now, I share my process with my followers on Instagram. I share my thought process, my sketches (even the bad ones) and timelapse videos. I rarely show the final piece before taking my audience through the journey of how it’s created.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Being able to show up as myself and expressing myself through my work in whatever way I see fit is definitely rewarding. However, the most rewarding part is meeting people who resonate with my work. When we live in our authenticity, we attract the right people and inspire others to do the same.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I pivot often. Some may say too often. I don’t like to put myself in a box. When I’m curious about something, I dive in head first and try to learn as much as I can. I don’t think we need to confine ourselves to having one career or lifestyle for our entire lives. I believe we can live many lives in this lifetime. Pivot often. There’s so much to experience and every experience can help you grow.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sonyapalumbo.art
• Instagram: sonyapalumbo.art

Image Credits
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