We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Velo a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Velo, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

As an artist, we take risks every day., that’s just a part of the artistry. There’s one specific risk I took that drastically changed my life,

At the time, I was living in Colorado. I was a manager at Vans, a company that at the time I was working for for 4 years. I mean, I’ve worked at Vans stores in New Jersey, Florida and Colorado. I also had a side passion for art such as painting, drawing, etc.. I was trying to balance creating art, modeling and my Vans job at the same time, it was all very overwhelming. I had rent to pay, so I knew I had to do whatever it was to make ends meet, whether that be putting more hours in at work or at home painting. My art was starting to bring in an income, and it lit a fire in me, I was making money off of something I created. That drove me to start putting in more hours into art and wanting to work less at Vans. To make it short, June 25th 2019, I decided to quit my manager job to pursue art full time.. & let me tell you, I made about 14k in ART!!!! It was so unreal. This allowed me to move to Kansas, Miami and then eventually back home to New Jersey. I pursued art full time for about a year or so and was literally living off my art. That’s when I knew if I set my heart on something, I can really accomplish it.

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 Velo. I’m an alternative model, artist and momma from New Jersey. I do a bit of everything really from art, nails, music.. a jack of all trades they would say. I’ve always had a passion for the arts, all forms. Art has been a part of my life since I was a little girl so it would only make sense for art to be a major part of my life as an adult.

I’ve been modeling since about 2017, but remember growing up being told how “photogenic” I was. Music however has been a part of my life since I can remember. Creating art as well has been involved in my life since a kid.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

YES!!! The internet. Growing up the internet wasn’t as accessible as it is now, but it was still existent. I wish I was given the proper guidance on how to utilize the internet to help grow as an artist.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, it’s seeing people relate to my art and appreciate it. Making people feel something when viewing anything of mine that I’ve created. As a momma now, I hope to show my daughter how to creatively express herself.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: instagram.com/velobaby