We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Veronica Camacho a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Veronica, appreciate you joining us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?
Earning a full-time living from creative work can be a challenging and unpredictable journey. It often requires a combination of talent, perseverance, networking, and a bit of luck to be honest. First off, I began by honing in on my creative skills and worked in many levels of styling. From food styling to advertising. This narrowed down what exactly I felt called to. I dedicated
My time to practice, learn from experts, and explore different techniques. Continuous improvement is essential for standing out in a competitive market.
Secondly, create a strong portfolio showcasing your best work. Whether you’re an artist, writer, designer, or musician, having a portfolio that demonstrates your range and abilities is crucial for attracting clients, employers, or customers.
Most importantly, establishing an online presence: In today’s digital age, having an online presence is vital. Create a website or online portfolio to showcase your work, engage with your audience on social media platforms, and consider starting a blog or YouTube channel to share your creative process and insights.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Well I have been in the fashion industry for 20 plus years. I started as a visual merchandiser and then later got a full time job in NY as an assistant fashion director at a catalog house called Brownstone Studio. Here is where I gained the knowledge of what an assistant fashion stylist was all about. With this company, I was fortunate to travel all over the world and gained experience with high intensity photoshoots and how to handle any situation. Three years later, we went to Miami for a shoot and I absolutely fell in love with it.
So I came back to NYC, packed a Uhaul with my stuff, $250.00 in my pocket and off I went to pursue my freelance career.
I Never looked back no matter how hard it got for a bit. I knew I can do anything I put my mind to.
The rest is definitely history.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
To support artists, creatives, and foster a thriving creative ecosystem, society can take several steps:
Provide adequate funding and resources: Governments, institutions, and organizations should allocate sufficient funding and resources to support the arts. This includes grants, scholarships, subsidies, and affordable studio spaces to enable artists to create and develop their work.
I also feel an Artist should never be under payed . What we put out creatively, takes a lot of energy on our part. From the thought to the execution it takes time, money and a lot of sacrifice and effort. We should always get compensated for our worth and experience.
Collaboration with other sectors: Encourage collaborations between artists and other sectors such as technology, science, and business. Such partnerships can lead to innovation, cross-pollination of ideas, and new avenues for artists to explore their creativity.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
My mission in this vast industry, is to help people and companies thrive. From collaborating with marketing teams of big corporations to working directly with a celebrity or industry persona, my ultimate goal is to help guide them to achieve their best interest.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.veronicacamacho.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/veronicacamacho?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/veronicacamacho
Image Credits
Imaj artists James Sakalian 111 Fernando Sippel Jorge Duva