One Year Down, A Lifetime To Go…

It was a beautiful, humid, spring day and the sun was hanging high and bright in the baby blue sky. I remember being amused by the delightfully fluffy white clouds floating above me as I winced at the buttery sun. Ana, one of my first friends in New York and someone I consider a sister, a best friend, and a brilliant designer/creative, my niece and nephew, Tyler and Izzy (who were a significant part of our art studio journey) and I strolled along the High Line. It was my first time experiencing the old rail line that was transformed into a beautifully blooming, landscaped walkway peppered with eclectic sculpture, art installations, and encased artifacts. Laughter, photo ops with vibrant, glass sculptures, and a water break…it was a perfect segue to one of the most impressive art exhibitions I have yet to see at The Whitney Museum. Julie Mehretu art exhibition was being featured on one whole floor of The Whitney. That day I became an instant fan of Mehretu’s work, her story, and contribution to the art world, society, activism, and the communities she is heavily engaged in. Hands down, one of the most beautiful, mind blowing, thought provoking, and awe inspiring exhibits and I highly recommend, if you are anywhere near an exhibition of hers…you must go and see her masterpieces in person. It is not just looking at an art piece…it’s also an experience.

I never knew our outing to The Whitney and stroll along the High Line, would result into a magical conversation about our anticipated life goals for the upcoming year and the common desire of having a designated space to create that we can call our own. I remember my heart fluttering as gushed about my dream of being a full time artist and doing art as my career for the rest of my life…and that NYC was my launchpad.

The sun was setting and I recall Ana and I asking ourselves, “why don’t we have an art studio?….we should get one together…” We both haven’t had the opportunity to find another friend or artist who was seriously committed to the idea of an art studio, but Ana and I were not only determined, we were ready. I was incredibly nervous but I felt it was time to take the plunge…and financially I knew things will work out….if it’s fate…it will work out…and I can’t stress enough how fate preciously gifted me.

Ambition took a hold of Ana and I, and within a couple of weeks, we we had a list of studios and tours set up to embark on our new chapter of our creative lives! The anticipation and excitement boiled over….and I was chomping at the bit to get this art studio right away.

The day we decided to tour art studios….we had two set up for our first day of touring. Our first tour was at an art studio located in the Art Gowanus Community, in Park Slope, Brooklyn. The commute seemed a bit daunting but I felt if the art studio was the one we were looking for, it would be worth the time spent commuting if I can have a space where I can exercise full creative freedom.

Our first tour of the day that we set up went along smoothly but it gave us a bit of a shock. We both didn’t know what to expect from this tour since the listing was on NYC’s Craiglist and I didn’t know much about the property or the space itself…but what ended up to be somewhat of a vague listing on Craigslist ended up being a 250 square feet (the size of a one car garage) corner art studio, in an established art collective and art community. It was like hitting the jackpot for budding new artists…and I was in absolute of awe of finding the perfect space to start…and as soon as we finished this first tour….the space, the community, the rental price and agreement, down to the kind, accommodating, and incredibly talented landlord…..it was more than I anticipated and I could asked for.

Fate delivered.

As I wrap up this blog post, I reminisce of the day we moved into our studio….April 16th, 2021. Getting handed the keys, to shopping at IKEA for our work benches and shelving for storage….and the building of our first pieces of furniture for our studio. It seems like just yesterday that I acquired this space. There are many days in the studio after working for hours, where I drop everything I am doing and look around in deep gratitude and awe. I give thanks to God and the Universe for being able to come back to NYC to live for the second time but to live here to make my dreams come true of being a full time artist…and making my passion into a lifetime career.

Baby steps…establishing myself as an artist in NYC has been magical and I am soaking up all the luscious goodness of networking with talented creatives and artists, creating a new body of work after 20 years of not even picking up a paint brush, and enduring the trials and errors of becoming an entrepreneur.

I am anticipating many great opportunities and prosperity and putting it out in the Universe….manifesting greatness!

One year down, a lifetime to go…