September 10, 2023 • 55 mins
Join me, Wesley Hamilton, for a heart-to-heart chat with talented visual artist Ayala. Ayala's artwork tells her personal story of reconnecting with her roots and her love for painting, and it's so powerful that big names like Coca-Cola and Comcast have taken notice.
We'll dive deep into how teaching herself and embracing her Latino heritage have shaped her work and life. Ayala's art gives a voice to those often overlooked, highlighting the challenges and beauty of identity in today's world.
We'll also explore the healing power of art and how Ayala uses it to understand herself better. She'll share her beliefs about staying true to oneself, dreaming big, and connecting with the past. And for a fun twist, we'll find out which three artists, from any period, she'd love to have dinner with. Curious?
Take a listen to the episode.
Show Notes:
Guest: Ayala
Topics Covered:
- Rediscovering passion for painting
- The interplay of Latino heritage in art
- The role of self-education in personal growth
- Art as a medium for voice and representation
- Triumphs and tribulations: Getting noticed by industry giants
- The therapeutic dimensions of artistic expression
Connect with Vanessa:
Feedback & Questions:
Your perspective enriches our discussion! Share your feedback, or forward your questions to our email.
For more conversations like this, be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode.
Stay Connected: For the latest updates, follow us on our podcast Instagram
Thank you for tuning in, and see you in the next episode!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
In a world where success often steals the long
light, the stories that trulyinspire, that truly matter, are
left behind in the shadows.
I'm your host, Wesley Hamilton.
Welcome to the Out of theShadows podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
I'm kind of being the best be original, and that's
like putting yourself in yourown lane.
No one can touch you if you dothat.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Yo, what's up everybody.
This is Wesley Hamilton.
This is another episode of Outof the Shadows.
I'm here with my guest today,which is Vanessa Ayala and man.
We're just really going to talkabout art, culture and all
things that represent who we are, and the most important part,
(01:02):
at least for me, is identity.
I think that that's just apowerful word that a lot of
people don't use, and from justlooking at content from Vanessa
recently, and I just thinkthat's a strong topic that has
been being pushed, and so Ireally want to speak about that
and really figure out what'syour narrative around it.
(01:23):
What's up, vanessa?
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Hey, thank you so much for having me.
It's good to see you.
It's been so long, Probably acouple years actually yeah for
people that might not know, I'mdefinitely now Vanessa.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
prior to my accident it's been like what More than 10
years maybe?
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Oh it's been.
Yeah, I was in middle school.
Were you happy?
Speaker 1 (01:49):
I was in middle school.
I feel like I was in middleschool, when we actually first
met Whoa.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Yeah, because I was barely 15 years old.
Yeah, it seems.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Yeah, that's great.
So it's a beautiful thing whenyou've grown up with people and
maybe paths have changed.
You went out and lived life andyou get to sit back and watch
somebody that you've known fromyour past and see them evolve
and coming into their purpose,and it becomes something that
(02:24):
you're motivated and inspired by.
And I feel that way about yourstory because I've seen you grow
.
So let's just kind of get rightinto that, as I've seen you
grow, and I guess we could startwith like who are you, what do
you do, so people can actuallyunderstand what this
conversation is going to bearound.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
So I'm a visual artist.
At Yala.
I go by Yala.
Even in high school everyonecalled me Yala.
But I'm a visual artist.
I have been painting for maybeone in 10 years, 15 years, since
, forever, and I've been allover the place.
I've had a lot of support inNew York.
I've had a lot of support fromfemale entrepreneurs and they
(03:08):
were sort of like the backboneof how my business got started
and now I'm full time.
I call it entrepreneur and it'samazing.
It's been amazing.
I've been able to just createoriginal work.
I've been diving into art thatembraces representation and I
really kind of want to createartwork that has more of like
(03:32):
feminine energy and just like Icall it the divine feminine, and
it's just been like driving mywork full force.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Oh, I love that.
I mean, I love all of thatbecause you embody art.
So it seems like everythingaround you, even your business
model, speaks art.
You know, entrepreneur, rightLike I think that's powerful.
So how long have you beenpassionate about art?
Speaker 2 (03:58):
I feel like, well, my father is an amazing artist.
He's actually a woodcarver andI, from a young age I remember
seeing him work and create allthese beautiful floral designs
and I feel like I kind of hadwhatever he had like his
artistic gift since a reallyyoung age.
So I would always draw and then, luckily, by the grace of God,
(04:20):
like in high school, I was ableto go to a performing arts high
school, which was Bissell, andthat just changed my whole life.
So, like from 15 and on, forgetit.
Like it was just like artforever nonstop.
This is my life.
This is the best thing ever.
But what was funny is that Iended up going to art college
but then I quit painting.
I quit art for a very long timebecause I got I just got a
(04:42):
little bit discouraged of wheremy purpose was in all of that
and everything's meant to be,because they always say that
like life makes sense backwards.
But I learned graphic design, Ilearned animation, I learned I
was even like messing with musicand stuff and it just it's
funny how, like all of it tiesinto like what the business is.
Now you know what I mean likeknowing how to edit, knowing how
(05:04):
to sell yourself as a businessor your business, and and all of
it ties in together.
So I just feel like I've alwaysbeen pulled towards anything
artistic, like in film, andanything that's creative and I
think most creative people canunderstand that or have this in
common Like we want to tryeverything because it's so
(05:26):
fascinating, but but it all cameback to where I started, which
is the art, which is I'mgrateful for it, because I made
like a full circle here.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
You know, when you think about at least for me,
ever since I'm knowing you, youwere into art and I like the
fact that you shared beingdiscouraged at times, because I
think we all start to pursue acertain path, but sometimes that
path isn't actually your path,right, and so say, like art.
(05:57):
I'm not putting words in yourmouth or anything, but just
necessarily, when you look atyour art it's so visual, it's
vibrant, it has a direction, ithas a purpose, and so some
people get into art and maybethey're just drawn, right, like,
and maybe they're just drawingthings that really you know they
could have something moreinside of them, but it's more of
(06:20):
the simplistic things, thethings that society wants.
But it's not actually yournarrative when it comes to art.
And when I see you, you'veactually created a narrative
towards your art, like.
Your art speaks something thatis above the norm, right Like,
it takes away.
Now, when people look at yourwork, it actually speaks purpose
(06:42):
and so, like you know, I meanyou have to follow Vanessa on a
lot of her social media andthings and we'll make sure that
we share that.
But you know some of the recentjobs that I've seen you work
with, like Coca-Cola and Comcast.
It seems that not only did theywant to hear your story, they
(07:02):
asked you know for you to havelike to create a piece, and so
like, talk about that, of like,how does that make you feel to
know that, like, this creativeprocess that you have came up
with is now really like catchinga lot of people eyes and they
want that.
They don't just want your story, they want that.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
I think that when you create work and this is, I
think, in any field, but I feellike I put a lot of my soul into
what I do, I'm not just likethrowing stuff together and just
like calling it a day you knowlike I feel, like I put so much
time, literally time and effortinto, and thought and concept
(07:44):
into every single piece that Ireally feel like when you put
that much energy into something,it just it just reads to
people's souls or spirits orenergies or something like that,
and I honestly feel like it'sto very time consuming.
But it's the best thing thatI've been able to put in my work
and I appreciate that I reallydo feel that people feel
(08:05):
connected to it that way, Likethey really feel that sense of
detail or attention to detail,and not just like in the way how
it feels, like the drawing andeverything but the whole picture
together, like it just itresonates.
And I think that I always kindof try to share like a little
bit of the concept, which isprobably the biggest part of it
(08:27):
too, Like I really like to sharelike where the ideas come from.
What made me think of puttingall these different elements
together to make one piece ofartwork, and that's one of the
biggest things that my artcollege taught me.
It wasn't about so much aboutwhat things looked like, but it
was how or what concept did youcome up with to make an image
(08:52):
what it is?
And I think that that I thinkthat's like a little thing that
I might have that other artistsmay not have picked up as much
that, you see, Because a lot ofI feel like a lot of artists are
a lot of entrepreneurs.
They're like self-taught, whichis amazing.
You know what I mean but at thesame time, like there's a few
little things that when youactually study fine art and
(09:14):
things like that that you takewith you that may not be as
important or may not be asnoticed for other artists.
So I would say that that'sprobably another one of the
biggest things and it makes mefeel proud to share it and that
other people respond.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
I love that.
You know knowledge is power,and so you know, as you shared
earlier, tapping into differentthings to try to perfect your
craft and being able to go backand get to it.
It's the same way as studyingmore of the lane that you're in
getting into the books andeducating yourself because there
is content.
(09:52):
There's power in beingself-taught, but there's even
more power in actuallyunderstanding what you have
taught yourself Right.
So I'm a firm believer that youknow there is enough knowledge
in the world for us to continueto be better every day.
So even though you're teachingyourself, you know you should go
(10:12):
and explore whatever type ofliterature or something that's
out there.
Rather, it's a course that youcould take for six months or six
weeks, like perfect your craft,learn your lane, and elevate it
right.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
I feel like I've been doing the reverse.
It's like I spent so much timelearning and like studying art
and now it's like I have tolearn and study the business
side.
Now I really need some coursesand stuff, but you know, at the
end of the day, it's like it's alearning process, right.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
And you know.
But that's the thing aboutbusiness too.
You know, I think some of theworld of business wasn't shared
with a lot of communities to theway that it is now, and so
there are certain groups andcommunities that have that no
business from the back of theirhand, right Like, and it's it's
(11:07):
passed down from generations togenerations.
And then you have individualslike you and I that are
exploring something that issetting up for the generations
after us.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
Yeah, yeah.
And we were like what are theycalled Generational?
Speaker 1 (11:23):
Yeah, yeah, we're the first generation that's going
to create Entrepreneur.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
And that's a really big deal.
And it just kind of reminds meof, like, why I even got
discouraged in art in thebeginning because I feel like
there was no representation fromwhat I saw.
I went to art school in SanFrancisco, so can you imagine,
like how high end you know likeeverything, seeing the galleries
and stuff, like I really Atthat time I saw no
representation whatsoever.
So I honestly felt like Ididn't really see where I had a
(11:53):
voice in this world and I kindof tapped out and made my own
thing happen for a while.
But it's funny to come fullcircle and understand that, okay
, just because I didn't seerepresentation at that time
doesn't mean that Well, thatmeans that I have so much more
of a window to be a voice now.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
Yeah, we have to be the change we wish to see in the
world.
One of my favorite quotesalways says that I'm the
representation that I couldn'tfind.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
Yeah, I love that when you have shared that.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
I think that's you right, like you explore
something and we get discouraged.
I got discouraged and I seepeople representing the lanes
that I'm trying to be in, andthen it was the power that you
get from it of knowing that.
But there are so many peoplethat need to see somebody and if
I've already understood andacknowledged that there's no one
(12:48):
, no positive representation, Ithink the job is mine Right,
like it's power in knowing thatyou can be the one that you
wanted to look up to.
Yeah, like that's it right.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
I think I saw somewhere that it said something
like instead of being the best,be original, and that's like
putting yourself in your ownlane.
No one can touch you if you dothat.
And I feel like that reallystayed with me, because I was
just like, of course, you know,when you do something, you try
to be as good as you can be.
But then I started thinking,especially when it came to the
(13:22):
art, like being a voice ofrepresentation in my own way,
like my own voice.
It's like you, and youdefinitely are in your own lane.
You know what I mean Just asmuch as you are in your own lane
.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
I think I made a post this morning on, like my
Twitter feed, or something Isaid you know, once you're able
to own your story, no one canbeat you.
You know, and it's because youknow your story, your lived
experiences aren't somethingsomeone else can duplicate.
You know, and so you've beenable to take ownership of that.
(13:55):
It creates your own lane,because you actually know how
hard it got, how hard it tookfor you to get there, that
nobody can actually follow thatjourney Like they can't.
They can't go through theemotions you went through when
you were down and out anddiscouraged, and they can't.
They don't know what sparkedthe fire for you to get back up
(14:17):
there, right Like.
Instead, visually, I seesuccess and maybe that's what
I'm going to chase.
But if I?
But the story is where thesuccess was came out of, and
that's something that no one cancan write Right Like.
That's your own story, and so,once you understand that, it
creates such power within you.
(14:38):
And so, yeah, be original.
And being original means thatyou're not perfect, you're just
you.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
So let's talk about that a little bit of because I
think about art, right, Like,and I think about you know, I'm
going to just shift it a littlebit, but like if everything
isn't perfect, right.
Like have you ever hadexperience of like your artwork
Right, like how somebody elsemight have thought it was
perfect, but you saw the flawsin it all the time.
(15:10):
And how do you be able to finda way to accept it and know that
that piece is still beautiful,right?
Speaker 2 (15:18):
Yeah, yeah, I mean, I can tweak my paintings till the
end of days, like I will always.
I feel like I can always findsomething to tweak and I'll just
be like there and then you knowyou really have to stop
yourself.
I guess it's like the artistyou have to also have like an
editing eye or knowing when tostop, because sometimes they're
(15:42):
really are stepping away from it.
Obviously, there's so many,there's so many things that are
beautiful in all theimperfections.
So, stepping away from it andcoming back with a fresh eye, I
feel like you really you reallystart seeing it in a different
way every single time.
And so, yeah, I feel like, Ifeel like that happens a lot,
(16:04):
but it's really, really goodsometimes to.
I wonder you know, it's areally good question, because I
don't even know when thatstarted but I feel like somehow
I learned how to see the beautyin the imperfections, and I'm
not really sure how thathappened, but I think it just
comes with practice, Like whenyou do consistently do something
all the time, you can kind oflike appreciate it in its most
(16:29):
minimal form.
I don't know if that's anysense at all.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
So when you say that because this was like a life
lesson for anybody, that's noteven like understanding why I
threw that out.
It's because it definitely, tome, is a life lesson until I was
able to kind of start to lookin the mirror, go back, go back
in the mirror.
I still seem the same thing,but I had to see it differently,
right, like I see myselfdifferently, I embraced the
(16:55):
imperfections which made meaccept that I wasn't perfect,
but I could make myself better,right.
And so I think, like whenpeople look at or at least for
me, when I look at art, I'malways looking at it with a
different eye, because it'sgoing to be different than the
artists themselves.
But there's to me I feel likethe pictures are perfect, but
there's no perfect picture.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
Yeah, yeah, most definitely, I like that.
That was a T-shirt.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
And so, like, no, that's so good to just for
people to understand that andpeople to get like, everything
isn't going to be perfect, butyou do.
You take a step back, you goback and you look, and then you
take a step back again, you goback and you look and sometimes
there are things that you'lledit and then there might be
things that you just find a wayto accept.
(17:45):
I can't fix this anymore, asmuch as I can make this look
better, like, and making thislook better makes this look even
more perfect and yeah, sothat's the creative ability.
So, thinking of that, yourinfluence of culture, how you've
been bringing it out, you talkabout just being proud of you
(18:07):
know, really understanding youridentity, right, like, and so to
me, like, speak about identity.
Why is your identity soimportant to you now, right Like
, and how are you making that bean influence to your artwork?
Speaker 2 (18:23):
I love that question.
I feel like I've been answeringthis question for a long time
now, so let me see if I can tryto tackle the answer.
Obviously so, for those who maynot understand, for people that
are born into what's known aslike Latino culture, it's not a
(18:46):
race, it's a culture, and itcomes from so much history of
mainly like.
This is the key points.
It's like native people in theAmericas.
What we know is the Americasnow and the Spanish conquest and
the mixture of the Africandiaspora.
So what I always say, or what Iusually say, is that like
(19:10):
Latino culture is the result ofhow black and brown people
survived colonization.
And this is kind of interestingbecause racially, they say that
not a lot of well, there's no,there's no race.
So like, if you say like well,this person looks like you know
you can't really say that,because a lot of people that
identify with Latino culture aremixed race, right?
(19:35):
So a few years ago, and.
I always kind of knew that myfamily was native, we had some
kind of like indigenous ancestry, but I was curious to see what
the actual numbers were, becauseI didn't know, like if there
was more mixed in us orsomething.
But I was surprised to see howhigh the numbers were just damn
(19:56):
near like 80% native, right.
So, just, you know, within theculture there's so much, there's
so much internal oppressionthat even families like my own
or so many other families,nobody truly embraces being
native Unless they're likeawakened.
(20:18):
You know what I mean.
But within the culture there'sso much oppression that it's
almost what would you say?
It's like shameful, almostshameful, to be native or to
identify as being native.
And so when I think about myfamily only specifically, I
think about how, in a way, wewere born into what's known as
(20:42):
the Latino culture, but all thatwe really are like, you know so
much that has to do with raceis so there's just so many
little things that are justinnate and I say like wearing
bright colors, or like Iremember being a little girl and
being drawn to doing likebeadwork, and I feel like this
(21:03):
is like an innate connection tolike the ancestors, without even
having to know, or you know,like to be introduced to your
own people or your own culture,and it's in you, it's going to
be a part of you, because it'sthat's what you are.
You know what I mean.
So it's funny because I feellike I had been on this journey
(21:24):
for a long time of selfdiscovery, where it's more so
like, while I appreciate, youknow, all of the support that
I've gotten throughout thecommunity, because obviously I'm
born into this community, likewe speak Spanish, like I
understand all the littleinnuendos and the jokes and the
songs and and the art, and youknow people can, can relate to
(21:47):
me in that way but I see abigger thing here, where so many
people don't even identify withbeing native, and to me that's
such, that's such a huge problem, because it's like not only
have we been stripped completelyfrom any type of culture or or
(22:09):
identifying with who we are, butthere's no, there's no
representation whatsoever whenit comes to like you know what
you can identify, or you youshould identify as being native
first you know, because that'swhat we are and and I feel like
(22:31):
within the artwork it juststarted to to like resonate with
more and just come out evenbigger because there is such a
lack of representation.
I feel like there's a lot of.
There's a lot of representationwhen it comes to what I call
like northern cultures arenative, because there seems to
(22:51):
be a little bit more there hasto.
I feel like in TikTok and stufflike that, there's been a
little bit of support withnative representation, but
people who are actually, likeconnected to cultural heritage,
there's so many people thatidentify with Latino culture,
(23:12):
who are native, who are not wethink it's called the tribalized
that don't get a voice becausewe haven't completely stripped
from any type of culture.
So supposedly there's this like, there's this thing where you
can't identify as native becauseyou don't have that.
You know that, that culturalconnection, but in a way it's
(23:34):
just, it's like you can't takethat away too, like no, so in in
art and in representation, Ireally, really want to be able
to create a voice, you know,especially for women, embrace
that identity and bring, bringup the conversation because it's
so important.
It is so important and I feellike if I would have had a
(23:56):
little bit of that directionwhen I was younger.
It would have made me, it wouldhave made me understand things
a little bit better, because I Iwas really confused, like can
you imagine, like you know, yourfamily is not telling you like
who you are and you seeing likea native people, but you don't
understand that that's what youare?
There is no representationwhatsoever and it is.
(24:17):
It's.
I'm like very passionate aboutit, sorry.
Speaker 1 (24:22):
It's to me, you know like, because goodness, identity
and the power of it, and I knowfor me I'm just now owning my
identity in the last few yearsof being a black man.
First, you know, I tookownership of the disability, but
I had never owned who I wasbefore and I had never owned
(24:44):
disability.
And it's similar to what you'resaying of like being brought
into the world and your identityalready being stripped away.
Speaker 2 (24:51):
Right or just told what you were.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
Yeah, it's, yeah, it's the narrative that you were
directed and then what wasportrayed or put into your
parents and their parents?
You know, and as you knowgenerations and we think about
you know generations we havemore access to knowledge and
content these days for us toactually find our identities or
(25:15):
be more knowledgeable of howhistory used to be.
But I would say, like what mymom and them know, I'm teaching
my mom and my dad things todayand you know and if their
parents were still alive, I'mdead I know that I would
probably be showing themsomething different as well,
because during their time period, a lot of knowledge and
(25:38):
information was held back fromthem, so them trying to find an
identity or think that it wasdifferent than what they were
used to.
It wasn't so like for us to bebrought up into this world.
We were brought up with justthe information that they had
and over time, as we start toevolve in a world, become
(25:58):
something different, we startedto feel lost.
You know, like well, this isn'tme right, like this doesn't
speak me.
I'm doing all of these things,but I'm living my life like this
person that has no relation ora relatability to my lifestyle.
It can't come to my house andsit at the table and understand
(26:23):
the way that we're about to eatdinner, right, like because they
don't understand it, but I'mliving my life based on the same
way they're living theirs.
That's their identity, and I'mjust speaking from the sense of
when you don't have an identity,you gravitate and you start to
see other cultures.
Some cultures actually have anidentity where, as we spoke
about business earlier, there'sso many things that's taught
(26:45):
within generations that we mightbe lost in here in this era.
But most people, you knowcertain cultures.
They aren't lost, they havefigured it out.
They had built in blocks and sowe're finding ourselves at this
time and, like you said, it isimportant to push it out and it
is important to know youridentity, because that allows
(27:09):
purpose to actually speak more.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (27:12):
I like that.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
Well.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
I like that.
You like my little quotables.
That's what my friends alwaysthey always try to tell me like
I always have these quotables.
So, of course, my show iscalled Out of the Shadows, and I
love like this conversationbecause I'm learning a lot more
about you myself and I thinkthat these things can always be
(27:38):
brought more to light.
So I was listening to a videothat you did of an interview and
you said step outside of thebox, that you were going to be
into, and so I feel like that'swhat we were just talking about.
But when you finally got out ofthat box, right, like when you
(27:58):
finally announced, as you areartists, as you are an
entrepreneur, entrepreneur, like, what have been some of the
challenges now that you facebecause you are going against a
certain identity, right?
Speaker 2 (28:18):
Yeah, most definitely .
That's such a huge question andit's kind of like you said.
It's like you know, you thinkabout your parents, or I think
the hardest thing is coming backhome, if that makes sense, like
when you have to be around,like the inner circle.
Sometimes they haven't, youweren't able to take them with
you on this journey that you'vebeen on, so little by little, to
(28:41):
have to share those things withthem.
Sometimes it's like you won'tbe able to get through, but at
the same time it's like I try toshare a little bit here and
there and it may not beunderstood or absorbed or
accepted, but I think a bigchallenge is to maybe build
(29:02):
another inner circle, if thatmakes sense, of people that are
like-minded and step into adifferent phase.
Because I know that even now,like within my own family, there
is, like I said, that internaloppression that sometimes gets
(29:24):
broken down a little bit, but Istill see it and it makes me
very sad, but it also kind ofpushes me to continue to do the
work that I do, because it'sjust very important and it's
needed in this world.
Speaker 1 (29:38):
But that's important to even share, that you do have
to create a new circle.
I do feel like if I didn't havethe circle that I confide with,
at times, share ideas with, Idon't know where I would be or
how I would feel, because you dohave to have someone.
At least it's good to havesomeone around you.
(29:59):
That kind of gives youconfirmation that, yes, it's
hard, this direction at your own, it's different, it's not
people, is not relatable to thepeople around you, but it's
destined for you.
Right, that's the hard partbeing a vessel because if we
don't do the work, it's notgonna get done.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
It's funny that you said that, because I always make
a joke about the vessel, like,always, like, sometimes, like as
women, like we critiqueourselves.
We have a look, you know, andI'll like look in the mirror and
I'll be like, oh, vessel.
Like you know, I'm talking tomy vessel, like, oh, vessel.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
Oh.
Speaker 2 (30:36):
Like a morning vessel and it's just funny because,
like I am, I understand that Iam a vessel like.
This is my meat suit and I am asoul talking you like it
through.
Yes, yes, it just happens to bemy meat soul and this is what
it looks like and this is whatI'm drawn to and this is where
(30:58):
my life has gone, you know, andit's interesting that is so.
Speaker 1 (31:04):
Oh listen, I talk about vessel all the time and
sometimes I don't feel like it'srelatable.
Speaker 2 (31:11):
I think a lot of people maybe are kind of
understanding that now so muchmore, because it's like I'll
talk to people, even like youknow my own family and I'll be
like you are so much more thanthis alone you know what I mean
Like you are that spiritual soulinside of you, like you can do
the next thing, or it's likesometimes I feel like people
really do get so wrapped up inthe physical and it's like you
(31:34):
know.
I don't know if you've seen myartwork with like the whole
third eye and everything.
Yeah, yeah, oh, I love that Ifeel like it goes a little bit
deeper than that.
You know what I mean, like itreally just is about, like your
inner self and like tapping intoyou know the spiritual
awakening of that.
Speaker 1 (31:49):
When people think about my story and they look at
a lot of people always ask, like, what was the shift?
What was this and what was that?
And it goes back to looking inthe mirror, looking at your
imperfections, like when yourealize that your body isn't
perfect, like for me, like beingparalyzed made me have to
accept, like my body is not theway that I think normal should
(32:12):
be, or, but at the same time, mymind is even way more than what
I ever thought it could be.
Speaker 2 (32:20):
That's actually an incredible thing.
I mean, like I know that theway that you just verbalized it
is like I think that people kindof understood that a little bit
, but for you to just verbalize,like you know now, it's like
okay, this mind is like the realmuscle.
You know what I mean.
Like this is the real thingthat I have to be exercising all
(32:43):
the time, and that's crazy.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
Like if I could create this life with this mind
alone that my legs couldn't do,then how important is the
physical body as much as themind?
And what can the mind?
And where can the mind lead you?
Where can the mind create foryou?
And how do you find yourselfbeing here even when you aren't
(33:07):
anymore?
And a lot of people don'tunderstand the power of that.
But, like, for me, it's likeyour mind creates your legacy.
Your legacy is how it creates aripple effect for generations,
right Like when you think about,when we talk about George
Washington or Ben Franklin, likethese people created their
legacies.
They're not here on this earthanymore, but they had understood
of a vessel that they wereusing to create such a large
(33:31):
impact by them being themselvesand following their passion that
now they're still here on thisearth, right Like.
And so it's like when you dounderstand that you're a vessel.
It's like man.
Spiritually, I've always beenhere.
I might not have known whatform or shape that I actually
had came at first, but this isthe form and shape that I'm in
(33:53):
now.
So every time I'm looking inthe mirror I'm like I look at my
body a lot and I'm just, I getit On, I'm uplifted.
I'm proud, like I get excitedabout looking at my image in the
mirror because I see howpowerful I am, with the
limitations that most peopleaccept first, wow, and
(34:14):
understanding.
That makes you reallyunderstand the power of being a
vessel and that all of us and soI always tell people I'm like
people could do everything allday and they live in this
perfect world.
But what happens when somethingalters your body?
What happens when your lifealters?
What happens when you get thediagnosis from a doctor?
Like sometimes these are testsfor you to actually understand
(34:37):
that you are more powerful thanwhat is being shared with you.
There's someone that can't seein this world but is moving
around like they have vision.
There's somebody that can'thear, but they're listening to
everything people are seeing.
There's power in the thingsthat we can push past.
Like there's power inunderstanding that our bodies
are literally just that, but thepower of the mind takes you to
(35:01):
realms outside of this earth,like and that's just real.
But until you start to listento your like all these people,
like my subconscious guides meinto the way that I live my life
now, like I literally listenedto my mind and that voice that I
used to hear, that I alwaysquestion.
That voice always told me tomake the right decisions.
(35:22):
I just never listened to it.
And now that I've listened toit, I find myself very
successful in my life.
I find myself very healthy inthe way that I wanna be.
I find myself all on my ownpurpose and passion, because I
started to listen to the innervoice inside of me instead of
worrying about the outsidevoices that judge me.
That's really inspiring.
Speaker 2 (35:46):
I was curious, was there a book that you read that
kind of kicked it all off foryou, or was it more so?
Just like you just reallystarted to tap into, just like
self re-self, evaluating after?
Speaker 1 (35:58):
You know definitely a lot of books.
I'm an avid reader.
Now I didn't start to readbooks.
Speaker 2 (36:04):
I thought you had books that sound like a few
books and I remember like, ohyeah, I think I read that one
and it was just like I was justcurious if that's how it
happened for you.
Speaker 1 (36:11):
I think too.
I always say that I had a loveof awareness.
Right, we all have thatawakening period, and so I think
me becoming self aware and hadcreated this awakening period.
But becoming more awakened mademe start to explore different.
Rather, was podcasts orliterature that spoke these
things, and one of my favoriteindividuals is Dr Joe Dispenza.
(36:35):
That talks about, like gettingout of your body, how to break
the habit of being yourself.
Speaker 2 (36:43):
I think.
Speaker 1 (36:44):
a lot of his literature allows you to just
think beyond your physical body.
It makes you take intomanifestation even more.
It makes you be moreintentional about your words.
I mean, I think that was itLike for me.
I started to guide myself intobooks and things that I didn't
(37:06):
feel really represented me, butit shared a level of knowledge
that would allow me to figureout who I was.
Speaker 2 (37:12):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (37:13):
And so how to Own your Own Mind by Napoleon Hill
was another one, and I alwaystell people like I read that
book before I really even becamewho I am.
And there was a passage inthere that said of course, you
know, think about old literature, so don't knock the way that
they put it.
But it was like right.
(37:35):
It's like you know, the man thatwants to convert his life from
poverty to riches is similar toa farmer trying to convert a
forest into a productive field,and I think that always sat with
me when I think about successin a journey, because this is a
(37:56):
philosopher, this is someonethat literally just gave you a
different perspective.
Life isn't going to be easy andyou're going to have to face
some type of journey to get towhere you want to be, or to even
become who you want to be,right, like.
You're going to be tested in somany different ways.
But at the same time, it'sfollowing that path and
understanding that if I'm goingto be something that I haven't
(38:19):
become before, or it's nottrinkled down, generational,
then I might have to chop downsome branches, I might have to
clear a field, I might have toget some tools to get these
weeds and stuff out so that Ican start to make it, and then I
have to figure out what seasonis proper for me to plant the
(38:40):
seed right, like and see.
So it goes, and so that's whatI kind of got from.
That was like man.
There's such a process inknowing you, but when you figure
out that process.
What happens is, not only doyou become awakened, not only do
you find your identity and youown it, you now become an
(39:02):
imposter, you influence to otherpeople.
Now you become an organicimpact, right, like I always
feel like when you know yourself, you're impacting people
organically.
It's not forced, it's a livedexperience, baby, I know who I
am right Like.
So, just thinking of that, like, in what ways do you feel or do
(39:22):
you hope that your artwork andyour message around your artwork
inspires and impacts the world?
Speaker 2 (39:31):
I mean, hold on.
I just want to feel like therewas like a lot that you said
there that was really reallywell said, and I just want to
say that I really can understandand agree with everything that
you said.
I think that's such a powerfuljourney that you've been on to
(39:53):
even be able to share all ofthat.
But I'm still kind of figuringout what that is.
But I do feel like two thingsmainly.
One of them is like this ideaof creating a voice of
representation and feminineenergy, what I call like the
divine feminine, and anotherwould be a little bit of like
(40:15):
what you just said.
It's like kind of like tappinginto yourself or like your soul.
I asked you earlier like ifthere was a book that kind of
like started to kicked it offfor you in a way.
It kind of that's what happenedto me where, like, I had read a
book which was like the powerof positive thinking, which is
also like old literature, likethat's how they were talking
(40:35):
back then.
But the main thing that stayedwith me was like following
things that you are naturallydrawn to right, or like what is
it that you want in this world?
And that completely changed mylife, because it was like I
don't think I ever really reallyasked myself what do you want
(40:57):
or what are the things that yourintuition is calling.
And so I feel like one thingthat I would love to leave with
people or for, when I speak topeople, to for them to take with
them, is that same idea of,like you know, my life has taken
(41:20):
me to following art as mypurpose, but it's because I
listened, you know, to, like yousaid, that little intuition
voice.
When you listen to that thing,it kind of leads you towards
your purpose and mind justhappens to be art.
But for other people, I wouldlove to challenge them to think,
to take a moment and think,like you know, what are the
(41:42):
innermost truthful things thatI'm drawn to, and to have the
courage to follow those things,because most often it will lead
you to something that has apurpose or your path in this
life.
And I really do feel like weall have a gift in one way or
another.
We really do, because we'rehuman beings, are just so
(42:05):
incredible and it's just so sadthat society in general doesn't
support that type of spiritualawakening as a culture, and I
hope that it's going to shift,you know, in general, just like
I kind of feel like there's atiny baby shift happening, but
there's so much, there's so muchroom left for growth.
Speaker 1 (42:30):
No, like.
I mean, I love the way that youput that, but I think, living
your life in the direction thatyou want, following your purpose
, you impact people organically,like I'm impacted by your life,
right, like.
And I'm impacted not justbecause I've known you, but it's
even more stronger because I'veknown you and watched your
journey.
But I'm not an artist.
(42:52):
I'm not going to go grab acanvas and paint.
Speaker 2 (42:56):
Good.
Speaker 1 (42:56):
Right Like.
But at the same time, youfollowing your passion makes me
continually follow mine, right,right.
So it's kind of like going backto what you're saying.
It's like you going after yourdreams.
Yes, it can inspire artists tofollow that same purpose, but
hopefully it inspires the personthat might not can resonate
(43:21):
with your actual purpose but cansee someone actually pursuing
theirs and know that, hey,whatever is in my soul, let me
go pursue it, like this person.
And this person is doing it bybeing their own photographer,
videographer, sometimes soundartist, right Like that's the
journey right, like it's not theresults that you see.
(43:42):
it's how I've created theseresults and can I plant that
seed in you for you to go afteryour dreams the same way?
Speaker 2 (43:49):
A really good point to make, too, is that I've kind
of picked up on a little bit.
Is continuing to create thoseopportunities for yourself, or
like creating these things is achallenge in itself and it's
also a skill.
Don't you think right To likecreate these types of
opportunities or create pathwaysfor yourself, because nobody's
(44:10):
gonna do it for you?
You know, like you've got tofigure something out.
Speaker 1 (44:16):
And it's the power of manifestation and it's the
power of knowing you, right Like.
Because once you know andbelieve yourself, believe your
path and your purpose, when youmanifest, your manifestations
have a better effect of becomingreal, because you believe so
much in your life already, rightLike and so like, when I think
about my life and I think abouteven what I've been on, you know
(44:40):
, like we talked earlier aboutjust traveling and being able to
not be in one place, becauseyou know we're serving all of
these different areas, coast tocoast, right Like.
And it's because I guess, whenyou see it in such a bigger way,
it all just comes back intoalmost just that purpose driven,
knowing that one area isn'twhere you are but you have this
(45:02):
impact everywhere you go, rightLike.
I'm not even stationed in oneplace, but I believe in my life
so much that I know that myimpact can guide me.
Anyway, I always tell peoplelike I'm in LA and I'm like I
know I have a house on the hill,I just don't know where it is
yet, right, right, I don't speaklike I want it, I know that
it's already there and even ifit's gonna be a vacation home,
(45:24):
because that's how I'mmanifesting it.
I'm not gonna be in it forever,but I speak with intention,
knowing that it is alreadyexisting.
I just have to guide myself tothat.
And how do I guide myself tothat?
It's by believing and thenmanifesting.
But you have to believe in yourjourney.
You have to believe that,whatever you see as that end
(45:45):
result, even if you haven't madeit yet, every day you wake up,
you're pursuing that journey.
You're pursuing thatdestination right, and that's
what I see with you and that'swhy I see like that impact.
Speaker 2 (45:57):
So just oh, I feel very inspired Because you don't
hear those things a lot justfrom people in your, I would say
, just like in our circle, likeyou don't hear that, and I feel
like that's really important tojust for me to listen to.
And I can really say that Ifeel inspired by that, because I
(46:17):
was just talking about that theother day.
I was just talking about, like,the whole believing in yourself
and it's harder than it.
It's harder than what it seemsreally, because there are so
many times, especially as anartist, you are very critical.
I think, in general, creativepeople can be very critical and
(46:37):
sometimes it's like you justhave to stop and say, like I do
believe that this is what thisis worth and this is what it is,
and that is definitelysomething that I'm gonna take
away from this.
It's a good reminder, it's areally good reminder.
Speaker 1 (46:57):
Thing is like, yeah, it is, know what's for you and
then just do the work and thatbelief, that belief is strong,
like I believe in my life, Ibelieve in what I'm creating,
even if it's not in existence infront of me, like it's, you
know, and what I've seen iseverything come into reality.
(47:17):
You know, even LA was oncemanifested.
Oh, I'm gonna go to LA, I'mgonna live in LA, but I'm gonna
make sure, like now I'm here,right, like, and I'm gonna do
this and then that comes, I'mgonna have this and then that
comes right.
Speaker 2 (47:30):
It just made you suffer, because it reminds me of
another thing.
It reminds me of this.
I remember where I heard it,but someone said, like you know,
we are constantly developing orin this cycle of like wanting
things, getting it and wantingmore, wanting things, getting it
, wanting it more.
So it's like when youunderstand that that's like the
(47:51):
normal, like human response,that it really really is
important to understand how tojust really be happy with what
is in the present and that'ssomething that I've been
thinking about recently of likethe journey of appreciating the
(48:13):
present and what is in thismoment here, but not to stop,
you know, from like wantingsomething and then like reaching
that goal and continuing thatcycle.
But I think there really isalso something powerful in that,
you know, like you said, likethe manifest part of it.
Speaker 1 (48:34):
Of course Dr Joe dispends it.
That's my guy.
I'm a drop down man.
But I think he says, like, if wego to sleep with the thoughts
of the past, we're gonna wake upwith the thoughts of the past.
If we wake up with a vision ofthe future, we can live in the
present moment and know that weare growing into what we vision
for the future.
And I know that he said it in adifferent way, but that's the
(48:54):
way that I perceived it was that, yes, live in the present but
never dwell on the past, becausethe past isn't here anymore but
the future hasn't came yet.
So whatever you do in thepresent, whatever you manifest,
whatever you believe willactually start to form the
future for you.
Like, your future is notcreated yet.
It's created, but the path ofyour future is up to the
(49:17):
thoughts and perceptions thatyou embody today.
Speaker 2 (49:20):
I truly believe that too.
Speaker 1 (49:21):
Because my path, my future, was different before I
became disabled and now the pathis focused on the way that I
vision, and now I'm going inalignment with that, which has
made me one of the first peoplein my family to create a level
of success.
And now I'm lucky to say we'llhave a ripple effect for
generations after me, like thatwasn't the path that I had at
(49:44):
first, right, but I would havelived that path.
That I would have lived going,being dead or in jail or
whatever I believed in at thattime, because I wasn't seeking
more or better or I didn'tbelieve there was more or better
.
Speaker 2 (49:57):
So I committed.
I don't think I could say itenough, but I really do.
Speaker 1 (50:01):
No, this has been good.
We're going to definitely wrapit up in a second, and so I have
like two other questions.
We have the last one to kind ofbe like an icebreaker, but you
know my work in a disabilityspace, really speaking about
diversity and inclusion.
What I've learned from you somuch is that there's still so
much representation needed andis needed from all different
(50:22):
communities, right Like there'sa lot of oppression that is
formed from generations beforeus, and so conversations like
this does bring thatunderstanding.
I guess.
My next question okay, it'slike as a visual artist who
focuses on themes such as nativerepresentation and feminine
energy, how do you think yourart can be utilized to raise
awareness about disability andpromote inclusivity within the
(50:45):
art world?
Speaker 2 (50:46):
I think it kind of goes back into what we were
talking about, because when Isay like divine feminine energy,
it's so much like of thespiritual right and kind of like
what we were talking aboutearlier of like your body is one
thing but your mind issomething else.
So to keep that idea and thatbelief alive and to share it
(51:08):
with people is definitely a waythat I feel like how my art
could affect this community aswell, and not only this.
I'm just like human beings ingeneral.
Right Like that is definitely.
I can see that.
Speaker 1 (51:22):
I definitely feel like it's helped.
I think that your art istherapeutic when you play around
with your colors and things.
I don't know if people evertold you that, but it does
capture the eye.
It brings like a level ofwarmth and feel.
And, just so you all know, I'mdefinitely an investor in art.
This is one of her piecesbehind me that I had to be
(51:43):
custom, so it wasn't full of allthe colors, but she did do it
in a sense of what I wanted andwhich I loved, and this has been
years ago.
Speaker 2 (51:50):
I loved that one.
It was a new year.
So much for this old man.
Speaker 1 (51:56):
So it's things like that right, and so I feel like
even with me.
No, go ahead.
Speaker 2 (52:01):
No, no, I was just going to say kind of like a
little bit of what you saidearlier, the colors and stuff I
really do feel like it's like aninnate connection to the
ancestors, because I feel likeif you look at native art or
anything like the regalia thatthey would wear, or even like
black and brown people, we wouldwear colorful things, Like we
are vibrant you know what I meanLike that is just in our nature
(52:24):
to be colorful and I feel likeit just comes out, Like it comes
out in the work and it's likeyou're filling that color.
You know you're filling theancestors.
Speaker 1 (52:31):
Yeah, and if y'all, if anybody ever know you, put on
some fresh color, boy, listen,you feel good.
I'm telling you my favoritecolor is orange and a lot of
people don't know it until yousee it.
But you see me in orange a lotand probably never know it's my
favorite color, but orangereally makes me feel good.
(52:52):
My last question is you know,to me it's just really just kind
of knocked the edge off, it'snot really, but it's to know,
like you know, people thatpossibly have inspired you and
maybe why.
So anyway, here's theicebreaker.
If you could have a dinnerparty with any three artists,
living or dead, who would theybe and why?
Speaker 2 (53:16):
Living or dead.
Oh my God, I think mine's kindof funny.
Ok, don't laugh.
One of them will probably be myliving favorite artist right
now.
His name is Kehinde Wiley.
I have always loved his artwork, ever since I was in art
(53:38):
college.
The other one would have to belike Selena and Keith and yeah,
of course, and I think the thirdone would maybe be maybe my
grandma, because I didn't reallyget to know her for real
because she she lived inColombia for the majority of my
life and then she passed away,unfortunately, but I didn't
really get to ask her questionsabout, like what her life was,
(53:59):
like what her grandparents were.
Like Selena, because I justfeel like she was just such an
incredible icon in so many ways,and also like of native
ancestry as well.
And I also feel like you know,because my my artist that I love
Kehinde Wiley, like I just wantto like tap into his, like
where he goes with his artworkand his whole everything.
Speaker 1 (54:21):
But yeah see, that was a good question, Just to
really know like people thatinspire you, without having to
ask who inspires you right Like,I just want these three people
at the dinner table because Ican gain so much, and so I think
you know to leave this.
You know, I challenge everybodyto think about what three
people would you be surroundedby at the dinner table?
(54:41):
What three people influence youso much that they have impacted
your life that you want tolearn more, or even share with
them on how you've become betterbecause of them?
So again, thanks everybody.
Speaker 2 (54:53):
Thank you so much for listening and thank you so much
for having me.
I had a really good time.
Speaker 1 (54:59):
Absolutely.
As we conclude anotherinspiring episode, I want to
remind you that success isn'tjust about the spotlight.
It's also about the shadows.
It's about the struggles weconquer, the unseen battles we
fight and the silent victorieswe claim.
I'm Wesley Hamilton and you'vebeen listening to Out of the
(55:21):
Shadows podcast, where weilluminate the stories of often
left untold.
Join me again next week as weventure back into the shadows
and bring another amazingindividual into the light.
Until then, remember, no storyis too small to inspire.
Keep fighting, keep winning andstay out the shadows.
In a world where success often steals the long
light, the stories that trulyinspire, that truly matter, are
left behind in the shadows.
I'm your host, Wesley Hamilton.
Welcome to the Out of theShadows podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
I'm kind of being the best be original, and that's
like putting yourself in yourown lane.
No one can touch you if you dothat.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Yo, what's up everybody.
This is Wesley Hamilton.
This is another episode of Outof the Shadows.
I'm here with my guest today,which is Vanessa Ayala and man.
We're just really going to talkabout art, culture and all
things that represent who we are, and the most important part,
(01:02):
at least for me, is identity.
I think that that's just apowerful word that a lot of
people don't use, and from justlooking at content from Vanessa
recently, and I just thinkthat's a strong topic that has
been being pushed, and so Ireally want to speak about that
and really figure out what'syour narrative around it.
(01:23):
What's up, vanessa?
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Hey, thank you so much for having me.
It's good to see you.
It's been so long, Probably acouple years actually yeah for
people that might not know, I'mdefinitely now Vanessa.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
prior to my accident it's been like what More than 10
years maybe?
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Oh it's been.
Yeah, I was in middle school.
Were you happy?
Speaker 1 (01:49):
I was in middle school.
I feel like I was in middleschool, when we actually first
met Whoa.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Yeah, because I was barely 15 years old.
Yeah, it seems.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Yeah, that's great.
So it's a beautiful thing whenyou've grown up with people and
maybe paths have changed.
You went out and lived life andyou get to sit back and watch
somebody that you've known fromyour past and see them evolve
and coming into their purpose,and it becomes something that
(02:24):
you're motivated and inspired by.
And I feel that way about yourstory because I've seen you grow
.
So let's just kind of get rightinto that, as I've seen you
grow, and I guess we could startwith like who are you, what do
you do, so people can actuallyunderstand what this
conversation is going to bearound.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
So I'm a visual artist.
At Yala.
I go by Yala.
Even in high school everyonecalled me Yala.
But I'm a visual artist.
I have been painting for maybeone in 10 years, 15 years, since
, forever, and I've been allover the place.
I've had a lot of support inNew York.
I've had a lot of support fromfemale entrepreneurs and they
(03:08):
were sort of like the backboneof how my business got started
and now I'm full time.
I call it entrepreneur and it'samazing.
It's been amazing.
I've been able to just createoriginal work.
I've been diving into art thatembraces representation and I
really kind of want to createartwork that has more of like
(03:32):
feminine energy and just like Icall it the divine feminine, and
it's just been like driving mywork full force.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Oh, I love that.
I mean, I love all of thatbecause you embody art.
So it seems like everythingaround you, even your business
model, speaks art.
You know, entrepreneur, rightLike I think that's powerful.
So how long have you beenpassionate about art?
Speaker 2 (03:58):
I feel like, well, my father is an amazing artist.
He's actually a woodcarver andI, from a young age I remember
seeing him work and create allthese beautiful floral designs
and I feel like I kind of hadwhatever he had like his
artistic gift since a reallyyoung age.
So I would always draw and then, luckily, by the grace of God,
(04:20):
like in high school, I was ableto go to a performing arts high
school, which was Bissell, andthat just changed my whole life.
So, like from 15 and on, forgetit.
Like it was just like artforever nonstop.
This is my life.
This is the best thing ever.
But what was funny is that Iended up going to art college
but then I quit painting.
I quit art for a very long timebecause I got I just got a
(04:42):
little bit discouraged of wheremy purpose was in all of that
and everything's meant to be,because they always say that
like life makes sense backwards.
But I learned graphic design, Ilearned animation, I learned I
was even like messing with musicand stuff and it just it's
funny how, like all of it tiesinto like what the business is.
Now you know what I mean likeknowing how to edit, knowing how
(05:04):
to sell yourself as a businessor your business, and and all of
it ties in together.
So I just feel like I've alwaysbeen pulled towards anything
artistic, like in film, andanything that's creative and I
think most creative people canunderstand that or have this in
common Like we want to tryeverything because it's so
(05:26):
fascinating, but but it all cameback to where I started, which
is the art, which is I'mgrateful for it, because I made
like a full circle here.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
You know, when you think about at least for me,
ever since I'm knowing you, youwere into art and I like the
fact that you shared beingdiscouraged at times, because I
think we all start to pursue acertain path, but sometimes that
path isn't actually your path,right, and so say, like art.
(05:57):
I'm not putting words in yourmouth or anything, but just
necessarily, when you look atyour art it's so visual, it's
vibrant, it has a direction, ithas a purpose, and so some
people get into art and maybethey're just drawn, right, like,
and maybe they're just drawingthings that really you know they
could have something moreinside of them, but it's more of
(06:20):
the simplistic things, thethings that society wants.
But it's not actually yournarrative when it comes to art.
And when I see you, you'veactually created a narrative
towards your art, like.
Your art speaks something thatis above the norm, right Like,
it takes away.
Now, when people look at yourwork, it actually speaks purpose
(06:42):
and so, like you know, I meanyou have to follow Vanessa on a
lot of her social media andthings and we'll make sure that
we share that.
But you know some of the recentjobs that I've seen you work
with, like Coca-Cola and Comcast.
It seems that not only did theywant to hear your story, they
(07:02):
asked you know for you to havelike to create a piece, and so
like, talk about that, of like,how does that make you feel to
know that, like, this creativeprocess that you have came up
with is now really like catchinga lot of people eyes and they
want that.
They don't just want your story, they want that.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
I think that when you create work and this is, I
think, in any field, but I feellike I put a lot of my soul into
what I do, I'm not just likethrowing stuff together and just
like calling it a day you knowlike I feel, like I put so much
time, literally time and effortinto, and thought and concept
(07:44):
into every single piece that Ireally feel like when you put
that much energy into something,it just it just reads to
people's souls or spirits orenergies or something like that,
and I honestly feel like it'sto very time consuming.
But it's the best thing thatI've been able to put in my work
and I appreciate that I reallydo feel that people feel
(08:05):
connected to it that way, Likethey really feel that sense of
detail or attention to detail,and not just like in the way how
it feels, like the drawing andeverything but the whole picture
together, like it just itresonates.
And I think that I always kindof try to share like a little
bit of the concept, which isprobably the biggest part of it
(08:27):
too, Like I really like to sharelike where the ideas come from.
What made me think of puttingall these different elements
together to make one piece ofartwork, and that's one of the
biggest things that my artcollege taught me.
It wasn't about so much aboutwhat things looked like, but it
was how or what concept did youcome up with to make an image
(08:52):
what it is?
And I think that that I thinkthat's like a little thing that
I might have that other artistsmay not have picked up as much
that, you see, Because a lot ofI feel like a lot of artists are
a lot of entrepreneurs.
They're like self-taught, whichis amazing.
You know what I mean but at thesame time, like there's a few
little things that when youactually study fine art and
(09:14):
things like that that you takewith you that may not be as
important or may not be asnoticed for other artists.
So I would say that that'sprobably another one of the
biggest things and it makes mefeel proud to share it and that
other people respond.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
I love that.
You know knowledge is power,and so you know, as you shared
earlier, tapping into differentthings to try to perfect your
craft and being able to go backand get to it.
It's the same way as studyingmore of the lane that you're in
getting into the books andeducating yourself because there
is content.
(09:52):
There's power in beingself-taught, but there's even
more power in actuallyunderstanding what you have
taught yourself Right.
So I'm a firm believer that youknow there is enough knowledge
in the world for us to continueto be better every day.
So even though you're teachingyourself, you know you should go
(10:12):
and explore whatever type ofliterature or something that's
out there.
Rather, it's a course that youcould take for six months or six
weeks, like perfect your craft,learn your lane, and elevate it
right.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
I feel like I've been doing the reverse.
It's like I spent so much timelearning and like studying art
and now it's like I have tolearn and study the business
side.
Now I really need some coursesand stuff, but you know, at the
end of the day, it's like it's alearning process, right.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
And you know.
But that's the thing aboutbusiness too.
You know, I think some of theworld of business wasn't shared
with a lot of communities to theway that it is now, and so
there are certain groups andcommunities that have that no
business from the back of theirhand, right Like, and it's it's
(11:07):
passed down from generations togenerations.
And then you have individualslike you and I that are
exploring something that issetting up for the generations
after us.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
Yeah, yeah.
And we were like what are theycalled Generational?
Speaker 1 (11:23):
Yeah, yeah, we're the first generation that's going
to create Entrepreneur.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
And that's a really big deal.
And it just kind of reminds meof, like, why I even got
discouraged in art in thebeginning because I feel like
there was no representation fromwhat I saw.
I went to art school in SanFrancisco, so can you imagine,
like how high end you know likeeverything, seeing the galleries
and stuff, like I really Atthat time I saw no
representation whatsoever.
So I honestly felt like Ididn't really see where I had a
(11:53):
voice in this world and I kindof tapped out and made my own
thing happen for a while.
But it's funny to come fullcircle and understand that, okay
, just because I didn't seerepresentation at that time
doesn't mean that Well, thatmeans that I have so much more
of a window to be a voice now.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
Yeah, we have to be the change we wish to see in the
world.
One of my favorite quotesalways says that I'm the
representation that I couldn'tfind.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
Yeah, I love that when you have shared that.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
I think that's you right, like you explore
something and we get discouraged.
I got discouraged and I seepeople representing the lanes
that I'm trying to be in, andthen it was the power that you
get from it of knowing that.
But there are so many peoplethat need to see somebody and if
I've already understood andacknowledged that there's no one
(12:48):
, no positive representation, Ithink the job is mine Right,
like it's power in knowing thatyou can be the one that you
wanted to look up to.
Yeah, like that's it right.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
I think I saw somewhere that it said something
like instead of being the best,be original, and that's like
putting yourself in your ownlane.
No one can touch you if you dothat.
And I feel like that reallystayed with me, because I was
just like, of course, you know,when you do something, you try
to be as good as you can be.
But then I started thinking,especially when it came to the
(13:22):
art, like being a voice ofrepresentation in my own way,
like my own voice.
It's like you, and youdefinitely are in your own lane.
You know what I mean Just asmuch as you are in your own lane
.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
I think I made a post this morning on, like my
Twitter feed, or something Isaid you know, once you're able
to own your story, no one canbeat you.
You know, and it's because youknow your story, your lived
experiences aren't somethingsomeone else can duplicate.
You know, and so you've beenable to take ownership of that.
(13:55):
It creates your own lane,because you actually know how
hard it got, how hard it tookfor you to get there, that
nobody can actually follow thatjourney Like they can't.
They can't go through theemotions you went through when
you were down and out anddiscouraged, and they can't.
They don't know what sparkedthe fire for you to get back up
(14:17):
there, right Like.
Instead, visually, I seesuccess and maybe that's what
I'm going to chase.
But if I?
But the story is where thesuccess was came out of, and
that's something that no one cancan write Right Like.
That's your own story, and so,once you understand that, it
creates such power within you.
(14:38):
And so, yeah, be original.
And being original means thatyou're not perfect, you're just
you.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
So let's talk about that a little bit of because I
think about art, right, Like,and I think about you know, I'm
going to just shift it a littlebit, but like if everything
isn't perfect, right.
Like have you ever hadexperience of like your artwork
Right, like how somebody elsemight have thought it was
perfect, but you saw the flawsin it all the time.
(15:10):
And how do you be able to finda way to accept it and know that
that piece is still beautiful,right?
Speaker 2 (15:18):
Yeah, yeah, I mean, I can tweak my paintings till the
end of days, like I will always.
I feel like I can always findsomething to tweak and I'll just
be like there and then you knowyou really have to stop
yourself.
I guess it's like the artistyou have to also have like an
editing eye or knowing when tostop, because sometimes they're
(15:42):
really are stepping away from it.
Obviously, there's so many,there's so many things that are
beautiful in all theimperfections.
So, stepping away from it andcoming back with a fresh eye, I
feel like you really you reallystart seeing it in a different
way every single time.
And so, yeah, I feel like, Ifeel like that happens a lot,
(16:04):
but it's really, really goodsometimes to.
I wonder you know, it's areally good question, because I
don't even know when thatstarted but I feel like somehow
I learned how to see the beautyin the imperfections, and I'm
not really sure how thathappened, but I think it just
comes with practice, Like whenyou do consistently do something
all the time, you can kind oflike appreciate it in its most
(16:29):
minimal form.
I don't know if that's anysense at all.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
So when you say that because this was like a life
lesson for anybody, that's noteven like understanding why I
threw that out.
It's because it definitely, tome, is a life lesson until I was
able to kind of start to lookin the mirror, go back, go back
in the mirror.
I still seem the same thing,but I had to see it differently,
right, like I see myselfdifferently, I embraced the
(16:55):
imperfections which made meaccept that I wasn't perfect,
but I could make myself better,right.
And so I think, like whenpeople look at or at least for
me, when I look at art, I'malways looking at it with a
different eye, because it'sgoing to be different than the
artists themselves.
But there's to me I feel likethe pictures are perfect, but
there's no perfect picture.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
Yeah, yeah, most definitely, I like that.
That was a T-shirt.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
And so, like, no, that's so good to just for
people to understand that andpeople to get like, everything
isn't going to be perfect, butyou do.
You take a step back, you goback and you look, and then you
take a step back again, you goback and you look and sometimes
there are things that you'lledit and then there might be
things that you just find a wayto accept.
(17:45):
I can't fix this anymore, asmuch as I can make this look
better, like, and making thislook better makes this look even
more perfect and yeah, sothat's the creative ability.
So, thinking of that, yourinfluence of culture, how you've
been bringing it out, you talkabout just being proud of you
(18:07):
know, really understanding youridentity, right, like, and so to
me, like, speak about identity.
Why is your identity soimportant to you now, right Like
, and how are you making that bean influence to your artwork?
Speaker 2 (18:23):
I love that question.
I feel like I've been answeringthis question for a long time
now, so let me see if I can tryto tackle the answer.
Obviously so, for those who maynot understand, for people that
are born into what's known aslike Latino culture, it's not a
(18:46):
race, it's a culture, and itcomes from so much history of
mainly like.
This is the key points.
It's like native people in theAmericas.
What we know is the Americasnow and the Spanish conquest and
the mixture of the Africandiaspora.
So what I always say, or what Iusually say, is that like
(19:10):
Latino culture is the result ofhow black and brown people
survived colonization.
And this is kind of interestingbecause racially, they say that
not a lot of well, there's no,there's no race.
So like, if you say like well,this person looks like you know
you can't really say that,because a lot of people that
identify with Latino culture aremixed race, right?
(19:35):
So a few years ago, and.
I always kind of knew that myfamily was native, we had some
kind of like indigenous ancestry, but I was curious to see what
the actual numbers were, becauseI didn't know, like if there
was more mixed in us orsomething.
But I was surprised to see howhigh the numbers were just damn
(19:56):
near like 80% native, right.
So, just, you know, within theculture there's so much, there's
so much internal oppressionthat even families like my own
or so many other families,nobody truly embraces being
native Unless they're likeawakened.
(20:18):
You know what I mean.
But within the culture there'sso much oppression that it's
almost what would you say?
It's like shameful, almostshameful, to be native or to
identify as being native.
And so when I think about myfamily only specifically, I
think about how, in a way, wewere born into what's known as
(20:42):
the Latino culture, but all thatwe really are like, you know so
much that has to do with raceis so there's just so many
little things that are justinnate and I say like wearing
bright colors, or like Iremember being a little girl and
being drawn to doing likebeadwork, and I feel like this
(21:03):
is like an innate connection tolike the ancestors, without even
having to know, or you know,like to be introduced to your
own people or your own culture,and it's in you, it's going to
be a part of you, because it'sthat's what you are.
You know what I mean.
So it's funny because I feellike I had been on this journey
(21:24):
for a long time of selfdiscovery, where it's more so
like, while I appreciate, youknow, all of the support that
I've gotten throughout thecommunity, because obviously I'm
born into this community, likewe speak Spanish, like I
understand all the littleinnuendos and the jokes and the
songs and and the art, and youknow people can, can relate to
(21:47):
me in that way but I see abigger thing here, where so many
people don't even identify withbeing native, and to me that's
such, that's such a huge problem, because it's like not only
have we been stripped completelyfrom any type of culture or or
(22:09):
identifying with who we are, butthere's no, there's no
representation whatsoever whenit comes to like you know what
you can identify, or you youshould identify as being native
first you know, because that'swhat we are and and I feel like
(22:31):
within the artwork it juststarted to to like resonate with
more and just come out evenbigger because there is such a
lack of representation.
I feel like there's a lot of.
There's a lot of representationwhen it comes to what I call
like northern cultures arenative, because there seems to
(22:51):
be a little bit more there hasto.
I feel like in TikTok and stufflike that, there's been a
little bit of support withnative representation, but
people who are actually, likeconnected to cultural heritage,
there's so many people thatidentify with Latino culture,
(23:12):
who are native, who are not wethink it's called the tribalized
that don't get a voice becausewe haven't completely stripped
from any type of culture.
So supposedly there's this like, there's this thing where you
can't identify as native becauseyou don't have that.
You know that, that culturalconnection, but in a way it's
(23:34):
just, it's like you can't takethat away too, like no, so in in
art and in representation, Ireally, really want to be able
to create a voice, you know,especially for women, embrace
that identity and bring, bringup the conversation because it's
so important.
It is so important and I feellike if I would have had a
(23:56):
little bit of that directionwhen I was younger.
It would have made me, it wouldhave made me understand things
a little bit better, because I Iwas really confused, like can
you imagine, like you know, yourfamily is not telling you like
who you are and you seeing likea native people, but you don't
understand that that's what youare?
There is no representationwhatsoever and it is.
(24:17):
It's.
I'm like very passionate aboutit, sorry.
Speaker 1 (24:22):
It's to me, you know like, because goodness, identity
and the power of it, and I knowfor me I'm just now owning my
identity in the last few yearsof being a black man.
First, you know, I tookownership of the disability, but
I had never owned who I wasbefore and I had never owned
(24:44):
disability.
And it's similar to what you'resaying of like being brought
into the world and your identityalready being stripped away.
Speaker 2 (24:51):
Right or just told what you were.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
Yeah, it's, yeah, it's the narrative that you were
directed and then what wasportrayed or put into your
parents and their parents?
You know, and as you knowgenerations and we think about
you know generations we havemore access to knowledge and
content these days for us toactually find our identities or
(25:15):
be more knowledgeable of howhistory used to be.
But I would say, like what mymom and them know, I'm teaching
my mom and my dad things todayand you know and if their
parents were still alive, I'mdead I know that I would
probably be showing themsomething different as well,
because during their time period, a lot of knowledge and
(25:38):
information was held back fromthem, so them trying to find an
identity or think that it wasdifferent than what they were
used to.
It wasn't so like for us to bebrought up into this world.
We were brought up with justthe information that they had
and over time, as we start toevolve in a world, become
(25:58):
something different, we startedto feel lost.
You know, like well, this isn'tme right, like this doesn't
speak me.
I'm doing all of these things,but I'm living my life like this
person that has no relation ora relatability to my lifestyle.
It can't come to my house andsit at the table and understand
(26:23):
the way that we're about to eatdinner, right, like because they
don't understand it, but I'mliving my life based on the same
way they're living theirs.
That's their identity, and I'mjust speaking from the sense of
when you don't have an identity,you gravitate and you start to
see other cultures.
Some cultures actually have anidentity where, as we spoke
about business earlier, there'sso many things that's taught
(26:45):
within generations that we mightbe lost in here in this era.
But most people, you knowcertain cultures.
They aren't lost, they havefigured it out.
They had built in blocks and sowe're finding ourselves at this
time and, like you said, it isimportant to push it out and it
is important to know youridentity, because that allows
(27:09):
purpose to actually speak more.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (27:12):
I like that.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
Well.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
I like that.
You like my little quotables.
That's what my friends alwaysthey always try to tell me like
I always have these quotables.
So, of course, my show iscalled Out of the Shadows, and I
love like this conversationbecause I'm learning a lot more
about you myself and I thinkthat these things can always be
(27:38):
brought more to light.
So I was listening to a videothat you did of an interview and
you said step outside of thebox, that you were going to be
into, and so I feel like that'swhat we were just talking about.
But when you finally got out ofthat box, right, like when you
(27:58):
finally announced, as you areartists, as you are an
entrepreneur, entrepreneur, like, what have been some of the
challenges now that you facebecause you are going against a
certain identity, right?
Speaker 2 (28:18):
Yeah, most definitely .
That's such a huge question andit's kind of like you said.
It's like you know, you thinkabout your parents, or I think
the hardest thing is coming backhome, if that makes sense, like
when you have to be around,like the inner circle.
Sometimes they haven't, youweren't able to take them with
you on this journey that you'vebeen on, so little by little, to
(28:41):
have to share those things withthem.
Sometimes it's like you won'tbe able to get through, but at
the same time it's like I try toshare a little bit here and
there and it may not beunderstood or absorbed or
accepted, but I think a bigchallenge is to maybe build
(29:02):
another inner circle, if thatmakes sense, of people that are
like-minded and step into adifferent phase.
Because I know that even now,like within my own family, there
is, like I said, that internaloppression that sometimes gets
(29:24):
broken down a little bit, but Istill see it and it makes me
very sad, but it also kind ofpushes me to continue to do the
work that I do, because it'sjust very important and it's
needed in this world.
Speaker 1 (29:38):
But that's important to even share, that you do have
to create a new circle.
I do feel like if I didn't havethe circle that I confide with,
at times, share ideas with, Idon't know where I would be or
how I would feel, because you dohave to have someone.
At least it's good to havesomeone around you.
(29:59):
That kind of gives youconfirmation that, yes, it's
hard, this direction at your own, it's different, it's not
people, is not relatable to thepeople around you, but it's
destined for you.
Right, that's the hard partbeing a vessel because if we
don't do the work, it's notgonna get done.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
It's funny that you said that, because I always make
a joke about the vessel, like,always, like, sometimes, like as
women, like we critiqueourselves.
We have a look, you know, andI'll like look in the mirror and
I'll be like, oh, vessel.
Like you know, I'm talking tomy vessel, like, oh, vessel.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
Oh.
Speaker 2 (30:36):
Like a morning vessel and it's just funny because,
like I am, I understand that Iam a vessel like.
This is my meat suit and I am asoul talking you like it
through.
Yes, yes, it just happens to bemy meat soul and this is what
it looks like and this is whatI'm drawn to and this is where
(30:58):
my life has gone, you know, andit's interesting that is so.
Speaker 1 (31:04):
Oh listen, I talk about vessel all the time and
sometimes I don't feel like it'srelatable.
Speaker 2 (31:11):
I think a lot of people maybe are kind of
understanding that now so muchmore, because it's like I'll
talk to people, even like youknow my own family and I'll be
like you are so much more thanthis alone you know what I mean
Like you are that spiritual soulinside of you, like you can do
the next thing, or it's likesometimes I feel like people
really do get so wrapped up inthe physical and it's like you
(31:34):
know.
I don't know if you've seen myartwork with like the whole
third eye and everything.
Yeah, yeah, oh, I love that Ifeel like it goes a little bit
deeper than that.
You know what I mean, like itreally just is about, like your
inner self and like tapping intoyou know the spiritual
awakening of that.
Speaker 1 (31:49):
When people think about my story and they look at
a lot of people always ask, like, what was the shift?
What was this and what was that?
And it goes back to looking inthe mirror, looking at your
imperfections, like when yourealize that your body isn't
perfect, like for me, like beingparalyzed made me have to
accept, like my body is not theway that I think normal should
(32:12):
be, or, but at the same time, mymind is even way more than what
I ever thought it could be.
Speaker 2 (32:20):
That's actually an incredible thing.
I mean, like I know that theway that you just verbalized it
is like I think that people kindof understood that a little bit
, but for you to just verbalize,like you know now, it's like
okay, this mind is like the realmuscle.
You know what I mean.
Like this is the real thingthat I have to be exercising all
(32:43):
the time, and that's crazy.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
Like if I could create this life with this mind
alone that my legs couldn't do,then how important is the
physical body as much as themind?
And what can the mind?
And where can the mind lead you?
Where can the mind create foryou?
And how do you find yourselfbeing here even when you aren't
(33:07):
anymore?
And a lot of people don'tunderstand the power of that.
But, like, for me, it's likeyour mind creates your legacy.
Your legacy is how it creates aripple effect for generations,
right Like when you think about,when we talk about George
Washington or Ben Franklin, likethese people created their
legacies.
They're not here on this earthanymore, but they had understood
of a vessel that they wereusing to create such a large
(33:31):
impact by them being themselvesand following their passion that
now they're still here on thisearth, right Like.
And so it's like when you dounderstand that you're a vessel.
It's like man.
Spiritually, I've always beenhere.
I might not have known whatform or shape that I actually
had came at first, but this isthe form and shape that I'm in
(33:53):
now.
So every time I'm looking inthe mirror I'm like I look at my
body a lot and I'm just, I getit On, I'm uplifted.
I'm proud, like I get excitedabout looking at my image in the
mirror because I see howpowerful I am, with the
limitations that most peopleaccept first, wow, and
(34:14):
understanding.
That makes you reallyunderstand the power of being a
vessel and that all of us and soI always tell people I'm like
people could do everything allday and they live in this
perfect world.
But what happens when somethingalters your body?
What happens when your lifealters?
What happens when you get thediagnosis from a doctor?
Like sometimes these are testsfor you to actually understand
(34:37):
that you are more powerful thanwhat is being shared with you.
There's someone that can't seein this world but is moving
around like they have vision.
There's somebody that can'thear, but they're listening to
everything people are seeing.
There's power in the thingsthat we can push past.
Like there's power inunderstanding that our bodies
are literally just that, but thepower of the mind takes you to
(35:01):
realms outside of this earth,like and that's just real.
But until you start to listento your like all these people,
like my subconscious guides meinto the way that I live my life
now, like I literally listenedto my mind and that voice that I
used to hear, that I alwaysquestion.
That voice always told me tomake the right decisions.
(35:22):
I just never listened to it.
And now that I've listened toit, I find myself very
successful in my life.
I find myself very healthy inthe way that I wanna be.
I find myself all on my ownpurpose and passion, because I
started to listen to the innervoice inside of me instead of
worrying about the outsidevoices that judge me.
That's really inspiring.
Speaker 2 (35:46):
I was curious, was there a book that you read that
kind of kicked it all off foryou, or was it more so?
Just like you just reallystarted to tap into, just like
self re-self, evaluating after?
Speaker 1 (35:58):
You know definitely a lot of books.
I'm an avid reader.
Now I didn't start to readbooks.
Speaker 2 (36:04):
I thought you had books that sound like a few
books and I remember like, ohyeah, I think I read that one
and it was just like I was justcurious if that's how it
happened for you.
Speaker 1 (36:11):
I think too.
I always say that I had a loveof awareness.
Right, we all have thatawakening period, and so I think
me becoming self aware and hadcreated this awakening period.
But becoming more awakened mademe start to explore different.
Rather, was podcasts orliterature that spoke these
things, and one of my favoriteindividuals is Dr Joe Dispenza.
(36:35):
That talks about, like gettingout of your body, how to break
the habit of being yourself.
Speaker 2 (36:43):
I think.
Speaker 1 (36:44):
a lot of his literature allows you to just
think beyond your physical body.
It makes you take intomanifestation even more.
It makes you be moreintentional about your words.
I mean, I think that was itLike for me.
I started to guide myself intobooks and things that I didn't
(37:06):
feel really represented me, butit shared a level of knowledge
that would allow me to figureout who I was.
Speaker 2 (37:12):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (37:13):
And so how to Own your Own Mind by Napoleon Hill
was another one, and I alwaystell people like I read that
book before I really even becamewho I am.
And there was a passage inthere that said of course, you
know, think about old literature, so don't knock the way that
they put it.
But it was like right.
(37:35):
It's like you know, the man thatwants to convert his life from
poverty to riches is similar toa farmer trying to convert a
forest into a productive field,and I think that always sat with
me when I think about successin a journey, because this is a
(37:56):
philosopher, this is someonethat literally just gave you a
different perspective.
Life isn't going to be easy andyou're going to have to face
some type of journey to get towhere you want to be, or to even
become who you want to be,right, like.
You're going to be tested in somany different ways.
But at the same time, it'sfollowing that path and
understanding that if I'm goingto be something that I haven't
(38:19):
become before, or it's nottrinkled down, generational,
then I might have to chop downsome branches, I might have to
clear a field, I might have toget some tools to get these
weeds and stuff out so that Ican start to make it, and then I
have to figure out what seasonis proper for me to plant the
(38:40):
seed right, like and see.
So it goes, and so that's whatI kind of got from.
That was like man.
There's such a process inknowing you, but when you figure
out that process.
What happens is, not only doyou become awakened, not only do
you find your identity and youown it, you now become an
(39:02):
imposter, you influence to otherpeople.
Now you become an organicimpact, right, like I always
feel like when you know yourself, you're impacting people
organically.
It's not forced, it's a livedexperience, baby, I know who I
am right Like.
So, just thinking of that, like, in what ways do you feel or do
(39:22):
you hope that your artwork andyour message around your artwork
inspires and impacts the world?
Speaker 2 (39:31):
I mean, hold on.
I just want to feel like therewas like a lot that you said
there that was really reallywell said, and I just want to
say that I really can understandand agree with everything that
you said.
I think that's such a powerfuljourney that you've been on to
(39:53):
even be able to share all ofthat.
But I'm still kind of figuringout what that is.
But I do feel like two thingsmainly.
One of them is like this ideaof creating a voice of
representation and feminineenergy, what I call like the
divine feminine, and anotherwould be a little bit of like
(40:15):
what you just said.
It's like kind of like tappinginto yourself or like your soul.
I asked you earlier like ifthere was a book that kind of
like started to kicked it offfor you in a way.
It kind of that's what happenedto me where, like, I had read a
book which was like the powerof positive thinking, which is
also like old literature, likethat's how they were talking
(40:35):
back then.
But the main thing that stayedwith me was like following
things that you are naturallydrawn to right, or like what is
it that you want in this world?
And that completely changed mylife, because it was like I
don't think I ever really reallyasked myself what do you want
(40:57):
or what are the things that yourintuition is calling.
And so I feel like one thingthat I would love to leave with
people or for, when I speak topeople, to for them to take with
them, is that same idea of,like you know, my life has taken
(41:20):
me to following art as mypurpose, but it's because I
listened, you know, to, like yousaid, that little intuition
voice.
When you listen to that thing,it kind of leads you towards
your purpose and mind justhappens to be art.
But for other people, I wouldlove to challenge them to think,
to take a moment and think,like you know, what are the
(41:42):
innermost truthful things thatI'm drawn to, and to have the
courage to follow those things,because most often it will lead
you to something that has apurpose or your path in this
life.
And I really do feel like weall have a gift in one way or
another.
We really do, because we'rehuman beings, are just so
(42:05):
incredible and it's just so sadthat society in general doesn't
support that type of spiritualawakening as a culture, and I
hope that it's going to shift,you know, in general, just like
I kind of feel like there's atiny baby shift happening, but
there's so much, there's so muchroom left for growth.
Speaker 1 (42:30):
No, like.
I mean, I love the way that youput that, but I think, living
your life in the direction thatyou want, following your purpose
, you impact people organically,like I'm impacted by your life,
right, like.
And I'm impacted not justbecause I've known you, but it's
even more stronger because I'veknown you and watched your
journey.
But I'm not an artist.
(42:52):
I'm not going to go grab acanvas and paint.
Speaker 2 (42:56):
Good.
Speaker 1 (42:56):
Right Like.
But at the same time, youfollowing your passion makes me
continually follow mine, right,right.
So it's kind of like going backto what you're saying.
It's like you going after yourdreams.
Yes, it can inspire artists tofollow that same purpose, but
hopefully it inspires the personthat might not can resonate
(43:21):
with your actual purpose but cansee someone actually pursuing
theirs and know that, hey,whatever is in my soul, let me
go pursue it, like this person.
And this person is doing it bybeing their own photographer,
videographer, sometimes soundartist, right Like that's the
journey right, like it's not theresults that you see.
(43:42):
it's how I've created theseresults and can I plant that
seed in you for you to go afteryour dreams the same way?
Speaker 2 (43:49):
A really good point to make, too, is that I've kind
of picked up on a little bit.
Is continuing to create thoseopportunities for yourself, or
like creating these things is achallenge in itself and it's
also a skill.
Don't you think right To likecreate these types of
opportunities or create pathwaysfor yourself, because nobody's
(44:10):
gonna do it for you?
You know, like you've got tofigure something out.
Speaker 1 (44:16):
And it's the power of manifestation and it's the
power of knowing you, right Like.
Because once you know andbelieve yourself, believe your
path and your purpose, when youmanifest, your manifestations
have a better effect of becomingreal, because you believe so
much in your life already, rightLike and so like, when I think
about my life and I think abouteven what I've been on, you know
(44:40):
, like we talked earlier aboutjust traveling and being able to
not be in one place, becauseyou know we're serving all of
these different areas, coast tocoast, right Like.
And it's because I guess, whenyou see it in such a bigger way,
it all just comes back intoalmost just that purpose driven,
knowing that one area isn'twhere you are but you have this
(45:02):
impact everywhere you go, rightLike.
I'm not even stationed in oneplace, but I believe in my life
so much that I know that myimpact can guide me.
Anyway, I always tell peoplelike I'm in LA and I'm like I
know I have a house on the hill,I just don't know where it is
yet, right, right, I don't speaklike I want it, I know that
it's already there and even ifit's gonna be a vacation home,
(45:24):
because that's how I'mmanifesting it.
I'm not gonna be in it forever,but I speak with intention,
knowing that it is alreadyexisting.
I just have to guide myself tothat.
And how do I guide myself tothat?
It's by believing and thenmanifesting.
But you have to believe in yourjourney.
You have to believe that,whatever you see as that end
(45:45):
result, even if you haven't madeit yet, every day you wake up,
you're pursuing that journey.
You're pursuing thatdestination right, and that's
what I see with you and that'swhy I see like that impact.
Speaker 2 (45:57):
So just oh, I feel very inspired Because you don't
hear those things a lot justfrom people in your, I would say
, just like in our circle, likeyou don't hear that, and I feel
like that's really important tojust for me to listen to.
And I can really say that Ifeel inspired by that, because I
(46:17):
was just talking about that theother day.
I was just talking about, like,the whole believing in yourself
and it's harder than it.
It's harder than what it seemsreally, because there are so
many times, especially as anartist, you are very critical.
I think, in general, creativepeople can be very critical and
(46:37):
sometimes it's like you justhave to stop and say, like I do
believe that this is what thisis worth and this is what it is,
and that is definitelysomething that I'm gonna take
away from this.
It's a good reminder, it's areally good reminder.
Speaker 1 (46:57):
Thing is like, yeah, it is, know what's for you and
then just do the work and thatbelief, that belief is strong,
like I believe in my life, Ibelieve in what I'm creating,
even if it's not in existence infront of me, like it's, you
know, and what I've seen iseverything come into reality.
(47:17):
You know, even LA was oncemanifested.
Oh, I'm gonna go to LA, I'mgonna live in LA, but I'm gonna
make sure, like now I'm here,right, like, and I'm gonna do
this and then that comes, I'mgonna have this and then that
comes right.
Speaker 2 (47:30):
It just made you suffer, because it reminds me of
another thing.
It reminds me of this.
I remember where I heard it,but someone said, like you know,
we are constantly developing orin this cycle of like wanting
things, getting it and wantingmore, wanting things, getting it
, wanting it more.
So it's like when youunderstand that that's like the
(47:51):
normal, like human response,that it really really is
important to understand how tojust really be happy with what
is in the present and that'ssomething that I've been
thinking about recently of likethe journey of appreciating the
(48:13):
present and what is in thismoment here, but not to stop,
you know, from like wantingsomething and then like reaching
that goal and continuing thatcycle.
But I think there really isalso something powerful in that,
you know, like you said, likethe manifest part of it.
Speaker 1 (48:34):
Of course Dr Joe dispends it.
That's my guy.
I'm a drop down man.
But I think he says, like, if wego to sleep with the thoughts
of the past, we're gonna wake upwith the thoughts of the past.
If we wake up with a vision ofthe future, we can live in the
present moment and know that weare growing into what we vision
for the future.
And I know that he said it in adifferent way, but that's the
(48:54):
way that I perceived it was that, yes, live in the present but
never dwell on the past, becausethe past isn't here anymore but
the future hasn't came yet.
So whatever you do in thepresent, whatever you manifest,
whatever you believe willactually start to form the
future for you.
Like, your future is notcreated yet.
It's created, but the path ofyour future is up to the
(49:17):
thoughts and perceptions thatyou embody today.
Speaker 2 (49:20):
I truly believe that too.
Speaker 1 (49:21):
Because my path, my future, was different before I
became disabled and now the pathis focused on the way that I
vision, and now I'm going inalignment with that, which has
made me one of the first peoplein my family to create a level
of success.
And now I'm lucky to say we'llhave a ripple effect for
generations after me, like thatwasn't the path that I had at
(49:44):
first, right, but I would havelived that path.
That I would have lived going,being dead or in jail or
whatever I believed in at thattime, because I wasn't seeking
more or better or I didn'tbelieve there was more or better
.
Speaker 2 (49:57):
So I committed.
I don't think I could say itenough, but I really do.
Speaker 1 (50:01):
No, this has been good.
We're going to definitely wrapit up in a second, and so I have
like two other questions.
We have the last one to kind ofbe like an icebreaker, but you
know my work in a disabilityspace, really speaking about
diversity and inclusion.
What I've learned from you somuch is that there's still so
much representation needed andis needed from all different
(50:22):
communities, right Like there'sa lot of oppression that is
formed from generations beforeus, and so conversations like
this does bring thatunderstanding.
I guess.
My next question okay, it'slike as a visual artist who
focuses on themes such as nativerepresentation and feminine
energy, how do you think yourart can be utilized to raise
awareness about disability andpromote inclusivity within the
(50:45):
art world?
Speaker 2 (50:46):
I think it kind of goes back into what we were
talking about, because when Isay like divine feminine energy,
it's so much like of thespiritual right and kind of like
what we were talking aboutearlier of like your body is one
thing but your mind issomething else.
So to keep that idea and thatbelief alive and to share it
(51:08):
with people is definitely a waythat I feel like how my art
could affect this community aswell, and not only this.
I'm just like human beings ingeneral.
Right Like that is definitely.
I can see that.
Speaker 1 (51:22):
I definitely feel like it's helped.
I think that your art istherapeutic when you play around
with your colors and things.
I don't know if people evertold you that, but it does
capture the eye.
It brings like a level ofwarmth and feel.
And, just so you all know, I'mdefinitely an investor in art.
This is one of her piecesbehind me that I had to be
(51:43):
custom, so it wasn't full of allthe colors, but she did do it
in a sense of what I wanted andwhich I loved, and this has been
years ago.
Speaker 2 (51:50):
I loved that one.
It was a new year.
So much for this old man.
Speaker 1 (51:56):
So it's things like that right, and so I feel like
even with me.
No, go ahead.
Speaker 2 (52:01):
No, no, I was just going to say kind of like a
little bit of what you saidearlier, the colors and stuff I
really do feel like it's like aninnate connection to the
ancestors, because I feel likeif you look at native art or
anything like the regalia thatthey would wear, or even like
black and brown people, we wouldwear colorful things, Like we
are vibrant you know what I meanLike that is just in our nature
(52:24):
to be colorful and I feel likeit just comes out, Like it comes
out in the work and it's likeyou're filling that color.
You know you're filling theancestors.
Speaker 1 (52:31):
Yeah, and if y'all, if anybody ever know you, put on
some fresh color, boy, listen,you feel good.
I'm telling you my favoritecolor is orange and a lot of
people don't know it until yousee it.
But you see me in orange a lotand probably never know it's my
favorite color, but orangereally makes me feel good.
(52:52):
My last question is you know,to me it's just really just kind
of knocked the edge off, it'snot really, but it's to know,
like you know, people thatpossibly have inspired you and
maybe why.
So anyway, here's theicebreaker.
If you could have a dinnerparty with any three artists,
living or dead, who would theybe and why?
Speaker 2 (53:16):
Living or dead.
Oh my God, I think mine's kindof funny.
Ok, don't laugh.
One of them will probably be myliving favorite artist right
now.
His name is Kehinde Wiley.
I have always loved his artwork, ever since I was in art
(53:38):
college.
The other one would have to belike Selena and Keith and yeah,
of course, and I think the thirdone would maybe be maybe my
grandma, because I didn't reallyget to know her for real
because she she lived inColombia for the majority of my
life and then she passed away,unfortunately, but I didn't
really get to ask her questionsabout, like what her life was,
(53:59):
like what her grandparents were.
Like Selena, because I justfeel like she was just such an
incredible icon in so many ways,and also like of native
ancestry as well.
And I also feel like you know,because my my artist that I love
Kehinde Wiley, like I just wantto like tap into his, like
where he goes with his artworkand his whole everything.
Speaker 1 (54:21):
But yeah see, that was a good question, Just to
really know like people thatinspire you, without having to
ask who inspires you right Like,I just want these three people
at the dinner table because Ican gain so much, and so I think
you know to leave this.
You know, I challenge everybodyto think about what three
people would you be surroundedby at the dinner table?
(54:41):
What three people influence youso much that they have impacted
your life that you want tolearn more, or even share with
them on how you've become betterbecause of them?
So again, thanks everybody.
Speaker 2 (54:53):
Thank you so much for listening and thank you so much
for having me.
I had a really good time.
Speaker 1 (54:59):
Absolutely.
As we conclude anotherinspiring episode, I want to
remind you that success isn'tjust about the spotlight.
It's also about the shadows.
It's about the struggles weconquer, the unseen battles we
fight and the silent victorieswe claim.
I'm Wesley Hamilton and you'vebeen listening to Out of the
(55:21):
Shadows podcast, where weilluminate the stories of often
left untold.
Join me again next week as weventure back into the shadows
and bring another amazingindividual into the light.
Until then, remember, no storyis too small to inspire.
Keep fighting, keep winning andstay out the shadows.
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.