After more than a decade building a successful career in the investments industry, I traded in the suits and left corporate life so I could embrace my true calling in art. My art journey has finally come full circle.

Starting at a young age, I was exposed to fine art, artists, and supplies at Poster Products Inc., the business my grandparents established in Puerto Rico in the 1940s. They stocked industrial printmaking equipment and materials, specialty paper products, and fine art supplies. It was there that I first interacted with working artists, experimented with art supplies, and learned about the inner workings of a small business. Growing up, my mother also played a pivotal role by supporting my artistic pursuits and enrolling me in numerous art classes and workshops, allowing me to explore and develop my skills over time.

With a BBA in management and marketing from the University of Puerto Rico, I ventured into the investments industry in North Carolina. While I found fulfillment in working with corporate investment clients, my creativity started to dwindle over time. I yearned to make art to process complex emotions and experiences, but the demands of my job left little time for creative expression. The mounting internal pressure eventually led me to make a life-changing decision.

Realizing that my true calling involved art, I embarked on a journey of self-discovery to find a career path that would allow my creativity to flourish while sustaining me financially. I kept the corporate job, but outside of office hours, I sought guidance from fellow artists, attended workshops and networking events, exhibited and sold my artwork.

At the end of 2019, with hard-earned savings and a supportive family, I bid farewell to the investments industry and established my full-time art practice at Artspace in downtown Raleigh.

During the pandemic, my income from art sales was limited, but it allowed me to devote more time to creating art. As the world reopened, more studio visitors, art lovers, and collectors invested in my work, making my full-time artist career possible.

Fast-forward to today, I am passionate about exchanging stories and connecting with others through art. My multicultural heritage and diverse life experiences serve as a continuous wellspring of artistic inspiration. Drawing from the vibrant landscapes of the Caribbean and Southeast, I am captivated by the rich tapestry of flora and fauna encountered both above and beneath the water’s surface. These encounters inform my work, infusing it with textures and shapes that evoke feelings of joy, playfulness, and tranquility. My dynamic paintings, ceramic sculptures, and vibrant murals, balance movement, tactile textures, and uplifting colors, inviting viewers to explore the optimistic stories embedded within.

In addition to creating art, I aim to inspire and empower other creatives by sharing my art and business knowledge through in-person workshops, community projects, mentoring sessions, YouTube episodes, and the Level Up Artists podcast and community that I co-founded.