We recently connected with Natasha Rivero and have shared our conversation below.
Natasha, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
There was this Jay Shetty interview with Emma Grede I watched last year and she quoted her mother saying. ” You’re not better than anyone else, and no one is better than you.” She started saying that imposter syndrome is made up and that we all feel exactly the same deep down. We all want to work hard for the things we want and that it all comes down to respecting one another. So, I think the lack of confidence stemmed from the fear of the vulnerability of putting my art out into the world for anyone to judge. Imposter syndrome for me was never about thinking I wasn’t deserving of the life I’ve always envisioned for myself, but more so of just my fear of rejection, abandonment, and someone saying they think my art is bad to my face. And that’s just reality, not everyone is going to enjoy your work. So, its just something I had to keep reminding myself. Not everyone is going to like you or your art so why hold yourself back? If you’re not scared or afraid are you really growing?
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
My name is Natasha Stephany Rivero-Aronategui and I am a product of two Afro-Latin immigrant parents, born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. I don’t know how one Cuban man found a Panamanian woman in a random city like Vegas but here I am 27 years later, feeding the world my art. I originally started off sketching and using prisma color pencils but then picked up a paint brush my junior year of high school because I didn’t even know that was a possibility. I didn’t really take art as a serious profession until I sold some random pieces in my apartment back in 2018 when I lost my job due to an injury. Then, in 2019 I moved to Los Angeles, which was a super easy transition for me since I had a job that offered in house living. Even though I’ve been in this city for 5 years, I haven’t really pushed myself up until recently. I started walking in my path more and researching how to tackle certain methods to better my work vs of just doing what people want me to do. So with each new piece whether it be digital or traditional painting, I can see my growth in each one. I also always focused on portraiture work and I often get why I only paint black and brown people but I feel that only BIPOC get asked that question. No one else does. What inspires me is people I know, people who move something within me, and just everyday life. So my reality and the people around me may differ from what someone else is used to experiencing. I just create in my little 300 sqft room that I share with my best friend and I feel really excited to share that I am having my first group show called OURS on January 26th at The Andaz Hotel in West Hollywood. Its curated by Josiah Jones who is the founder of Valence Projects and there will be so many other amazing talented artist there. So this 2024 is started off pretty well if you ask me.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. Talk to people who you have nothing in common with. Sometimes people who aren’t in the scene that you’re in have great connections that can be useful to you and also they may invest in your work. 2. Sometimes you work on something for so long you start to pick it apart but I promise you your work is amazing. Happy accidents is what makes the art special.
3. Its okay to be scared. Just do the “thing” scared.
There’s so many moments that I’ve had with real famous people, collectors, and others that we sometimes put them on this pedestal and I promise if it didn’t work out, it’s because God has other plans. Doesn’t mean you’re not good enough. He’s just building you up with all those no’s, you’re going to get the right yes.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz. I got recommended this book by a guy named Lou at this google event I attended a couple years ago. At this time I didn’t have that many pieces and was still dealing with a lot of mental health stuff. So being surrounded by all these well established curators and artist was a lot for me but it was eye opening. We were leaving the event and he brought it up to me because I shared some doubts I had. I remember how highly he spoke about it so I rushed to the book store right after and bought it. This books covers why its important to have different social groups, the importance of not just thinking but doing, importance of building a foundation, why you should treat people right, taking any task you do with pride and so much more. It’s definitely a read for anyone, no matter what you’re doing in your life. “Ideas are fruits of your thinking. But they’ve got to be harnessed and put to work to have value.”
Contact Info:
- Website: Creatorthree.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creatorthreedot/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdPzjcAme0kQ9MmdQJ1z_KA
