We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Calista Garcia a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Calista, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?
I remember the exact moment in my life where I had finally gained confidence in myself. It was five years ago, during my freshman year of college. I had been with my high school sweetheart for over three years at that point. Unfortunately, he chose to go to college across the country. The distance was brutal since we had gone from seeing each other everyday to exclusively seeing each other on FaceTime.
After months of doing long-distance I couldn’t take it anymore. We were both just dragging each other along and I’d knew we’d do it forever if I didn’t do something about it. That was when I finally decided it was time to let him go. Despite all the pain and heartache that followed that decision, it made me realize that I can stand up for myself.
After my breakup I gained so much more confidence in myself, which ultimately impacted every other aspect of my life. I’m no longer afraid of pursuing things that I want and my insecurities don’t hold me back the way that they used to. From then on out I started stepping out of my comfort zone. I applied to local art shows, went out and met new people, and started working out. This was the point in my life where I realized I have the power to choose what’s best for me. Overall, the aftermath of my first breakup was the most enlightening period of my life.
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?
I’m Calista Garcia and I’m an artist. I’m currently pursuing my MBA with a concentration in Marketing at the University of St. Thomas. Throughout my life I’ve been passionate about art, whether it be drawing, coloring, or sketching. Nowadays, I tend to make conceptual work based on my feelings or current problems that I’m facing. I do this through various mediums such as paintings, photography, and even Photoshop.
The most exciting thing about my art is that it isn’t always the same. Despite the bold color palette, I often experiment throughout my art. Since my mind is constantly flowing with new ideas, there is lots of variety in my work. I’ll either create an abstract painting or do a colorful photoshoot depending on piece. Overall, I absolutely love creating art and I’m incredibly grateful to be sharing it on this platform.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The skills that have been most impactful on my journey are positivity, perseverance, and confidence. Positivity helps with the way you perceive your problems, perseverance creates resilience against problems, and confidence gives you the courage to face your problems. Even though they’re all impactful skills to have, I believe perseverance is the most important quality.
It’s crucial to never give up and to continue trying even if every obstacle seems impossible. In my experience, I’ve been rejected from several art shows and yeah it sucks being rejected but I keep applying every year because I know I’ll get one eventually.
For people who are struggling on their journey, I would recommend developing a stronger sense of perseverance. Perseverance alters your mindset and emphasizes that despite your failures, you have to keep moving forward. Failure does not define a person, it’s what you do afterwards that determines what kind of person you really are.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
My parents positively impacted my life in so many ways. They taught me everything growing up: emotional intelligence, empathy, respect, work ethic, and every band from the 80s. The most impactful thing they did for me was show me that if you work hard enough for something that you can attain it.
Both of my parents came from nothing. Neither of them had a stable home life growing up so they learned to thrive on their own. Without any formal education, my mom started her own business in her early 20s and is still running that business today (30 years later.) My dad took over his family business and became the most successful salesman the company has ever had. Today, they’re both immensely successful. They showed me that no matter what challenge you face, you still have the power to control the outcome of your life.
Contact Info:
- Website: calistagarcia.myportfolio.com
- Instagram: @calistag.art
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/calista-garcia
