Meet Adam Enrique Rodriguez

We were lucky to catch up with Adam Enrique Rodriguez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Adam Enrique , appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?

One of the most important things I’ve learned about keeping my inspiration and creativity alive has been to continue to challenge myself everyday. I believe that growth as an artist comes with taking risks, sacrificing your levels of comfort and confronting your doubts and fears. It is easier said than done, especially as an artist, to be able to stay motivated, but I have found that inspiration strikes when I least expect it. I try not to wait around to become inspired, like some divine intervention, I get to work and the rest happens naturally.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I am a professional artist based out of Southern California, Coachella Valley. I have been making art for my entire life since I was a child and I knew very early on that I was going to be dedicating my life to the pursuit of art. I am thankful that I have been able to continue to do what I love, which is paint and draw, as well as connecting with local students and members of my community to advocate and facilitate arts education and programming throughout the Coachella Valley. I have years of experience in community engagement and arts education, working alongside other educators and non-profit organizations, to help bring more art to more lives both locally and abroad. One of my most recent projects that I completed was a large scale landscape mural for the Community of Oasis in the Eastern Coachella Valley, the first public mural in their community.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

If I could narrow down three qualities that I have learned and have adopted throughout my journey as an artist, they would be : 1) to never fear or be intimidated by striving for perfection, 2) have the willingness and acceptance for failure, and 3) don’t worry or stress about the future, everything works itself out. I always tell young artists to remain steadfast in their conviction and to trust their journey, no matter what challenges arise. I believe overcoming adversity breeds creativity and genius.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

I am not the best person to give advice on this topic because I usually advocate for chaos, but I do believe there should be a healthy balance of calm and chaos in my work. One main struggle of feeling overwhelmed is the thought that I am caught in some never ending maze without any option to escape. Whenever I experience these types of emotions, it’s helpful for me refer back to classical techniques and movements in art history that have always inspired me. It is always grounding, to study history, it’s like opening up a time capsule to learn from and expand upon.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @adamenriquerodriguez