Meet Perla Sofia Gonzalez

 

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Perla Sofia Gonzalez. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Perla Sofia, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.

I think it is the opposite: creativity keeps me alive. I cannot stop creating. Sometimes it becomes exhausting because it means always having more than one (or two…) ideas to be materialized at the same time. Anything could be a source of inspiration if you are open to hearing, seeing, feeling, and then creating.

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?

At this particular moment of my life I could say I have accomplished a great part of what I have dreamed for. Even though I have lived the difficult immigrant experience, I managed to endorse each of the stages trying to find positivity while fighting to survive and evolve. This attitude allowed me to explore fields and activities I would never have thought I could do.

My professional qualification as an Architect with a mayor in Urban Planning gave me the skills to teach several subjects in my early days in Spain within intercampus programs. I was able to visit and teach at several universities in Brazil and Spain. Afterwards at the United States, I started by designing kitchen cabinets at Home Depot, but later I was hired by the City of Miami Planning Department, Urban Design Section, where I worked as a specialist until my retirement. This was a very fruitful professional period.

All my life I have had a very close relationship with art. I have always painted and written. So, after my retirement I devoted myself fully to my passion for art. Initially producing architectural inspired pieces with pen and ink, my work has evolved into new themes and techniques, culminating in a vibrant use of color in my most recent pieces.
My work has been shown at innumerable exhibits and events, garnering multiple awards and recognitions. I am an active member of Miami and Florida Watercolor Societies. Some of my artwork has also contributed to the community enjoyment at Miami 8th Street, and at City of Pompano Beach George Bummer Park.

I have published two books, EL ENIGMA COTIDIANO, and MIRADAS ALTERNAS, with a synthesis of my passion for poetry and painting. Currently I am working on several new projects. I am fascinated by ancestral cultures and semiology. I have already worked on some art pieces within this theme, but I wish to go deeper in my next endeavor. For me, there is no boundary between different ways of expressing art, what matters is to communicate the message and to be received by those who are open for it.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

First, (looking back on my already long path): everything happens for a reason. There is always something positive to achieve from each experience, even the worst ones. Just try to find the lesson behind.

Second: always use your imagination. Go a step ahead of what you think would be accepted or appropriate. You will be surprised of how those “crazy” ideas become reality.

Third: never give up on what you know is your identity, what is important for you, your vocation. If you still haven’t found it, you will someday. Then hold to it, and don’t let it go.

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?

I can’t name just one single person. From each experience or moment, since I was a kid and throughout my whole life, I have found great individuals and influences that have helped me, sometimes without even knowing they have. But the thought of my grandkid’s future is one of the most important elements of inspiration to try to make the world a better place for them to live.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Perla S Gonzalez
Ernesto Celis

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