An Inspired Chat with Ida Y. Robles of Florida

We recently had the chance to connect with Ida Y. Robles and have shared our conversation below.

Good morning Ida Y., it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
Well this will be a very basic answer thats for sure, I am a stay at home wife. I get up and start my day off with getting ready (brushing teeth, brushing hair and face routine), then I do any straightening up that I may need to do after my husband leaves to work for the day. I get things ready for whatever dinner I will cook in the evening. At some point during the morning my oldest daughter calls me on her way to work and we’re on the phone for at least 20 mins. After that if I have any errands I need to do, I get ready and out on the road I go. That’s pretty much how most of my mornings of the week are for me.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My Art story began in 2003 in the most unexpected place for me, that’s another story for another day.
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I became really good friends with a an amazing woman, Maria, she is also an artist. I saw a painting she painted and I was blown away. I immediately was attracted to the idea of painting. Soon after, I started drawing images from magazine of models and singers, etc. I did that for many years. Fast forward to 2013, one evening my husband and I were taking a walk in this popular area in Ft Lauderdale, FL., we walked past several art galleries. I saw this one particular painting and said to him “I can paint that” and he said to me, “then do it” and I did. At first, I was just painting images of other artwork, derivative, just to practice and find my style.
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As I went along I started painting my own ideas and visions and over time I found my style and perfected it. I am still perfecting it, every day I learn something new. Once I started painting everything and anything Puerto Rico, I became even more passionate about art.

So many times, we as Puerto Rican women/Latinas are told “you don’t look Puerto Rican/Latina, you look black or Indian or Italian, etc. What many fail to understand is that we are a beautiful mix of Taino Arawak Indian, African and European, so yes many of us look black or Indian or Italian etc., but we are 100% Puerto Rican/Latina/Latino. My flag doesn’t identify me, although she is a beautiful flag and I fly her with pride, she does not identify me. My heritage, my culture, my lineage and who I am identifies me. I try my best to capture that in my paintings.

I love painting my culture, and my people in my style, and my vision. I have been fortunate enough to participate in many art gallery showings with other great artists and have been featured in a few magazine articles. I still have so much more to do. One day I would love to have my own art show, until then I will just keep creating and bringing life to my culture, mi gente Bella, my Taino ancestors, Boriken!

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
I can only speak from my own experiences but I truly believe that generational toxicity and lies can break bonds between people/family, especially those you love. I truly believe in being honest about how you feel, and if I did something or said something that offended you or hurt you in any way, please tell me and allow me to make it right. It’s ok to admit when you are wrong and apologize. Generational toxicity is a very difficult thing to deal with, especially when you try your best to break those cycles with your own family (spouse and children) and the older generation doesn’t understand why and can make things/relationships more difficult. I personally have had to distance myself from family members and cut some off totally because I refused to raise my daughters with the same toxic ideologies and behaviors. So for me being honest and working together to respect the boundaries.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
OMG this one really hits. I’ve given up plenty of times during my painting journey. Social Media tends to set certain personal expectations that can be deceiving and I have personally fallen victim to it. The more I posted and shared my art, it felt at times that no one cared or even acknowledged it. I felt alone in that journey so I would walk away from it for a while. I had to reset myself and realize in the end that I do this for me not for the likes and shares. It’s still something I struggle with at times but here I am still doing what I love.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
The biggest lie, at least to me, is that one can make a career being an artist. Thats far from the truth, at least for me it is. “Starving Artist” is a very true statement.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
Most definitely, everything I’ve ever done is because I was meant to do it, even those that lead to disappointment and sadness. I’ve learned from those and made it right.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.idayrobles.com
• Instagram: @idaroblestart
• Other: TikTok: @idaroblestart

Image Credits
Artist: Ida Y. Robles