We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Agustina Forest. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Agustina below.
Hi Agustina, thank you so much for joining us today. There are so many topics we could discuss, but perhaps one of the most relevant is empathy because it’s at the core of great leadership and so we’d love to hear about how you developed your empathy?
Have you ever cried during a movie because the character was experiencing hardship? Have you ever caught yourself smiling at the TV? Or at the page of a book? Stories help us develop empathy. It’s through knowing stories that we are able to share the feelings that another person is experiencing.
The more you live, the more experiences you have under your belt, the more you can empathize with different situations. It’s like a library of feelings that you collect through life. That’s why developing empathy is a lifelong journey.
It’s that journey- my life and experiences, that made me understand that we all are walking stories. We have had experiences that shaped us into being who we are. We all have thoughts, we all have dreams, we all have a past.
We all have reasons why we do things. Having this in mind, made it easier for me to not become mad at somebody, to not get angry as much. I stopped carrying that weight and it felt great.
I enjoy learning and I feel that it made me surround myself with individuals that shared their wisdom, which allowed me to grow my listening capabilities and be more open minded to others perspectives. Also, being in a fortunate situation where I get some time for myself I am often able to reflect and think has given me time to grow as an empathic being.
During those reflection times I realized there is always craziness(the bad kind) and darkness out there. Trying to understand why somebody would do bad things made me understand that most of the time it is something along their journey that brought them into that position. If you purposely inflict pain on somebody, that person will have a traumatic experience with humanity and create a cycle of distrust. Acts of compassion will have the opposite effect, and that’s why when I do art I focus on the beautiful things of life. I intend to ripple acts of love.
Since I do figurative art I need to connect with the subject that I am drawing. When you are drawing somebody, you need to put yourself in their skin. What do they feel? What are they thinking? I go to my library of feelings and I try to find one that makes my heart feel something similar to what that person is feeling. When I do commission work I always ask about the person that I am drawing – specifically what their personalities are like, because I want to make sure I put myself in their position to portrait them faithfully. That way the drawing will feel genuine and will have more emotion.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I have a drawing compulsion. I am constantly making art and humanity is my muse. Since I was very young I started having existential questions. Existing involves so much beauty and pain. The time I get between just me and the canvas is what gives sense to it all and its when all those questions are quiet.
Doodles, drawings paintings. I let my heart go wild on the canvas. As a result of my play, maybe others can embrace this existence in the same intensity as my heart does. I like to play with different mediums, though charcoals, watercolors and now oil paintings are my mediums.
I just launched a new website with all my original art and cool merch from it! You can visit www.agustinaforest.com to check it out. If you want a special piece of art based on a memory or a portrait that captures someone’s being I also do commission work.
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?
With time passing, I can say one of them is having a heart that feels deeply. Wanting to learn and listen has allowed me to be constantly growing. Gratitude for what there is has allowed me to be happier with the present moment and don’t lose my mind with the future- or the past.
Be thankful for where you are at and seek moments that will make YOUR story the movie that you want to watch.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
My ideal client is someone who feels the depth and emotion of a moment so intensely that they want to pause it in time. Many of the people that commissioned me sticks through the journey and sees my art unfold, evolve and grow. I adore that.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.agustinaforest.com
- Instagram: artofagustina
