Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Carla Contreras. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Carla, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
As an immigrant artist, resilience has been part of my personal and professional journey since I moved from my hometown Quito-Ecuador to Atlanta in 2016. Resilience is all about adaptation and conviction, and it is not even a choice. Life throws you in new waters, so you either swim or sink. The first four years were very hard for me. Moving to a different country/lifestyle/culture/language on my own, leaving behind my support system and everything else I’ve known for the past 25 years can be more nerve wracking than you can think. The emotional distress due to feelings of loneliness and detachment led to episodes of depression and anxiety, and seeing homeless people with mental illness on the streets all day long was adding to the whole situation. This country felt so contradictory to me. Dramatic contrasts between progress/wealth/opportunity and displacement/isolation/disparity, so I started talking about gentrification and the public inhabitants of the city in my work. This gave me a sense of purpose, and an opportunity to explore and connect with this new city that has become my home for the past 7 years. I currently live by the Chattahoochee river in Roswell and my practice took a drastic turn that has impacted my mental health in a much positive way. Connecting with the natural environment of the river and forest, my faith in that churchless God I believe in, my dog, my husband, and my family in Ecuador is what keeps me going and willing to keep forging a relationship with Atlanta, Ga.
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 am a visual artist and educator. My practice encompassing painting, installation, sculpture, and murals, deals with place and the human condition by exploring the urban and natural ecosystems in the city and their interrelationship. Through observational and contemplative practices, my abstract pieces and public works embody a fascination for studying the connotations of colors and patterns from biomorphic forms and man-made structures found in the city that I use in my work in order to speak of ideas related to existential concerns, mental health, immigration, ecology, and life-style. I was recently awarded the Community Design Award 2023 from the City of Atlanta’s Department of City Planning for my basketball court mural design at Mozley Park. In 2022 I was invited by SCAD as an Alumni Ambassador to design, lead, and implement a basketball court mural in a historic Atlanta neighborhood. An uplifting and meaningful gift to the community of the Southwest. The design incorporates shapes and colors in relation to the park’s and neighborhood’s history, heritage, and values.
Working on public art projects is very exciting to me because I find it tremendously rewarding to be able to activate and revitalize a community space with the impactful and engaging power of art.
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?
Authentic, resourceful, and reliable. These are three very important qualities that have been impactful in my artistic and teaching career. If you are just starting your professional journey, trust your intuition and ability to figure things out along the way. Becoming a great professional takes practice, so don’t wait to feel competent enough to chase for opportunities. I said yes to professional opportunities that seem to be out of my experience or knowledge level on many occasions, but I was able to succeed by being resourceful, driven, hard-working, and thoughtful. These qualities leave an impact on the people around you and you become reliable. This will lead to a chain of opportunities, connections, and collaborations.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
It is easy to feel overwhelmed in such a fast paced world we are living in. Work and professional achievement is what dictates nowadays lifestyle and there is no time to look inside and make sure that your mind, heart, body, and soul are connected with one another and its surroundings. I said that reliability leads to more opportunities, something to feel grateful for, however, it is important to find a balance between work and self-care. I have experienced stress breakdowns and the toll it takes on your body and mental health. Sometimes it is a matter of knowing what you can and can not handle. Despite the value of a great opportunity, your peace and emotional stability should be the priority. Meditation, connection with nature, and self-actualization strategies have been extremely important to keep up with a busy lifestyle.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://carlacontreras.net/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carla.contreras.art/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carla.contreras.art/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carla-contreras-b6458280/
Image Credits
I took all the pictures
