We recently connected with Fania A castro and have shared our conversation below.
Fania, 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?
The main way I keep my creativity alive is by consciously choosing to step out of my comfort zone and passionately pursue projects that present multiple levels of complexity and interdisciplinary interaction. For decades, this practice has allowed my brain to develop new neural pathways where creativity has become second nature.
By exercising my tolerance to discomfort, what some people call “failure,” and perceived rejection, I have conditioned my brain to think differently, a practice that has become habitual and allows my thinking process to remain in constant expansion, producing an organic flow of novel solutions and allowing for an unconventional problem-solving mentality.
As we face these complex projects, we must remember that challenges are the birthplace of creativity. Every day, I consciously reframe the way I face obstacles by transforming adversity into a powerful opportunity to exercise creative thinking. With a creative mindset, problems quickly transform into unique opportunities.
Creativity is the result of a delicate balance between having the persistence to follow and trust your intuition and allowing yourself to challenge your own bias. To develop your intuition, you need to approach life with childlike curiosity and playful observation, preserving the capacity to surprise yourself and learn something new.
Creativity requires vulnerability. It requires doing something no one has done before and the bravery to face failure and criticism. It requires incredible passion and persistence, the discipline to carry on when all motivation is gone, and the occasional bruises to your ego when all attempts go wrong.
But it also opens the path for a journey of self-discovery and purpose. Letting yourself immerse in new ventures with the intoxicating sense of freedom and the fulfillment that comes from getting lost with great passion and discipline in expanding and shaping little sparks of inspiration into tangible soulful projects.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I’m passionate about design and creativity. Over the past 20 years, we have helped many clients materialize their ideas, dreams, and business ventures in a manner that aligns with their ethos and transmits the true essence and passion for their projects.
I own f5 advertising, a boutique ad agency, and GreenLAB design, a creative studio specializing in interior design and architecture. As a multidisciplinary agency, f5 + GreenLAB has the resources to cover most aspects of project development in one place, from start-ups looking to cohesively develop a marketing strategy to already established businesses looking for expansion, including branded interior spaces and architecture.
Being a small boutique agency has provided me the opportunity (and the luxury) to choose the clients I want to work with and enjoy the gratifying feeling of helping companies and individuals grow and expand projects in alignment with my personal values and purpose.
I’m most grateful for having clients trust my ideas entirely, giving me the freedom to express boundless creativity; their projects become a unique opportunity for me to produce innovative campaigns and unconventional designs. I pay back their trust by going the extra mile and providing many extras and perks to benefit their business.
I look forward with great anticipation to the time I get introduced to a new client. I get captivated by their passion and the intoxicating narrative of their dreams and projects. With each new project comes a story they tell with excitement. I listen carefully as I get transported into their world; every detail they tell me becomes a valuable piece of the project im envisioning and construct for them.
Knowing how the projects we envisioned and worked hard on reach broader audiences bringing continued success and growth, is a gratifying experience money can’t buy.
We are excited to continue expanding our exciting clientele. If you are that unique client, let’s talk!
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?
1. Don’t get too comfortable. Seek challenges. Develop Self-regulation and discipline
Learn to embrace discomfort as a tool for change and transformation, and make getting out of your comfort zone a regular habit. Humans are biologically wired to seek familiarity and security; doing something new or creative can feel threatening. Teach your mind to embrace change and to forgo repetitive thinking and old behaviors.
At the same time, become accountable to yourself. With every new idea/ project/endeavor comes the discipline and rugosity to bring it to fruition.
Develop habits and routines that keep you on track and stick to them no matter the circumstances.
2. Cultivate curiosity and have a thirst for exploration, travel as much as you can
Preserve a child-like curiosity and the capacity to observe a situation with an open mind letting go of preconceived ideas. Invite playfulness and joy in your life, and let this newfound mental fluidity open the path to creativity
Traveling and living in other countries and cultures was paramount to my creative insights; each experience and interaction fueled my creative repertoire.
You can produce more exciting and original material by incorporating elements from the arsenal of cultural references and experiences you can grab and get inspired. Learning and engaging in diverse cultural interchanges makes you a well-rounded individual and, in turn, a better creative professional.
3. Your body is your vehicle to experience and sense the world! Never neglect it!
From a physiological point of view, supporting your well-being and being in tune with your physical body will stimulate your problem-solving creativity. Some of my best ideas (and a few epiphanies) have come spontaneously while floating in the ocean after intense nightly runs.
The natural release of endorphins after strenuous physical activity provides immense clarity. When you feel clear, ideas flow unobstructed.
Run, move, flow invert!
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
A significant role in developing my creativity came from my upbringing in Colombia, between Pablo Escobar’s era of terror and economic despair, and my family’s conscious efforts to build a safe and protected space full of wonder and stimulation.
Growing up, my family didn’t have much money, but my parents made sure to shelter me from that scarcity by keeping my days full of creative endeavors and stimulating activities.
As a little child, I used to get lost in my uncle’s old library, listening to classical music and learning about the world. I often sat next to him, doodling with pastels and charcoals as he studied human anatomy and shared the secrets of hypnotism, the silva method, and the I-ching.
My dad used reclaimed wood to make ramps for my BMX stunts; old clothes became knee and elbow protectors he sewed from discarded jackets (he was the original hipster!) We built electrical circuits and alarm machines, and I learned how to dismantle the motor of a Renault 4 while helping clean the parts with thinner.
Mother and grandmother provided the much-needed unconditional love and selfless sacrifice needed to survive in such a harsh environment.
I grew up learning how my family had transformed our unique circumstances into a fertile ground for enriching experiences. Still, being exposed to the harsh realities of crime and scarcity outside my family circle positively impacted how I quickly developed creative thinking and resourcefulness. There is a Spanish word for that, “el rebusque” I learn from a very young age how to sell, negotiate and build many creative products and innovative services.
This vast creative universe I was exposed to became the motivation for my first nonprofit organization, “the elastic mind project.”
Through educational programs based on science, arts, and technology, we provided a glimmer of hope to neglected kids in disenfranchised and poverty-ridden neighborhoods of Bogota, Colombia.
I recognize the incredible influence of a loving family and a stimulating upbringing. By recreating this environment for the less fortunate children, im able to pass some of the generational love brought by my parents to help heal the cycle of violence, spark creativity and instill hope for life.
Contact Info:
- Website: f5advertising.com – greenlab3d.com
- Instagram: @greenlabdesign
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fania-castro
Image Credits
Craig Denis Photography
