We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Keisha Lopez. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Keisha below.
Keisha, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
My creativity was fostered as a child by my Aunt Judy and my mother, Sandra. I grew up in a rural community with a single mother who was a migrant between Mexico and Chicago. She and raised us below the poverty line and though times were tough, my mother filled our lives with joy and the understanding that it takes effort to succeed. She instilled in me the drive to further my education at a very young age. My aunt Judy brought out my creativity and encouraged me on my path of expression.
As an young adult, I received a Leukemia diagnosis while in college. During this time my reality shifted and a deepened sense of mortality was etched on my mind. It was like a filter on my perspective and only my inner purpose and drive remained. I knew I was an artist and had to undergo my own journey of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual healing to rise above my cancer diagnosis. Through this time in my life, I overcame many challenges. After a laps in creating, it came like a waterfall. I used my creativity as a center for my self care and healing.
Now, I am in a program to become a therapist. It is my life’s work to heal then become a healer. I want to show others how to harness their inner power, become aligned with their true self, and use creativity as a means to connect and spark joy.
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?
I am an artist and am in the process of becoming a psychotherapist as well. I see my creative process as connecting with my Mestiza heritage and uncovering the Indigenous Wisdom of my ancestors. My current series, ‘My Mind is a Garden’ is a sculptural exploration of biophilia, or the intrinsic love of the natural world. I view having a symbiotic relationship with the natural world as a part of having a more socially just world.
Currently I am working on My Mind is a Garden, but if interested, people can join my mailing list by visiting my site at www.keishalopez.studio for updates.
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?
I think my persistence through adversity is one of my most important skills. As an artist, it is easy to get caught in a cycle of self defeat or comparison, but staying grounded and persistent is what keeps me going. My emotional nature is a strength, although when I was younger, the patriarchal lens tried to say it was a handicap. As I have undergone my master’s program (MFT) I have learned that my emotional intelligence can be of service to those around me. Lastly, knowing when to ask for help, but using discernment on whose opinions you integrate within your psyche.
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
Two books have played an important role in my development. One is ‘The Defining Decade: How to Make the Most of your Twenties Now’ and the other is “No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with Internal Family Systems’.
A great friend recommended the first when I was in my early twenties. It was basically a roadmap of how to make important connections and work your way into the life you want. It encouraged me to work an internship at a gallery and work on my art writing. Then, through my friendships I was inspired to work on art as a therapy practice. It showed the importance of small trailheads and how it leads into the life you want.
Second, No Bad Parts… is a therapy modality that’s core says that all people have a true self that is compassionate, creative, and confident, but ‘parts’ can create coping mechanisms that steer you from that. That is a very watered down version, but I really appreciate the lens of self compassion. I think everyone could use more of it.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.keishalopez.studio
- Instagram: @keishalopezstudio
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/keishalopezstudio/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keisha-lopez-91a39417b
