We recently connected with Luis Miguel Anaya and have shared our conversation below.
Luis Miguel, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
My resilience comes from my family. I’ve been surrounded by hard workers my whole life. My parents didn’t have it easy growing up in Mexico, but one thing they connected on when they met was their desire for something more than what life had given them. They believed that if they worked hard enough they could build a beautiful life together. And they have. Countless hours and sleepless nights led them to become the first people from their families to graduate from university. My mom quickly became a successful accountant and my dad started his journey as an engineer in the automotive industry. My dad pushed himself to learn English. He knew it could lead to more opportunities. I was born in Mexico, but when I was 3 he accepted an offer in the United States and we moved to Michigan. My parents, my older brother, and I. Soon after another little Anaya joined us. I have always been in awe of my mom and dad. They are the kind of people that were never going to fail. Because of them I know it is possible for me to be a great. I didn’t always know what I wanted to do with my life, but when I decided to dedicate my life to painting and art, I found my own purpose. It caught my parents by surprise and they may not fully understand it, but I know they believe I am capable of going as far as I let myself. I am their son after all. It hasn’t been easy for my family, but knowing that my parents could achieve as much as they have, motivates me to keep going no matter what. They taught me to be a good person and to work hard. I try my best to uphold myself to that everyday. What we achieve may not always be what we dreamt, but it’s worth it if you pour your heart into what you do.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am an artist. I love all forms of art and want to explore them all, but when I started my journey I found painting to be my calling. I didn’t become interested in art until my early twenties. I grew up playing football (soccer) and art wasn’t necessarily a topic of discussion in my house. Which makes sense. To pursue a career in art is to pursue instability, and that isn’t something my parents were keen on pushing. I don’t have any regrets about never taking art classes or learning more about art history in my young age. I like that I stumbled upon a Van Gogh biography and from there I decided to pursue art. That I have taught myself everything I know about painting and art allows me to say that what I make is authentic to me. It has never been about wanting to be famous or selling my paintings for a lot of money. It has always been about exploring the human condition and expressing it in my own way. We are all human and we all feel a lot of the same things. Joy, pain, and everything in between. It is the role of the artist to dwell on these emotions and translate them for others to understand them better. That’s what it was about Van Gogh that really changed my life. He never gave up trying to learn about people and about art. In our modern world we all get lost in so many things that have no real importance. No real meaning. I want to bring people together to share in the beauty of what we are capable of feeling. That’s what’s important. Learning about ourselves and about others. Because their is meaning to this chaotic life. There is purpose out there for each of us.
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?
Three qualities or skills I think have been most important for my journey are optimism, perseverance, and open mindedness. For all the beauty this world can show us, there can also be a lot of darkness. It is important to maintain any sliver of hope you can find when things are bleak. Even when your eyes are blocked by tears from failure, you have to keep moving forward, because there is something better waiting for you when you can see again. The journey of the artist is one of highs and lows. You have to be optimistic or you can easily fade away from who you are. It is one thing to imagine the potential success and another to actually fight for it. You can’t give up. You have to believe in what you are doing and who you want to be. I have learned that the moments in which you most want to give up there is something right around the corner that will make it worth it. We all come from different backgrounds, so I really believe that it is one of the most important things to be open minded. Beyond being an artist, it is crucial to be a good person. So many things change so quickly that we can never be fully aware of everything. Which means we can always be wrong about something. We have to be able to listen to each other in order to grow together. My advice is to be honest with yourself. To learn to become as authentic as you can be. You learn not to care what other people think, because what you produce comes from the heart. When you do that, you will find people that love you for who you are. Don’t forget the little things that make you happy and share in them with those you care for. When you have nothing or you have everything, those rare moments with people you love are what make you feel full.
What do you think is the biggest challenge?
I think the biggest challenge there is, is the one with the self. Life pulls you apart and puts you back together. It is the biggest challenge to stay true to yourself and to grow. Remembering who you are when everyone tells you to be something else. It has been a constant battle to always come back to myself. To remind myself why I started this journey. It isn’t to be in galleries or have people who dress fancy to tell me my paintings are good. It is to be vulnerable and to express myself in my best language. Which is art. Which is painting. To make works of art that make people feel something. To inspire others to express themselves. I do wish to grow my influence and be able to sell my work for what I think it is worth. In all honesty, not because I want more for myself, but because I want to leave as big an impact as I can. I am happy if that impact remains in small pockets, but I want to take on the challenge of trying to make change at a larger scale. I believe I can do that through my paintings. Through my art. No matter how ridiculous that may sound.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luismianaya
Image Credits
Dayton Doucette Luis Miguel Anaya
