Meet Milena Arango

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Milena Arango a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Milena, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
To keep my creativity alive and my aspirations high I try to get out of my comfort zone as much as possible, try new techniques and if I can, I try to travel as much as possible, I enjoy discovering new places, listening to different languages, learning to communicate however I can and meeting new cultures. I like to change it up, I’m not good with routines, only my Yoga routine every morning. I like to take risks and challenge myself to new projects. Last year I was commissioned to YarnBomb some palm trees at The Hatch 1121 in Lake Worth Beach, Florida. My mom taught me how to knit when I was six years old and I’ve been doing it for all of my life. Knitting – crocheting is extremely therapeutic and it’s something that I always do, but I had never crocheted in a project at that scale. It’s insane how good it feels to see your work out there for people to enjoy. Everybody wants to help, everyone takes pride and everyone takes care of the yarnbomb. That project grew into 3 more projects, each one totally new. You have to feel the space to know what you’re going to create, how you’re going to make it stand and what you want to say. This new chapter in my life has kept my creativity high, I’m researching new artists, new knots, new yarns. It’s something that I never thought could have this special turn, my Grandmother would be very proud.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am a Colombian artist based in West Palm Beach, driven by discipline and a deep passion for my craft. I thrive on adventure and the exploration of new ideas to create compelling works of art. My journey into the world of art was ignited by my mother’s boundless curiosity and zest for life. Growing up, I had the privilege of experiencing diverse cultures, languages, and people, which has profoundly influenced my artistic perspective.

In 2001, I graduated from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana with a degree in Visual Arts, embarking on a journey into the realm of theater shortly thereafter. This diversification of artistic pursuits has enriched my creative process, allowing me to constantly seek innovative ways to express myself and maintain a dynamic artistic practice. I am continuously exploring new techniques and embracing risks, finding inspiration in the unexpected and seizing opportunities with the first object that comes to hand.

While the past few years have presented challenges, I have navigated through them by immersing myself in various projects, starting from scratch and trusting my instincts. This journey has been transformative, nurturing my growth both as an artist and as an educator. Teaching has opened doors to a wealth of new ideas and aspirations that I never knew existed within me. Guided by my intuition, dreams, and fears, I have learned to set high expectations and keep my artistic goals alive.

For me, art is more than just a vocation—it is my driving force, the rhythm of my heartbeat, and the reason I wake up eager to create each day. It fuels my soul, providing me with a sense of purpose and fulfillment that transcends all boundaries.

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 feel extremely lucky to be a creator, I admit that sometimes, I’ve complained against the world and sometimes don’t understand how it works, but in the end sometimes things somehow find their place and make sense. My advice to young artists or anyone, is to travel, to be hungry to learn, get uncomfortable and never stop achieving new challenges. Try to stay focused. It’s easy to say but not always easy to do. Negative experiences will always bring positive outcomes where you will learn from yourself. But like I said, try to stay focused and humble. Life gives you experiences and things and will also take them away, appreciate what you have, live the present, be a present. Enjoy, love and laugh. Keep things to yourself, your wins are yours, not everyone has to know everything about you, let them figure it out.

We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?
Yes, I think it’s very important to know what you’re really good at and become an expert, learn it like the back of your hand, learn in every direction possible, learn it backwards and then forget it, start over, learn something new. Create your own language. Challenge yourself. Get better at something else, totally different. And also work on what you’re not that good at. Ask yourself what’s going on? Try, test, retry, test again, become the scientist of your life. Trial and error. Don’t be scared of changes or failure, learn from your experiences.

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Image Credits
Image # 8 Photo taken by: Juliana Forero

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