Meet Olga Garza Cardona

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Olga Garza Cardona. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Olga below.

Olga , thank you so much for joining us and offering your lessons and wisdom for our readers. One of the things we most admire about you is your generosity and so we’d love if you could talk to us about where you think your generosity comes from.
I attribute my generosity trait from my parents. My mother and father came from impoverished backgrounds growing up i frequently witnessed both of them helping their family, friends and strangers. They would bring in people who needed help either with food, money or time. Looking back i admire that they both were unselfish and helped their community. I try to live my life by their example of generosity and hope it will be passed on to the next generation of Garza’s.

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 Olga Garza Cardona, and my brand is SAartista Designs. My artwork is inspired by my love of Mexican culture, history, and experiences. I work with a variety of media clay, paper, painting, and jewelry.

I have been creative my entire life. Currently, I making jewelry with a folklore motif. I am always receptive to new forms of creativity.

For example, I recently took a paper flower class to learn how to create a free-standing flower stand from copper tubing. I am also planning to take another class to learn how to make jewelry from metal clay.

Also, I have created paper flowers for local community events. For San Antonio’s Muertos Fest 2022, I created an altar with my marigold paper flowers and repujado (metal embossing) work to honor my nephew Joseph Garza. I created the altar because I believe it is important to share my creative gift with my community.

I will continue to learn new techniques and explore new approaches.

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?
In my creative journey, one skill that I have been blessed with is how to coordinate colors. Also, I have an eye for design, and most important, I easily come up with creative ideas My advice for anyone starting a creative journey is to find positive spirits, who are encouraging, who keep an open mind.
Letting yourself be inspired by others allows you to create even more. Basically, just find time to be with kindred spirits.

Don’t be afraid to experiment, it might lead to something new. As you continue on your path, make sure to keep your skills fresh and be open to new ideas. Keep learning skills to improve your technique. It’s always wise to continue learning.

Make sure to take some time off to relax, go for a hike or listen to music. It is one of the ways new ideas come to me.

Share your work and talent with others. Passing it on is the best feeling. By teaching the next generation, it keeps creativity alive.
Enjoy your talent and acknowledge it and be proud of your accomplishments. Not everyone has it!

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
When feeling overwhelmed, it can be helpful to write out a step-by-step plan. This can help to reduce anxiety and provide a sense of accomplishment as tasks are checked off. There are project management apps which I am sure would help, but i prefer the old school way.

It is also helpful to plan ahead and gather all necessary supplies before starting a project. This will help to avoid last-minute stress and ensure that everything is ready to go.

Finally, for me a clean and organized workspace can help to promote creativity and focus. When the mind and workspace are clear, it is easier to let the imagination flow.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Photos by O.G.Cardona Andres Cardona

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Portraits of Resilience

Sometimes just seeing resilience can change out mindset and unlock our own resilience. That’s our

Perspectives on Staying Creative

We’re beyond fortunate to have built a community of some of the most creative artists,

Kicking Imposter Syndrome to the Curb

This is the year to kick the pesky imposter syndrome to the curb and move