We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Patricia Vargas. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Patricia below.
Patricia, so happy to have you with us today. You are such a creative person, but have you ever head any sort of creativity block along the way? If so, can you talk to us about how you overcame or beat it?
When I try to force myself to create something, even when I don’t feel like it, it only leads to frustration. That’s why I’ve learned that when I get into that kind of state, it’s best to take a break, step away from the studio, and give myself some time to rest. My business coach, Megan Auman, taught me the importance of rest as part of the creative process, and I can’t emphasize enough how much it has helped me.
But rest doesn’t necessarily mean “doing nothing.” It can be about engaging in low-stress activities that stimulate your mind. For me, that often means exploring new mediums without any pressure to make it look professional. I love to play with leftover magazines to make collages or fiddle with embroidery.
I also like to take this opportunity to explore new places or revisit my favorite botanical gardens, which are fortunately located within an hour drive from my place. These activities help me unwind and open me up to new ideas. Before I know it, a new surge of inspiration makes its way to me.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I have been working as a professional artist for over 10 years. My art is mostly abstract and takes inspiration from botanical themes. It is colorful and has an ethereal quality to it. I prefer to work digitally, which means that every artwork I create is made using a computer and a drawing tablet. I use these tools to record my hand motions and create digital brushstrokes. Even as a child, I was fascinated by digital tools like Photoshop and loved exploring their artistic possibilities. My art is a blend of traditional painting techniques and digital tools.
I sell my art as fine art prints through my website. Over time, I have expanded my business to include B2B sales, building a network of galleries, art consultants, interior designers, and other professionals who use my work in various ways. My art has been sold by retailers like Anthropologie, West Elm, and Burke Decor.
Recently, I started a project called The Limitless Artist. The goal is to show artists how they can use their existing artwork to create passive income streams, giving them more flexibility with their time and financial stability. These are often overlooked strategies, but they have been crucial to my success as an artist and I believe they can help others too.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. As entrepreneurs, it’s easy to feel deeply attached to our businesses, which can sometimes lead us to equate our self-worth with our business success. I used to feel this way for many years.
When my business was doing well, I felt on top of the world, but when things weren’t going right, I would feel like a failure and that I wasn’t good enough. It wasn’t until I learned to separate myself from my business that I realized my worth as an individual and artist doesn’t come from how much money I make or how productive I am.
I’ve come to understand that although my business may be entangled with my personal life, we are not one and the same. Now, I no longer let my business control how I feel about myself. If you’re struggling with this, I highly recommend Jim Fortin’s podcast and programs. They’ve helped me reframe my mindset and take control of my life.
2. I have found that diversifying my income with passive sources has greatly improved my life. This has allowed me to have a more balanced and stable income. It also gives me the freedom to rest when I need to, spend time with my family, and not worry about relying solely on my rate of creativity or productivity. Depending solely on how much art I produce can put a strain on my creativity. Therefore, it’s important to have a variety of income sources to support my needs. One of my favorite ways to achieve this is through licensing my artwork in a variety of ways and working with other businesses.
3. I have always considered myself to be an artist first and an entrepreneur second. I’m going to be honest – managing cash flow was not exactly my forte. For the longest time, I struggled to figure out how to properly manage my finances and consistently pay myself a decent salary. But thanks to some amazing resources, I was able to create a hybrid system that has been a game-changer for me. Shanna Skidmore’s Blueprint Model course and Mike Michalowicz’s Profit First book were absolute lifesavers. With their help, I was able to finally create a concrete system that reliably allows me to pay myself a steady salary, even with fluctuating business revenue throughout the year.
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?
I found that it’s much better to go all in on your strengths. As an entrepreneur, you may feel like you have to do everything yourself to make your business a success, but identifying your unique talents and leaving tasks that you’re not proficient at to someone else will save you time, money, and headaches in the long run! Plus, you’ll feel more satisfied with your life and business when you’re not constantly feeling like you’re lacking and forcing yourself to be someone you’re not.
Now, I’m not saying you shouldn’t try to learn new skills. If you have a genuine interest in something, then go for it! Learning new things can be fun and rewarding. However, it’s different from trying to do everything yourself just because you think you should.
In my case, I realized that I’m best at creating art, and I’m happiest when I can spend more time doing what I love. So, I hired an accountant, bookkeeper, and virtual assistant to help me with operations and marketing. It has allowed me to focus on my strengths and grow my business more efficiently.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://parimastudio.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/parimastudio
- Other: https://www.thelimitlessartist.com
