We were lucky to catch up with Sam Herrera recently and have shared our conversation below.
Sam , 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.
By staying connected to my community, the people &/or things that I draw my creative influence from. Supporting other creatives by visiting their showings or by shopping with local small business really helps me stay focused on my goal as a creative. I also try to stay exposed to a variety of art forms. Luckily, Los Angeles has so many free resources to enjoy, so it can be visiting a museum or walking through a garden that helps me keep my mind pushing forward. When I am able to, traveling to new places is another way I regain energy to keep experimenting with my art. Learning about the cultures and history of the places you visit and the people who live there helps me find new ways to communicate & express my own experiences. Basically, just do what makes you happy and take it from there. Watching cartoons helps me too, haha.
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 self taught freelance multi media artist, born and raised in South East Los Angeles. A majority of my work are illustrations and paintings, but I have started to branch out with experimenting with my film photography, music production, textiles/fashion & really anything I can get my hands on.
I aim to use my art projects as a way to stay connected to my community roots, while keeping my art process accessible to teach to others. Utilizing low cost DIY methods, such as opting to use ballpoint pen or recycled paper as a canvas instead of buying new material, really helps push forward my personal belief that art should be enjoyed by everyone and accessed by many.
I grew up in a low income family who despite our financial shortcomings, always found ways to support my creativity. I feel grateful for that in many ways, and it’s this experience that pushes my drive to show others that anyone can make art. I use my art projects also to retell stories from my own life, as well the stories of people I look up to. Self identity is a topic played upon frequently, as I myself come from a very muddy vision of my own self. Mixed ethnicity, queer, neurodivergent, fluid femme bodied being. I strive to let it be know that you are not alone in the awkwardness and distress we all feel in our individual lives, and hope it can help someone push forward to the next day.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
1. listen to your intuition 2. know your value/worth
3. communication is key
my advice to those who are early in their journey is to be kind with yourself. don’t get stuck comparing yourself to others, your own path is unique to you.
patience is your friend. surround yourself with peers you look up to, not down upon.
and also, try not to waste any time on thinking negatively about yourself or others, separate yourself from negative spaces.
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
Take a break, lol. Whether it’s a brief one or long term, taking time to rest and restart always is a good way to fight against that overwhelmed feeling. Self care in the form
of letting yourself just exist outside of work is the beginning to unlearning the habits of living in an oppressive capitalist society. We are still valuable when we are at rest.
Whenever I feel negative, I try to do something positive.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sam95herrera.wixsite.com/satanswifey
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/_satanswifey
- SoundCloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/VXB6tQcBtS1N43cu5
- Other: https://www.mixcloud.com/satanswifey/
