We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sibia Torres Padilla a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Sibia, 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.
I have learned not to try to silence my inner child anymore. I like to go back to the things that made me happy as a child like creating. Growing up we had to be resourceful due to our circumstances but now I have found that there is beauty in that. And that it’s a skill I would like to pass on to my children. I always try to think how I can make something using what I have on hand and I think that not only exercises my creativity but it’s such a fun challenge.
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 share DIYs for low waste low cost crafts. I think art is so important and I love sharing how to make thins using recycled items or even trash. I think that there is something really wonderful about making things with our own hands and I love challenging myself to find ways to make what I want using items destined for the recycle bin.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
For me growing up in a low income household allowed me to develop a DIY mentality. These experiences built in me a strong foundation for creativity, adaptability and value of hard work. I think our circumstances have so much power to shape who we are. There is so much power in taking “negative” situations and allowing them to teach us. My biggest advice would be to embrace your story! Different challenges help us develop unique sets of skills. Thats ultimately what sets us apart.
For a long time I found it really intimidating to put myself out there. I think when you first decide to step out of your comfort zone there is bound to be some amount of impostor syndrome present. Before I could really feel like I was succeeding I had to accept that I had worked really hard and that I was a creative person because despite having others affirming you it doesn’t mean much until you allow yourself to believe it.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
One of the most impactful things my parents did for me was teaching me to make do. They always found ways to make things work with 5 daughter’s and I don’t remember lacking for anything that mattered. They fostered in me an attitude of resourcefulness and creativity. My parents didn’t do many arts and crafts with me but I got to observe them being creative in others ways. My mom was really good at recreating recipes using ingredients she had on hand. When I was 7 my mom signed us up to volunteer at a local park. We helped clean up, plant flowers, and paint park benches. She wanted us to know that no matter how little we had, we always had enough to give back.
My parents helped me develop resiliency and a mindset of gratitude
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