We recently connected with Talisa Almonte and have shared our conversation below.
Talisa, thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?
I’ve always been a glass half full type of person but I think what has really fueled my optimism over the years is what is constantly happening all around us. I feel that as an artist, I want to create work that brings a smile to people’s faces and spreads joy and color in a world that can often feel very gray and filled with so much hate and sadness.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Hiii! I’m Talisa and I’m an Afro-Dominican full time artist, illustrator and muralist based in Queens, NY. I established my small business called Almonte Studio in March 2021 inspired by my father’s who passed away in 2021. I think the best part of being able to do what I love for living, is being able to create my own schedule and be in charge of how and where I spend my time. My background is in Fashion Design and I worked in the corporate world for over 7 years and what I’ve come to value the most is how I spend my time.
I’ll be celebrating 3 years in business on March 26th, 2024 and I’m so proud of how far I’ve come since being laid off from my corporate job in 2020 and being able to live in a place as vibrant and diverse as New York City and pursuing my dreams. I’m excited for what’s in store this year and can’t wait to be able to share a secret project but all I can say is be on the look out for Almonte Studio starting Sept 1st 😉
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?
Hmmm…. this is an interesting question and a tough one. If I had to choose 3 I would say they are: resilience, authenticity, and persistence.
One of things that I’m most grateful for the pandemic and losing my job was the sense of “what do I have to lose” that came with it. When you’re going after your dreams and something that’s not as conventional to society’s standards, it’s a very hard journey filled with ups and downs. Resiliency in my opinion is one of the keys to being successful. The pressure of venturing on your own and running a business means you have to be willing to pick yourself up on days that you really don’t feel like it, is something that you have to almost train yourself to do because no one is going to be there to tell you to do what you need to.
Persistence is something that I never really knew I had so much of until I started my business. It’s very easy to get a “no” from someone and feel really hurt by the rejection and as an artist who struggles a lot with thoughts of self doubt, it’s very easy to spiral into thoughts of inadequacy. I actually think because I had no safety blanket when I started my business, that it gave me this sense of, “I can’t take no for an answer”. My first brand project that I got was because I messaged her on instagram multiple times. The response wasn’t a direct no, but more of a not right now, and honestly even if it is a no, it never hurts to reach out in the future maybe when your work has changed, or when you’ve create a new body of work. I just think it’s important to continue reaching out to people or brands you’re inspired by because that’s how you stay on their radar.
In a sea of creatives and especially with social media, it can be intimidating to see so many amazing things and get caught up in a comparison cycle but whenever I’ve stayed true to myself, and focused on the things I want to create I’ve been way more successful than spending energy on negative thoughts or feeling like I need to change my style to be like someone else.
Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?
2023 was the year of growth for my business and I. It was the first year that I really solely relied on my business to survive financially and despite the hardships of debt, I had some really amazing wins last year that have contributed to the steady growth of my business. I participated in 53 pop up markets (in 2022 I did 43) and although I want to move away from doing this many markets, it was incredible to see all that I accomplished. I also participated in my first wholesale trade show with Bulletin at NY Now and grew my wholesale business as a result. I currently sell my work at 21 stores across the U.S and had one of my best pop up markets since starting my business. And the cherry on top was diving full force into the mural space which is something I had wanted to do for a long time but was very intimidated by. I had only done one small commercial mural in 2022 and this past year, I completed 5!
I’m truly thankful for the continued support of my business and for the immense growth I’ve felt on a personal level as much as a business level.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.almontestudio.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/almontestudio/
- Other: portfolio link: https://almontestudio.co/
tik tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@almontestudio?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
