Episode 1: Valerie Lopez and Camilo Rojas on starting your business venture with passion — Part 2
Valerie Lopez and Camilo Rojas have been running two businesses but unveiled that they manage more that meets the eye. “With our two companies, both of our personal careers (Valerie is a photographer and Camilo is a calligrapher and artist) and our relationship with each other, we are truly managing 5 entities.” With having to split time among all 5 categories, they also realised early on that not only do you need to make art but be educated on how your art is used.
With art school being the foundation of learning for the majority of artists, it’s alarming how little time is spent on these factors. “There is a lack of people graduating and working in the industry straight away and even when they do get a job the salary is nowhere near enough to cover your student loan payments and living expenses.”
Money shouldn’t be the motivation, but Valerie and Camilo do stress the importance of it.
“Money allows you to execute more ideas and money will come naturally if you’re working but you need to be constantly working.”
Even if you’re not doing paid jobs, a side project allows you to hone your skills and take a leap into the unknown. It can also provide a good distraction from the moments when you’re not earning money from your art.
“The only thing you get when you focus on not having money is having less money.” You need to focus on the things you can control, the positives in your creativity is a good place to start out. “Abundance is having more to give, the universe will always give it back and will open doors.” The realities of not being able to pay bills, being overdrawn can be overwhelming. Valerie and Camilo have been there themselves and have advice for those of you going through the same thing.
For just a month, think of abundance and that it will come back (the overdrawn money, the sacrifices you make).
When Valerie wasn’t practicing abundance she mentioned times where she recalled sending out the message that clients were going to automatically say no to CR-eate design studio. “You’re echoing back what you’re feeling, change your language and you will start receiving what you want.” This is coming from CR-eate design studio who went from no clients, zero income to being paid for the work they wanted to create (which they go into detail about on the podcast.)
Throughout the conversation, we touch on: having an emotional cheerleader, why some successful creatives aren’t necessarily the best at what they do and how being in a relationship has its challenges and how to overcome them.
This first episode of Along The Lines has allowed me to learn some real true practices of what it truly means to be a creative entrepreneur. I invite you to highlight sections, take notes and remember all the nuggets of advice you find and stay tuned for our next episode.
Article by Shaneika Johnson-Simms
Photography by Raphael Boamah-Asare
