Introduction: My Journey as an Artist

I have loved drawing and painting since I was a little girl. At first, I was fascinated by graffiti, spending hours sketching bold letters, playing with shapes and colors. Later, I became obsessed with drawing fashion, sketching outfits I wished I had. My grandmother, a talented tailor in Supía, Caldas, Colombia, filled my childhood with fabrics and designs, and I admired how she brought creations to life. Art was always part of me, but when I moved to the United States at 12, life got busier. I dabbled in graffiti again, but my teenage years were consumed by sports, especially volleyball, leaving little time to focus on drawing.

At 16, everything changed. I started experiencing excruciating pain, and doctors discovered deterioration in three discs of my lumbar spine. Though I had struggled with depression before, this was the first time I felt completely lost. My junior year was spent mostly in bed, unable to move, sometimes even unable to feel my legs. Surgery was an option, but with a 50% chance of ending up in a wheelchair, it felt like my world had collapsed. Then, I watched Frida, the film about Frida Kahlo’s life. Her resilience in the face of suffering resonated with me. She poured her pain into art, and that realization changed everything for me. I began drawing again—not just what I planned, but what emerged from my soul. Art became my therapy, my way of processing emotions I did not know how to express. It was in those moments, alone with my sketches, that I truly understood the power of creation. Art saved me, and ever since, it has been my most honest form of self-expression.

And just like that, what started as a hobby became a lifeline. Funny how life works, right? One day, you are just doodling letters, and the next, you are pouring your soul onto a canvas. So here is a thought—if you ever find yourself lost, pick up a pen, a brush, or even a crayon. Who knows? You might just find a part of yourself waiting on the other side of the page.