Meet Airyes Itos

Today we’d like to introduce you to Airyes Itos.

Hi Airyes, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Hi! Thank you! In terms of my creative expression, I’d say there isn’t a definite beginning. I would say, my story begins with art being my escapism as a child. As soon as I could pick up a pencil, I began to create. Whether that be fashion designs, architecture I imagined, heroic figures, written stories, songs, and all the beauty I could dream up.

As I grew and moved along life, my passion for art expanded. Through my own creation, I found safety, hope, and value in myself. I began to explore parts of myself I desired to set free. As my confidence was building, so were the possibilities within myself. While life felt like a whirlwind, my love for art stayed consistent, which at times felt like my only. I dabbled in colors to paint vibrancy in the darkness, I acted in comedies to bring humor in days that felt nothing shorter than a tragedy, I wrote and sang songs of hope, despite feelings of utter fear.

When it comes to photos, as a child, they were mainly a source of memories documented. Cameras captured my attention quickly though. I would use my mother’s Polaroid camera, digital camera, camcorder, and her laptop’s webcam. Something about framing what I saw within 4 lines and then *click*, made me want to continue the joyous feeling of seeing what I had created from a moment. From then on, I continued to experiment and teach myself as I painted with pixels.

I taught myself to edit by sheer trial and error, I set up photoshoots with my sister and cousins, and I quickly became the family photographer. I improved my vision as I stayed consistent while having fun. My photos became a part of my self-expression as I entered the world of social media. I would photograph myself, edit the lighting, come up with my caption, announce to my feed that a new photo was coming, and then boom, share my creation.

The comments of support and admiration were something that felt so magical, I knew I had something I did not witness from another and that made me feel rare. Years later, to where I am now, I embrace my photography as one of my many passions and share my skills as a fashion, art, and event photographer. 12am, on the first of January of 2022, I launched my website, airyes.com.

Starting up a business has been challenging, yet, I am grateful and excited to expand myself as an artist and business owner. I still have that childlike imagination, creativity, and passion, now I simply have a growing business to complement that.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Creating a solid platform to launch my business has been a great challenge, still, I find myself inspired by my own adaptiveness and ability to learn as I grow.

There are pressures that at times feel so overwhelming, but I make it a point to problem solve and expand with trust. One challenge that I face, starting up my business as an artist, is marketing. I brainstorm quite a lot in order to figure out new ways to get my work to genuine inquirers while making a profit.

Challenges are welcomed, for when you face a challenge, you give yourself allowance to try new ways to overcome obstacles, or, even revisit challenging, but familiar, solutions that take great trust and confidence to overcome and conquer a new obstacle. I am excited to continue to learn, network, and illuminate my art as I run this new obstacle course.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Throughout my life as an artist, I wondered what I truly specialized in and if I should focus on solely one artistic medium. I have grown to realize, I am everything I enjoy and that it’s a true benefit to be able to incorporate all passions together. I am proud to reach people through word, sound, visual and overall raw feeling.

I am known for the poetry that I’ve written and shared. I have a few of my poems on my website airyes.com in my blog. I am grateful to be able to write and create music with my voice and words that I hold dear. I incorporate my skills in my business for my inner-child and allow myself to play while I create.

When it comes to my photography, I specialize in spontaneity, exploration, and being open to my imagination. There isn’t a standard pose, standard color scheme, standard feeling; there is undeniably so much I have yet to discover for myself and I am for sure open to adding more to my skills.

We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My favorite childhood memory has to be my time living in Iowa.

When I look into my memories of Iowa, I feel a sense of innocence and bliss. Although my years there were not perfect, it is a place within myself that I created to be joyous and sparkle from the past. I remember snowy days, building snowmen and forts.

I have fond memories of walking around town freely with my sister and cousins, seeing ladybugs and lightning bugs dancing in the air. It’s a time in my life I feel safe to revisit and share.

Contact Info:

• Email: airyes@airyes.com
• Website: airyes.com