Meet Mikayla Gutierrez

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mikayla Gutierrez.

Mikayla, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Art began as a form of therapy for me at a young age. Having a troubled home life, art was a place that I could escape to without actually having to go anywhere. I was diagnosed with depression as a young adult, but art helped me forget about my problems and helped me focus on fantasy, creativity, beauty, and expression. I remember at the age of 13, one of my first paintings was of flowers. I looked down and thought, “I really want to get good at this.”

And ever since then, I haven’t stopped trying to be great. Now I am 20, and art is still my therapy. I’ve conquered my depression, but day to day life still has its struggles, and art continues to be a place that I can escape into. A place where I can truly reflect on my reality, my feelings, psyche, emotional core. I’ve discovered more about myself in my art than I had in therapy when I was young. I never realized the impact I would have on others with my art today.

I’ve expressed myself through it for almost a decade, and I’ve gotten to see how something that seems so natural to me can be so awe-inspiring to others. Today, I am a full-time art major at College of the Sequoias, studying under some of the most profound artists you would ever meet. I also try to stay as involved as I can in our local artist community, showing my art around town, and making art for local businesses.

It’s been an amazing journey from being a young and depressed 13-year-old, painting images I liked off of Tumblr, to being 20 years old and featured on the Latino Life segment of ABC 30 News in Fresno for my art, I am truly humbled and blessed.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Nothing that has value in my life has come easily to me. Though my parents have always been ever so supportive of my freelance personality and interests, I think my biggest struggle in the art game has been the battle against myself! Conquering my own mind, giving in to art rather than giving into the dark hole that has made a home in my heart.

Every day is a conquest to heal. I think every day, people wake up on the battleground of the mind. In this life, I have chosen art as my shield and my weapon. It’s deciding what I want to fight for that is the struggle. When you’re an artist, there is pressure to perform. People always want to see new work, and they expect it to be as good as the last, if not more profound.

What others may not understand is that I am not political, that my art isn’t for others, it’s simply the story book of my life experiences. Developing the gusto to reveal myself and my life to others takes a lot of guts. It can heart wrenching to express myself through my art, just to reflect on how much hurt I am feeling, and it’s even harder to showcase that to people.

We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I love to paint. It’s my greatest passion! Although I do study other mediums of art in school, painting is by far my favorite form of expression. It’s definitely what I am known to be best at. From the feedback I’ve obtained from others, I am most known for the vulnerability I express in my art.

I am not afraid to show others how I truly feel, and what’s really going on with me. And I say “show” because I do this through visual art, never through my words (unless I’m asked about the art piece of course). As a creative, I am most proud of my ability to fully express myself, no matter how passionate, scary or low I may feel. I take pride in who I am as a person.

My experiences have shaped who I am, and I am not afraid to tell my story. I have a narrative to tell, and my life is important. My feelings and ideas are all valid, and expressing them through my art is very important to me because who I am is important to me.

So, what should we be on the lookout for, what’s next in store for you?
My plans for the future definitely involve the continuation of my study. Once I finish my AA here in Visalia, I plan on transferring to another school where I can study under other amazing artists. I just want to study as of right now, and afterwards, I’ll see where my formal education takes me.

Pricing:

• Portraits start at $200

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Mikayluvvv?ref=search_shop_redirect
• Email: mikaylagutierrez54@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikaylamgutierrez/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artofmikaylamgutierrez/

Image Credit:
@havebike on Instagram

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