It’s me, hi!
Ever since I can remember, I've been an artist. My earliest, proudest creation? A drawing of one of the dwarves from Snow White. This wasn't just any drawing—it was the first piece that truly made an impact on me. I was in first or second grade, and we had this collection of rubber figurines, about eight inches tall, of the seven dwarfs. Maybe we didn't even have Snow White. Anyway, I chose one dwarf, placed it in front of me, and used it as a reference for my drawing. I was incredibly proud of it, yet slightly disappointed when everyone thought I had just traced it. It wasn't seen as "my own creation."
Bittersweet, I know, but it's my first vivid "I am an artist" memory.
Fast forward a few years. Art always had a magnetic pull on me. When it was time to choose a university path, I wanted to study art. However, the daunting stigma of the 'starving artist' loomed over me, and I opted for graphic design instead. Well, that didn't go as planned—I didn't finish the course. In fact, I tried it twice. Then came a slew of careers and classes I attempted, all under the shadow of "I need to make money; art isn't a real job." Graphic design (again), commercial art, linguistics, becoming a simultaneous translator, even a tourist guide (which I completed but never got licensed for).
Eventually, I circled back to my true passion and went to university for Visual Arts. Those courses were a blast! Painting, tapestry weaving, photography, drawing, sculpture, and even jewelry making, mixed with some odd ones like "El Ser y el Cosmos" (I still don’t know what that class was about!). If it weren’t for my “bestest” friend Pauli, who helped me digest and summarize the readings, I might not have made it through. To give you a taste of the weirdness, our final exam involved sitting still for an entire hour, "meditating." Move, and you fail. Seriously!
I did get my degree in art, and it filled me with immense joy. But here's a reality check: that degree is just a piece of paper if you don’t apply it. You could be a rocket scientist and never do anything "rocket sciency" in your life. That's sort of what happened to me. I ended up working at an Art Supply store, thinking it would provide steady income to keep me from starving. Plus, being surrounded by art supplies (at a discount) meant I'd be creating masterpieces in my spare time, right? Well, not exactly…
I absolutely hoarded all the discounted art supplies. ALL OF THEM! Haha. So much so that when my nephew (who lives in another country and was around two years old) first visited my house and saw the boxes and clutter, he turned to my sister and asked, “Mami, is this Tía Güisi’s storage room?” Mind you, he was in my bedroom at the time...not my proudest moment. Yup, I had stuff!
For a long time, I truly enjoyed working at the art store and tried to channel my creativity at home. I opened not one, but two Etsy stores, aiming to sell my creations and make a living from my arts and crafts. I've been on Etsy since 2006, almost from its inception. However, this doesn’t mean I’ve been successful there; I've just had shops to which I uploaded things very inconsistently. Eventually, I stopped altogether. Do you see the pattern here? The most consistent thing in my life has been my inconsistency. I now suspect this might be due to undiagnosed ADHD. Still undiagnosed, by the way, but I've been watching all the YouTube videos, all the TikToks, and listening to all the podcasts, learning to cope and manage it myself. There’s a long road ahead!
Anyway, back to what you're here for: art, travel, and sustainability. That's what Ana Fiero is all about, after all. I'll delve into the art part today and save the other topics for another time. Who knew I had so much to say!
So, art. After 13 years at the art supply store, I decided it was time for something new. I mean, why not, right? So, I packed up my life and moved! And no, I don't just mean I changed zip codes. I changed continents! Now, I'm living it up in Cambridge, England, and let me tell you, it's awesome here. And since I know you're dying to know about the travel perks – oh, they're real! Once, I scored a flight from France for just 5 euros. Seriously, just five euros! Can you believe it? That's even less than a fancy-pants coffee!
I moved to Cambridge in the middle of the pandemic, a classic 'now or never' situation. So here I am, making it work! Okay, not quite 'killing it' yet, but I’m getting there.
I was fortunate to work from home initially—after all, a girl’s gotta eat. But once things improved, I started job hunting and ended up at an arts and crafts shop here in town. It was great at first, but gradually, like a less-than-perfect relationship, the quirks you once adored start to annoy you. I’m not proud of it, but one day, I reached my limit. Channeling Johnny Paycheck, I declared, “Take this job and shove it, I ain’t working here no more,” and walked out.
Holy shit, what did I just do??? Well, Ana, you know exactly what you did! Now what?
I had a vacation lined up to visit my brother in Texas, so off I went. It seemed like the perfect time to clear my head and come up with some sort of plan. Who knew that plan would morph into Ana Fiero!! Holy freaking moly!! My very own creative outlet, and it's actually going to pay the bills! Are you kidding me right now?
You know, I really hit the jackpot with my family. We're tight-knit, super supportive of each other – it's like having your own personal cheer squad. And my brother, well, he's been a cornerstone in this whole Ana Fiero adventure. His encouragement and belief in me have been game-changers. Seriously, without his push and guidance, I'd probably be flipping burgers in some subpar joint near the city centre by now. And oh, did I mention I’m plant-based? Yeah, that would literally be the worst job ever for me! So yeah, big shoutout to him and my whole fam!
There's a ton more to my story – hey, I've clocked in half a century – but let's fast forward to now. Here I am, doing exactly what that kid who once proudly sketched a Snow White dwarf wanted. Ana Fiero is here to share my love for art, crafts, DIY, sprinkled with adventures and a mission to be gentler to our planet.
There’s a long road ahead, one I’m buzzing with excitement to explore. And what's a journey without some good company, right? I’d love for you to join me on this adventure.
So, let’s kick things off with a bit of sharing. What’s your first art memory? Drop it in the comments – I’m all ears and can't wait to hear your stories!
-Ana Luisa
