We had the good fortune of connecting with Cayla Birk. and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cayla, what habits do you feel helped you succeed?
Every entrepreneur is different: they have their own routines, work ethics, and inspirational activities. For me, how you do one thing is how you do everything. That being said, I’ve learned to hone in on my creative peak of the day, which happens to be in the morning. My strongest habits that have helped me flourish are my morning routine – it’s the nice lull of the early morning that helps me to plan my days, enjoy my dogs, reply to emails, and brainstorm.

I really can’t stress enough the importance of manifestation and organization. Some people thrive under chaos and I respect that, but I’ve always been a person who likes to keep things tidy. A clean space is a clean mind. Don’t get me wrong, I’m human and the studio gets in complete disarray, but there is beauty in that as much as there is in the return to a fresh slate.

From observing my art, you can see that it’s filled with verbiage, quotes, lyrics, and imagery – I tend to be a bit of an epistemologist. Seeking knowledge for the sake of seeking it is a really an empowering thing and I make sure to include that into my habits daily. A friend of mine said “The greatest sadness in life is to realize that’ll you’ll never learn everything” and I couldn’t agree more.

The world is vast, enjoy it and figure out how to succeed in your own way – we all have a time and purpose.

We want to know more about your art, can you explain it to us?
My artwork can technically be classified in many ways – it’s neo-dadaistic, graphic, and contemporary. It re-conceptualizes social and cultural subject matters. In my work, I allude to popular iconography, musical lyricism, and current verbal slang that pervade society. While boasting engaging, diverse subjects: secret orders, hip-hop music, and contemporary design – my work reproduces familiar visual signs, arranging them into new conceptually layered pieces.

I came from an advertising background, but always created art in my spare time. I truly believed that as long as I chose a career that allowed me to be creative, I would be fulfilled. I always considered myself more adept at the ideas and concept creation side of things, but sometimes life has a way of challenging you and proving otherwise. It wasn’t easy to get to this stage of my career, but I’ve got much further to go to achieve my goals, so I enjoy the obstacles in all their forms.

Being mentally strong and accepting that you’ll always face adversity allows you to change your perception of obstacles to lessons, it makes it more palatable to persevere. I’ve learned some lessons myself, mainly to always know the value in what you’re doing and never settle for anything less than what you desire in success.

I want the world to know many things about my brand and story, but I would rather let the work speak for itself – just know, you’ll be seeing me.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I am from South Florida and currently reside in West Palm Beach, so here’s my go-to list:

– Boat Day: this could be to Peanut Island, where JFK had his famous bomb shelter or my favorite is Jupiter to see the lighthouse and go to the sand bar.
– Lunch at Leftover’s Cafe or Food Shack (Pro Tip: Get the Sweet Potato Encrusted Hogfish + Indoroni)
– Beach Day: On Palm Beach with lunch from Buccan Sandwich Shop – get the beef carpaccio + fresh chips.
– Happy Hour or Dinner at Tropical Smokehouse, it’s the best smash burger in Palm Beach County.
– Saturday Green Market for coffee + breakfast followed by a trip to the Norton Museum.
– Friends + Family Dinner: I really enjoy cooking for friends and doing nice dinner parties, it’s a must.
– Sunday Brunch + a day of debauchery: 123 Datura + O’Sheas for a nice day drinking excursion.
– Other notable hospitality spots: Coolinary or Parched Pig, Ebisu, Sushi Yama on Clematis, Mediterranean Market + Deli, Square Grouper, and Petanque.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There have been so many people along the way that shaped who I am as a creative both professionally and personally. However, I do have to dedicate my shoutout to my mother – she’s the best mentor and inspiration I could ask for. Being a mother to a creative is no easy task, but she handles it with grace. This one and all the thousands next are for you Mama, thank you for everything.

Website: www.caylabirk.com

Instagram: @caylabirk

Twitter: @caylabirk

Image Credits
Capeheart Photography Tida Sroivattana Red Eight Gallery

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