Meet Natalia da Silva | artist, baker, bad joke maker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Natalia da Silva and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Natalia, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
My work use to be SPECIFICALLY work. It didn’t feel fun, it didn’t feel like I was accomplishing anything, and it certainly didn’t contribute to my art career. However, all of the work I’ve done before this point got me to where I am now, even if I did not necessarily enjoy it. Sometimes, you have to be a little uncomfortable to get to the point of comfort. I started working when I was sixteen at a mall, and as the years passed, I progressed more and more into the art world. Currently, I work at Meow Wolf Denver as Exhibition Maintenance, so I get to create and experiment all day with my wonderful time. I have a small side business in which I create my own prints, stickers, and clothing, so regardless, I am always creating. These days, it’s easy to balance my work life and personal life; either way, I’m doing something I love.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’ve always considered myself as a “self-employed artist”, because I create all of my own products and ship them out myself. I consider myself to be pretty independent, if not stubborn, so my hard head has kept me going all these years. Yes, sometimes i think I should just start a completely new career, but I realize I would end up retreating to what I love the most. As of right now, I’m incredibly lucky to be where I am. I’m 22, graduating college, with an excellent job. For me, I wouldn’t want anything to change anytime soon. This year has been full of a lot of changes, some difficult, some easy, but they have all formed me into a better person. One thing that changed me as an individual was after a series of unfortunate events, I realized I had to start living for myself. I have been living for other people all these years, and it was truly exhausting. Doing what’s best for yourself can also be exhausting too, if not confusing. I’ve been creating since the day I was born, so it has truly been a life-long practice to get to where I am now. Lots of falling and getting back up again, lots of trial and error, lots of excitement, and even tears. But right now, I’m happier than I ever have been, and I think it will progress from here. This isn’t the end of my story, even if it feels like I’m stuck sometimes. I’ve begun to be unapologetically ME, and realize that some people may not enjoy that, and others will. But my goal is to speak my truth, to create whatever comes to mind, and inspire others.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Obviously, you have to come to Meow Wolf, Convergence Station. I don’t want to ruin anyone’s experience, but it’s a pretty damn cool spot. Next, if you like plants, I live next to an adorable, family owned plant store, “City Floral”. They have a little bit of everything, and everyone is super sweet. There are a few antique stores around town, as well as some pretty unique oddity shops, so those are always fun to stop into. Denver has a lot of good spots, but they are definitely “hole in the wall” type spots. Good things take time to find. 🙂

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to acknowledge a few people. First is my mom and my sister Raquel. You both inspire me every single day to keep creating, and I see beauty in everything because of you. You taught me to be kind, considerate, and strong. I’m so lucky to have the both of you in my life. Next, I want to thank my team at Meow Wolf. I don’t even know where to begin. When I started my position, I was scared. I felt like I didn’t belong and I wasn’t doing enough for the team…I was soon convinced otherwise. Everyday, I’m inspired to branch out and try things I never would have dreamed of. I want to thank my coworkers for making this experience feel like home. Everyday is a blast, and I haven’t laughed this hard in a long time. You guys make me want to get better. Thank you. Last, I want to thank my best friend, Autumn. I love you so much, thank you for putting up with my craziness for all these years. I don’t know what I would do without you.

Website: ready2gogh.com

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