Meet Sierra Ventimiglia

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

Hi Sierra, what do you attribute your success to?
Ever since I was a little girl I’ve had an obsessive personality. I would get attached to habits and thoughts that were self destructive and it made me feel like I had no control over my life. Throughout my adolescence I struggled with OCD. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I realized I didn’t need to let this disorder be my downfall. If I couldn’t get rid of it… maybe i could use it to my advantage. Maybe I could choose exactly what I wanted to obsess about, and if I chose the right things… maybe my “obsessive personality” could be my superpower.

So I guess my superpower is that, I chose to be obsessed with art, obsessed with my project, obsessed with learning… And that led me to where I am today.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
WOW! What a freaking question. This art journey started before i could even walk! I cant quite explain it… but art is a necessity for me. its something i do without thinking, and if i go to long without doing it… i don’t feel like myself. I was always drawing as a little girl. which led to me doodling in class at high school, Which led to me becoming incompetent in any subject that wasn’t art, which led to me graduating without good grades, which led to me not going to college, which led to me traveling the world with the little money i saved up for working at a fish taco restaurant, paying for my travels with murals and art that i exchanged for accommodation along the way. And somewhere in the middle of my travels… I ran out of money, learned to tattoo and the rest is history.

I guess that’s what I’m most proud of. The story. The fact that my journey to where i am today was a crazy unplanned ridiculous journey that made no sense… and I’ve still made it pretty far.

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?
Hmmm, great question! I don’t really like going to formal events… they make me feel trapped. My favorite things to do are always outside. Going on hikes, walking around the city people watching… coffee and ice cream… always at all times. Picnics are my favorite, Where we can be as messy and loud as we want and nobody cares.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My family! Who else! The whole crazy bunch of ’em. I have no idea who I’d be without those people. Besides them… Every single person along the way that believed in me: My coworkers from back when I worked pushing carts at a grocery store, to the people at the very first tattoo shop that opened its doors to me in Barcelona… and everyone in between.

Website: https://www.yilovdesigns.com/

Instagram: @yilov__

Image Credits
credit @jhonatanmoph credit @jared_villalobos