Meet Sylvia Castro | Polymer Clay Artist

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

Hi Sylvia, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Ever since I was young I have these memories of being so drawn to create things with my own hands. My mom really had a big impact on motivating me to pursue my dreams and that I could create anything I wanted. My creativity began with my love for baking. My grandma would bake and I would be right there with her learning everything along the way. I would sit for hours with recipe cards and magazines dreaming of the day I could create my own beautiful cakes. I went on to try and purse my career in baking but life had a different path for me. I remember the day that I knew I had to drop out of college. It was a cold, rainy day and I had to take the city bus to the college to let them know I was dropping my courses. I got on the bus, I sat down, I looked out the window listening to my music trying my best to hold back my tears. When I noticed a little old man waving to get my attention, I looked up and took my headphones off to hear what he had to say. When then he opened a little tin filled with the most beautiful rose pins. He said to me that he makes these pins and he carries them around for when he find someone that he feel deserves one. I smiled and said they were beautiful and he told me ” Pick one, I want you to have one”. I was hesitant and told him no they were too beautiful he should save them for someone else but he insisted that he wanted me to have one. I smiled, while holding back tears and picked one tiny beautiful rose pin out of the tin and told the man Thank you. I never saw him again but I knew I would cherish the rose forever and still have it until this day. Years passed and I saw a video of a woman creating earrings out of a medium called polymer clay. A medium that I had never heard of before. It was then that I realized that the rose pin from years ago that was given to me was made with that same medium. I have always believed in signs that show us we are on the right path in life. I believe that day when I was given that rose was a sign that even though one artistic career ended another one would begin one day. To my surprise polymer clay and cake decorating have very similar techniques so I still am able to use my past skills. I really am blessed to be able to have a career that I get to create beautiful works of art every day.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
When I first started with polymer clay like any other hobby or craft I have pursued I did extensive research of the medium from products, techniques, and also did research into how to start a small business like mine. I proud myself that I don’t have one style or that I don’t mass produce my pieces. I love making pieces that have some kind of connection to my life like things that remind me of my childhood that others have memories of too or just how I am feeling that day. I want my art to be unique to each and every person that chooses my art to wear. I only make one to two of my bigger earrings to keep that uniqueness and make it more enjoyable for me to create. The road to where I am in my business was not easy, sure the process of creating the earrings honestly is the easiest part but the business part of things were and are still hard to balance. But learning and seeking the advice and knowledge from fellow small business owners have really helped me with knowing how to grow my business. I have learned a treasure trove of things but there are a few key pieces that have helped me tremendously. One I would say I still practice today is not to question your worth, not everyone will love or appreciate your art, they will question everything about it from the price to the aesthetics but your need to true to your beliefs. Another one that I feel most artists go through is comparing your art, or capabilities and even success of other businesses to your own. It’s great to want to expand your knowledge, skills, or build a more successful business but when it comes detrimental to your thought process it’s different. I really try to appreciate every success, big or small and even the losses because everything means progress and has some kind of lesson to be learned. I would want the world to know about my brand and me is that I chose the name of my brand for because my true belief that self expression in any form is important for everyone, without it you wouldn’t be able to show the world who you are.

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.
The first place we would go is to see the beautiful mountains in Colorado Springs and see all of the breathtaking waterfalls. We would go to one of my favorite places to eat called Front Range Barbeque, everything is made in house so you can’t go wrong with anything on the menu. For fun, I’m still a little kid at heart so we would visit the penny arcade in Manitou Springs, there are not only great nostalgic games but a nice strip of small businesses to walk around to a find some great treasures that range from food to many other things.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would love to give recognition to my mom, my grandma and the rest of my family for their continued support for me to achieve my goals. I would also love to give recognition to my husband who helped me start my business from the beginning and even now still shows his support helping me with ideas, to giving critiques, to helping with my shows, and always being there for the ups and downs. Lastly, but definitely not least my beautiful boys, they keep me going every single day, to see how they have the same creative spark as I did as a child is amazing. To see and hear them being shocked to see my ideas and thoughts come to life with my own two hands and for them to want to do the same. Creating those memories together is truly priceless. I would not be where I am in my career and life without each and every one of these special people in my life and I’m so grateful.

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Other: Email: self.expression02@gmail.com