Rising Stars: Meet Laura Amezquita

Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Amezquita.

Laura, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Colombian-born, American-raised– I’m a first-generation immigrant. For the first few years of my life, I spent in Cali, Colombia at my grandmother’s house drawing and watching my aunts and uncles making art.

From ceramics, wood carving, and metal embossing, to painting and tailoring, I saw my family/relatives making everything. At the age of eight (1999), my single mother moved us to live with my future stepfather in San Diego, California where we lived till 2011.

There, my stepdad would take us to Sea World, Zoos and art museums, and art fairs. I feel like in this period of time (from infancy to preteen) I was exposed to a lot of human expressions; diverse arts and cultures, hence inspiring me to this day.

When I describe myself as an artist I often use the term “creative”. From a young age, I was into coloring and sketching, delving into line work and acrylic painting in my teens, photography in my young adult life and early twenties, videography, video editing, songwriting, and recording in my late twenties.

Now in my thirties, I indulge in all these methods of creation along with digital collage, and music production. I used to hear, “A jack of all trades is a master of none…”, to my dismay, not realizing the second line went like, “but oftentimes better than master of one.” wherever that came from, it flatters me.

Spiritually, I feel this is not so much my “calling” as much as it is my expression. I believe that the purpose of mankind is to realize, learn, grow, transcend and express… the last one being most prevalent. This is my continual path and the purpose of my current work.

Who knows what else I come up with.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
After leaving Colombia, I found myself in a lonely place. There wasn’t all the family and support I had experienced in my former years. After we. moved to Coral Springs, in South Florida I became a temperamental, confused, and misunderstood teenager feeling like I had no one to trust.

I found some comfort in friends and a lot more in music which was often as high energy and experimental as myself. I got into recreational drugs at an early age, stealing, sneaking around, and lying. Hence, I spent a lot of time grounded and by myself. Though my parents tried the best they knew how they too didn’t know how to handle me.

By the age of 16, I desired something, anything that “made sense”. That’s when I met a Christian evangelist and eventually joined his cult. We started dating and against my parents’ wishes, the moment I turned eighteen I eloped and married him. By nineteen, I had my first child, my husband became my oppressor, the Christian god became my fear, and it felt like there was no turning back.

Twice I left him to go to an abused women’s shelter, By the second time I left for good, but not without my two children, zero economic support, and promises of hell fire. I was officially divorced in 2015 and it has taken years to unlearn, and undo the damage organized authoritarian religion left. As painful as some of my experiences have been, these have all served their purpose, thanks to my will to learn, grow and transcend my former self again and again.

In the years, I was married I had been kept away from my “sinful” family, whom I had little to no contact with. My parents moved to South Carolina, which it’s where my kids and I ultimately ended up after my separation. I found my mother and I were just as hard-headed and that I had to find my own means.

From there I became homeless and started staying at a local women’s shelter, this time I had a plan. I was gonna obtain all the help I could for my kids and I was going to work my butt off, all of which I did and am still doing.

These challenges were my stepping stones to maturity and self-awareness. “Women (or anybody with self will, and determination) are like tea bags, we don’t know our true strength until we are in hot water!”, Eleanor Roosevelt

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a multimedia creative, expressing through mural, traditional and digital painting, digital collage, papier-mâché sculpture, digital photography, photo editing, videography, video editing, recording singer-songwriter, and music production.

I am mostly known for my visual art, my creative events, and my persevering spirit. I’m proud of my constant state of desire for self-improvement in myself and my work. I’m yet to create the next “best” idea. Currently, my pursuit has been to expand my creative community.

Having become a bit of an introvert, I’m proud of myself when I make events happen.. even against my socially emotional distress. What “sets me apart” is my desire for collective awareness, growth, and expression. I admire people like Gary Vaynerchuk, who seek to change those around him, and the world for the better– in all areas of life.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Imagination, creativity, determination, and humility with the genuineness that it brings.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lva.earth
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lva_arte/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lva.llc
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/lvastudios
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXqNlF8eOJ3Od8ZutO28Gzg
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/theonelavic
• Other: https://linktr.ee/lva.studios

Image Credits
Photography of LVA by Leah Mcgrade, and Ernesto Gutierrez