Check Out Amber Martinez’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amber Martinez. 

Hi Amber, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
My story started way back when I was a small child. I knew that I wanted to create art. The idea of putting my feelings and thoughts into a piece of visual comfort for myself seemed like a dream. It wasn’t until the spring of 2010 at the age of 32, with two kids and being treated with a second diagnosis of breast cancer was where I really jumped at the chance of turning my hobby into something a bit more serious, the thought that I could share with others, this part of who I am was seemingly insane because I have always had extreme anxiety and I was quite fearful of what others would think. After a while, I held on to the saying, “Art is subjective”, and it’s perfectly okay for people to not be interested in what you’re creating, you’re creating for yourself not everyone else. That lead me to reach deep down within myself and just go for it. 

Fast forward to 11 years later and my art has become the forefront of a teeny tiny creative business where sometimes I still pinch myself because I can’t believe that I did this, I’ve gotten this far because listening to negative critics was toxic, I took advice from those who were being constructive and more importantly, I stopped putting up with my own inner critic and kept going, even when I was fearful of the unknown and where this endeavor may or may not take me. 

Here I am, still creating, still in business and my heart and soul are still in love with what I do. 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There is no such thing as a smooth road in following your dreams. There will always be bumps, blood, sweat, bruises, and tears along the way. Most certainly the biggest struggle in my journey has been my inner critic, my anxiety, my inner commentator, and my inner antagonist. Many times, I’ve had to go to battle with my own thoughts of wanting to give up because of one bad project or one bad day, my inner antagonist makes excuses or doesn’t believe that I can “level up”. The anxiety in me has made me afraid, afraid to dream bigger, afraid to grow older, afraid to engage in the hard work to get where I want to be because of possible failure. However, oftentimes I have to experience failure and face all obstacles that present themselves in order to succeed. To need those reality checks in life is an important reminder to stay humble and to stay authentic. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My art is so weird (I just laughed out loud). My specialties are handstitched dolls and recycled/upcycled jewelry, I’m also fond of painting on canvas. People know me for creating voodoo dolls, a lot of statement pieces, and big ol’ weird earrings. I’ve taken my Chicano and Creole cultures and infused them into my painted creations. The magic that those cultures conjure up alone is beautiful, I wanted to put some of that beauty into my eccentricity. Mixing bright colors with macabre subjects and imbuing contemporary and folk art in the same creation brings me a slew of bliss. 

This artistic endeavor is my third child, it’s a cathartic practice, it gives me a purpose, a sense of peace. It’s healed me in many ways. I am not sure what else I would do if I couldn’t make art, I assuredly do not take my abilities to create for granted. I’m most proud of myself for not giving up throughout this 11-year journey. 

To be frank, nothing sets me apart from others, everyone is capable of bringing their own uniqueness to their art and creativity. The only person I want to be compared to is who I was when I started creating and who I am now while creating, my only competition is myself. 

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
Good fortune is something I am grateful for every day. It’s brought me so much goodness. I’ve definitely benefited from good luck throughout my life. For me, this question is a bit tough because I am a bit superstitious as well, so I don’t want to say too much. Just know that I am a big believer in luck and it has definitely made an imprint on my life and in my successful endeavors. 

Contact Info:

• Email: zomberama@gmail.com
• Website: www.voodoodollsagogo.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/voodoodollsagogo