Meet Trailblazer Amber “Amberama” Martinez

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amber “Amberama” Martinez.

Amber, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My story started way back to that little girl who was born and raised in Colorado, she was painfully shy, emotional, and sensitive. My story continued on to the artsy, daft and awkward teenager who had no idea what I wanted to do with my life other than to be “young and free”. Then, came my early twenties, during this time I gave birth to two children and received a breast cancer diagnoses. Between then and now, despite many hardships; I have built a creative business, received a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in psychology and have become a licensed mental health worker. All of those moments, surprises, decisions and choices have molded and influenced this person that I am right now; a mother, an artist, a business owner, a community participant, a counselor, and a survivor.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have definitely been bumps in, on, and around this road that I’ve been skipping down.

Specifically, in my creative business, and that of being a counselor. There have been times that creating art and being of assistance to others came to a halt due to personal issues, illness and or financial reasons. It has proved that putting my creative business or services on a temporary hold can be detrimental, the consequences can be catastrophic to one’s morale. The trials and tribulations of mental blocks and burn out as a creative and a helper is something I am all too familiar with, so I have to level with it, think on it and break out of it by engaging in self-care because I love what I do and I don’t want it to become something that I resent.

Believing in yourself and believing you can do something no matter the roadblock is something that you never stop practicing. Adversity comes in different forms, it’s easy to talk yourself out of opportunities that will, in essence, be valuable one day. I didn’t get to where I am at now without experiencing the lows.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Voodoo Dolls A Go-Go – what should we know?
My creative business is called Voodoo Dolls A Go-Go, I’ve owned and carried it for nine and a half years now. It started as a rainy day hobby in my teeny tiny kitchen in my Cap Hill apartment in March of 2010. I was raising my kids, working a couple of different part-time jobs and thought it would not only be fun but also therapeutic. Art has been a big part of who I am since I was a small child. Voodoo and voodoo dolls had always piqued my interest. The macabre of certain subjects always made me curious. I come from a Chicano and Creole background, my dad is from Texas and my mom is from Louisiana, so much of my inspiration is drawn from my roots.

I started hand stitching fabric together in a not so great looking doll form at the time, stuffed them, used beads and anything else I could find to decorate them with, they were given as little novelty gifts at first and then I heard, “You should start selling these.”. That’s precisely what I did. A friend of mine was working at a local bar at the time and wanted to start an art bizarre there, so together we curated a first Sunday art bizarre every month and that’s where Voodoo Dolls A Go-Go really got attention and from there, I would set up a table along other artists every month with a new collection of dolls and within an hour or two, I would sell out. I began making jewelry and adding those pieces to my table every month as well, pretty soon a Facebook page just for my art came about. My dolls would not only sell at trunk shows, but people started asking for custom made dolls; ones that shared the likeness of their friends, family members, favorite characters, actors, musicians, etc..

In 2012, I started to sit in on voodoo practices with a Haitian priestess by the name of Nadège, she would go on to educate me on the beliefs and variants of voodoo. She would sit with me for the next several years and teach me how to practice. She became an influence on how my traditional dolls would evolve into what they are now and why they have cultural importance.

Within these nine years, I have handstitched and sold 843 dolls, I still make and sell jewelry and have added canvas paintings and amateur photography to this teeny tiny endeavor of mine. There is also a junior to my senior when it comes to being creative; my 12-year old daughter hand makes dolls, creates jewelry and canvas painting as well, she goes by, “Voodoo Dolls A Go-Go Jr.”. I’m forever proud of the fact she loves to create as much as I do.

It’s been a wild ride with literal blood, sweat, and tears and I wouldn’t do it any differently!

One day in the very near future, I hope to incorporate my creative work into my mental health wellness work as an art therapist.

What’s the most important piece of advice you could give to a young woman just starting her career?
My advice to any young woman who is starting their journey is to listen to your gut; do what feels right. There will be times that things feel tough and you may get discouraged, but patience, hard work, intention and the ability to level and rationalize with yourself is important. Eat well, drink a lot of water, sleep and create an amazing playlist of your favorite music that moves you while you wade through some of the rougher waters, it can be curative and often times expressive and inspirational in regards to what happens next. Don’t forget to be humble and grateful for all of the opportunities that come your way, they will assist in paving that road that allows you to succeed. No matter what your career is or what it encompasses, remember, no “gig” is too small.

Contact Info:

• Email: zomberama@gmail.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/voodoodollsagogo
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/amberama22

Image Credit:
The black and white personal photo of me was photographed by Betty Garcia of Betty Garcia Photography

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