Today we’d like to introduce you to Vanessa Villarreal.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Vanessa. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Since around the age of three, I have been experimenting with different forms of visual art, from crocheting to drawing, tapping into and developing my personal realm of artistic ability. However, one form of art that I was always intimidated by and consequently shied away from was painting. Creating a piece that I’d be content with almost seemed impossible due to the lack of control compared to sketching. As a result, I never really experimented with it until more recently in 2018. I was inspired to finally test the waters and pick up a paintbrush, paint, and a pair of thrifted jeans (one of my favorite pieces to thrift). Merging my love for sustainable fashion and visual arts, I carried myself away, discovering and refining a relatively new skill, escape, and form of expression.
This effort to come out of my comfort zone grew into a passion to encourage and awaken the artistic spirit that lies within myself. Greatly encouraged by many friends and followers on my personal account who I’d showcase my pieces to, I finally decided to share my art and make my pieces available to the public. With nothing but my faith in Christ, paint, and a growing collection of denim, I started Lion’s Den Creative with little expectations but high hopes of contributing to the expression of God’s creation through the visual arts, all while promoting Earth conscious shopping. And after simply showing up authentically to my growing audience and remaining faithful and hopeful of what this journey would entail, I was very miraculously featured on the September 2020 issue of Marie Claire Magazine (one year after starting LDC).
I couldn’t be more grateful of all that has unfolded in exactly one year and am excited for the future of LDC, not only as a business but for myself and the personal growth I’ll continue to experience. I am always so humbled and grateful for opportunities like this to continue to share my story!
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?
Honestly, I didn’t really have expectations which I think prevented almost any fear of disappointment or discouragement I probably would have had if I approached this any differently. At the beginning, I had a vision in mind for the Instagram page and I’m so thankful to know and have incredibly talented friends to have helped make my vision come to fruition with their photography skills. I’d say my faith, staying true to myself as an artist and a person, and the outpour of support even before LDC was a thing really carried me along the way, making this journey a rather smooth one for me.
However, more recently, one of my biggest struggles and frustrations has just been growing my audience. With Instagram’s new algorithm, it’s made it much more difficult to get engagement and exposure, even to my current followers, which is my primary means of showcasing and promoting my work at the moment. Although it is discouraging, I can’t lose hope. I’m confident in God’s will for this creative endeavor of mine and have to remind myself of all that has happened in just a year. This is also another reason why I do not take opportunities to share my art and story for granted, so thank you so much for reaching out!
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Lion’s Den Creative – what should we know?
Lion’s Den Creative combines sustainable fashion and the endless possibilities of art. Like I mentioned earlier, I always loved creating, and in 2016, I started thrifting and eventually became a huge advocate for conscious shopping after doing personal research on the implications of fast fashion. I decided to merge the two, painting on my personal collection of vintage denim, until I reached a point where I was comfortable with creating my own designs and styles to sell and make available to friends, family, and anyone else who found value in my art. Although I am primarily known for my hand-painted jeans (only on quality, vintage and/or durable REAL denim), I’ve expanded LDC to reflect my creativity in general. I started selling a couple of prints of original canvas paintings, reconstructed tops, hand-painted canvas tote bags, hand-made earrings, and vintage jewelry and accessory finds as well.
What I’m most proud of as a company also ties in with what sets me apart- since the beginning, I have embraced who I am as a person, consistently showing up authentically with my art and myself. I think that has made this journey so much more enjoyable and has helped creativity remain a priority over business. I always want to treat LDC as a creative journey before it is a business endeavor because that’s what keeps each piece authentic and keeps me motivated to continue to create. And like my sister always reminds me, no one will ever be able to do my art like I do it which is enough to set me apart from other artists the way it does every other artist! Also, not to mention, being featured on Marie Claire was definitely the proudest moment for my company and one of the proudest personally!
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I know I mentioned it several times, but I’d have to say my faith, my authenticity, and how intentional I am with treating LDC as a creative journey and outlet before it is a business.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lionsdencreative.com
- Email: lionsdencreativeart@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lionsdencreative
Image Credit:
Violet Flowers jeans shot by Camila Arana, The Wave and Woman with Afro jeans shot by Emily Yoon
Suggest a story: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.