Today we’d like to introduce you to Ana Martinez.
Hi Ana, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My curiosity and openness to change have guided me throughout my life. After I graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a BA in Latin American Literature and a minor in communications, I followed my interest in Spanish-language television and moved to Miami. As a television producer I started with the famous variety show, Sabado Gigante and later joined the “Spanish Oprah,” Cristina Saralegui, as a producer in her talk show. There, I not only traveled throughout the United States to our biggest markets, but also met countless celebrities and earned an Emmy for This is your life: Eddie Olmos.
After working in Univision, Telemundo, MTV Latin America, and Centroamerica TV, I was itching to do my own thing and make an impact in my community. I started “Words and Music,” a monthly literary and musical event in Coral Gables during gallery walk night. I presented poets and local bands for three years. When I realized I needed additional financial security, I started working in events, which lead me into fundraising. I never studied this field, development, but I love authentic relationships and conversations and I think those traits have paved the way into a long fundraising career in New York and locally.
In-between years, I honored my personal need to create. As a visual artist I’ve exhibited in group shows in New York and Miami, and as a poet I published my first chapbook, That Place. In short, I listen to my curious nature and follow where it leads.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The challenges I’ve encountered along the way have been a result of change and getting out of my comfort zone. When I took the risk to start my own company, I faced financial obstacles. When I decided to leave television and start a career in fundraising, I started from scratch, it was like learning a new language. When I decided to give my art a shot, I literally walked into another world. The art world is a challenge in every single way, how to sustain oneself as a full-time artist, how to get one’s art seen etc. I had to embrace rejection and not give up on myself, and it paid off . It is a constant struggle.
When I moved from Miami back to NY to take on a Vice President position in the South Bronx, I literally jumped into the unknown and came out better on the other side. When I returned to Miami after five years in NYC to care for my Mom, I hardly recognized this city post-pandemic. I had to reconnect with old friends and colleagues, and start over. The city changed, and so had I. Every new experience is a challenge, getting out of one’s comfort zone is not always fun, but it is the fastest way to grow.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
As a self-taught multi-disciplinary artist, I am constantly amazed by the creative process. I start with an idea, and the process leads the way. It’s alchemy. I am a tree lover and believe in the need to connect intimately with our non-human kin. This need ignited my Tree Stories series where ecology and spirituality meet. I think of trees as storytellers, receptacles of Time, divine protectors of souls. I love working with soft pastels on recycled cotton rag paper or raw canvas as well as with natural materials like tree bark. I was ecstatic when I got the opportunity to collaborate with designer Gabriela Hearts in her Fall/Winter 2022 collection. She is a huge activist for sustainable fashion and a tree lover herself, hence the collaboration was a dream come true.
It is my hope that my art ignites a sense of care for our living planet.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Recently I hear myself constantly saying, I love slow living. At this point in my life, I enjoy authentic conversations, friends who show up when things get tough, paying attention to diverse voices, including the non-human. I find joy in the smallest of things, like a shadow moving against my living room wall or the morning I wake up to my blooming orchid. When I live slowly, I pay attention and attention is the rarest of gifts. It’s where creativity thrives. As a matter of fact, I’m beginning a new project, an idea which was born out of paying attention, and nothing makes me happier than to be immersed in a creative endeavor.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.anamartinezorizondo.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amoexpression/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anam31/
