Today we’d like to introduce you to Alejandra De Hoyos.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Alejandra. So, let’s start at the beginning, and we can move on from there.
I was born and raised in Tijuana and moved here when I was 15. To be very honest with you, I did not want to move here, at the time it was my worst nightmare, and I was super angry at life, I was a very angry teenager. When I lived in Tj, I felt I belonged to a community, and even though it was just the other side of the border and it sounds silly, as soon as I crossed that border, I felt like I was not part of a community anymore. I developed an intense anxiety of speaking English out loud to other people, so I didn’t make a lot of friends in High School, it became normal for me to not speak, but still, I felt suffocated. Naturally, I started drawing more, it was an instant outlet that compensated for my lack of verbal communication with others, I took the advanced art class and then the AP art class, it made me feel empowered in a time where I felt powerless.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
There have been many times where I have been frustrated by my limitations like we all have. My biggest struggle I think is coming to terms with the fact that this makes sense to me, that it makes sense to me to be spending my time and energy doing this and that that’s enough, sometimes it feels selfish to make art because the main reason I do it is because I have fun doing it. I still could not see myself not doing it, so I have to remind myself that making art because it makes sense to me is a valid enough reason.
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I run an Etsy store where I sell prints, stickers, and t-shirts; all hand made of course. I am proud of putting it together when I never thought I would be capable of doing that before, I actually never thought of it as a business until I got asked to be interviewed about my “business” it was a very surreal realization, like wow I really am an entrepreneur I really did that.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up I was always very silly, I didn’t take anything seriously and ate a lot of chocolates, now my teeth are really messed up. I was also the kid who never left the arts and crafts table at the parties, and that hasn’t changed. I always had to be working on a crafty project at home, my mom always impulsed me to be creative and had really cool ideas for projects to start next, I owe that to her. I stopped playing Barbies when my little sister wanted to stop, which to me was very sad because I honestly could have played two more years at least. I loved climbing trees and cooking for myself and my sister, and I laughed often.
Contact Info:
- Email: aledehoyos1@gmail.com
- Instagram: ale.dehoyos
- Other: Etsy by AlejandraDeHoyos
Image Credit:
Marcos Rodriguez
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