Today we’d like to introduce you to Aura Walmer.
Aura, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Art and music have always been outlets of expression and creativity for me. As a child in my parents’ flower shop, I was surrounded by color and organic visuals that fueled my imagination. I spent my time with pencils and paper, drawing for hours on end. Classic rock, jazz, or classical music were always playing in the car and at home, and I grew up singing along to songs by The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and a thousand others.
As I grew older, I continued to keep art and music in my life but saw them as hobbies that I happened to be passionate about, rather than serious pursuits. Studying economics and mathematics at UC Santa Cruz, I dove into the field of development economics, and in the few years following my graduation, I worked as a research associate on various academic studies in Peru and Ghana. I traveled with my guitar and sketchbook, always knowing under the surface that my dream was to create colorful visual art to connect with people through music.
It was upon my return to San Diego in 2018 that I decided to dedicate more of my time and focused energy towards my artwork and growth as a musician — that is, to bring my artistic endeavors to the front burner. I began painting and drawing as much as I could in my spare time and started going to open mic nights every week. The creative part of me slowly began to blossom again. A few months later, I started selling prints of my artwork and had my first paid solo gig at Zel’s in Del Mar.
Today, I am excited to see the progress of my creative undertakings, and am motivated to keep moving forward! I have a wonderful day job as a data scientist at a biotech company, which keeps me intellectually nourished and allows me to learn daily. Each day when I come home, I am grateful to have my own creative studio space in which I can paint and write songs. The chapters of my life have varied to a profound degree, but the one thing that remains consistent is the joyful sensation I have while singing a melody or painting a canvas — it is truly cathartic for me, making me feel grounded and confident in my own identity.
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?
It has taken me a long time to identify as an artist and musician — I have often struggled with the idea that I’m not good enough to be taken seriously. Self-doubt has been an ongoing obstacle that I’ve had to grapple with! But as I’ve started to put myself and my work out there, people have responded positively. This has encouraged me to continue developing my portfolio and repertoire.
In the past, I treated the “academic” and “creative” parts of myself as separate, isolated entities that clashed with one another. This caused a lot of inner conflicts because I wasn’t sure which “side” I was supposed to focus on. But over time I’ve come to realize that we are multifaceted humans and that no part of the self should be sacrificed for the sake of societal norms. The world seems to instill a belief in us that we can only pursue one single thing, or that we should only aspire to what is reasonably attainable. But more and more, I find myself surrounded by people who are taking on new and challenging pursuits, who have flourishing side-hustles (and main-hustles), and who are breaking stereotypes left and right. I believe that we should not limit ourselves, or sacrifice an interest due to impracticality. There is so much to explore in this lifetime and so many things that can activate one’s curiosity!
My challenge right now is giving my creative endeavors the time and focused energy they deserve. Having a full time job can sometimes make it difficult, but I’m learning to hone in on what I’m most passionate about and to use each spare minute I have to the fullest.
Please tell us about your art.
I am a visual artist (painter, illustrator, etc.) and a singer/songwriter. My artwork is always changing as I experiment with different materials and techniques. But since moving to Encinitas this year, I have been especially inspired by the vibrant surf/skate culture that surrounds me. I have had the wonderful opportunity to be involved with multiple all-women surf and skate collectives, and this community has inspired my work significantly. Lady skaters and surfers are beginning to pop up in my artwork! I also recently painted my first custom skate deck, and plan to paint many more shortly. I want to create artwork that reflects the idea of broken stereotypes; I want to create artwork that is expressive, unabashed, and that sparks joy in others.
In the coming year, I am excited to follow this path of inspiration and to expand my art business. In my online shop, I will have several products available, including giclée fine art prints, greeting cards, hand-painted skate decks, and T-shirts.
As a musician, I am in love with the genres of classic rock, blues, Americana, jazz, and folk. I try to integrate these various styles into my setlist and put my whole heart into each song that I sing. I love performing — I’m quite the goofball, and am very expressive when I play music. I think it’s a way for me to break the ice with the audience, and let people get a better sense of who I am. Something that I specialize in musically is crafting a jazzy or sassy arrangement of an old song. People recognize the tune, but it’s in a style that they haven’t heard before.
The next step for me in music is to focus on songwriting as well as improving my technical skills. Songwriting is challenging for me, but as I commit more time to it, the inspiration has become more consistent. Another musical goal of mine is to start gigging more. Currently, I play at various bars/restaurants in North County San Diego, and I would love to perform at more venues or music events. I have a long journey ahead, but I know that one day I will fulfill my dream of touring with a band!
I think that my “art + music” brand is unique because it authentically reflects who I am. I just want to share my artistic endeavors with whoever is interested, and open as many doors as possible! I hope that the more I share and express, the more I will connect with other artists and musicians that have similar passions.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
For me, open-mindedness and a willingness to “show up” has been beneficial to my business. It’s amazing how generous people can be, or how excited they are to help you if you just reach out and share your goals with them. That’s certainly how I’ve found multiple performance opportunities and/or spaces for my artwork.
I think it’s important to be willing to seek out new opportunities and events on one’s own. Getting stuck in a small network of comfort can make it difficult to grow and open new doors. When you show up at a new event and make an effort to meet the other creative people you find there, there is a chance to exchange knowledge and ideas.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.aurawalmer.com
- Phone: (619) 507-1532
- Email: aurawalmer@gmail.com
Image Credit:
Allan @allanssd
Alec @a_k_photo_
Nuri @nturkoqlu
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