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Space Coast Podcast Network
Local Celebrity Podcast - Art as Resilience: The Inspiring Journey of Honduran Artist Andrea Castaneda
What if art could be a beacon of inspiration, an instrument of resilience in the face of adversity? This episode illuminates the powerful journey of Honduran artist Andrea Castaneda, whose life and creations reflect strength and survival. Born and raised in a country marred by violence, Andrea discovered art to be her sanctuary, her means to communicate, inspire, and heal. She candidly shares her life experiences, from dealing with the tumultuous socio-political landscape in her home country to enduring bullying and coming to terms with being diagnosed with bipolar disorder and autism.
Discover how Andrea uses art as a means to navigate through her struggles and channel her experiences into a medium for education and empathy. We dissect the symbolism in her artwork, from the recurring motif of the color blue to a poignant piece on animal captivity. The conversation takes a somber yet inspiring tone as we delve into the importance of recognizing and understanding conditions like autism and bipolar disorder. You'll get to see how art can be a powerful tool in raising awareness and fostering empathy for these struggles.
We also talk about Ben, the 32-year-old artist's partner who has played a crucial role in managing her bipolar disorder. Andrea's candidness as she narrates her experiences in pursuing opportunities and navigating the world of solo exhibits, despite her shyness, is truly inspiring. We round out the episode with a vibrant conversation on spirituality, cultural differences, and future aspirations. This is an episode that promises to inspire, enlighten, and reminds us of the undeniable healing power of art. Tune in and let these stories touch your heart and mind.
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This podcast is brought to you by Place Pros, commercial and Investment Real Estate and NikoTour Boutique, your one stop shop for everything cool. Hello, I'm here with Andrea Castaneda. I've seen your artwork all around town. You've been in galleries in New York City.
Speaker 2:Miami.
Speaker 1:Washington DC, Italy. I saw that. Milan, right, yes. And what brings you here?
Speaker 2:Well, I came here with my boyfriend Ben, and so we decided to live here because it's a nice city. But bring me in the United States. I study in Georgia, savannah.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:University of Savannah College of Art and Design.
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, I wanted to go there too. Wait, let's take it back, though. You're from Honduras, you were born there, yes, and when did you come to the States?
Speaker 2:So I came to study to the States on 2014. How old were you? I was like 24.
Speaker 1:Okay, not 22.
Speaker 2:I was a long time ago. I'm 32 now, okay.
Speaker 1:Okay, so you've been here for about 10 years.
Speaker 2:No, like I went back and forward, back and forward.
Speaker 1:From Honduras to the States. Yeah, back and forward.
Speaker 2:Yes, because school was just a little bit expensive. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Okay, so you went back and forth. What gave you the privilege to actually come to the States? Because I don't know much about Honduras, but because you were gonna be a guest on the show, I started researching. Tell me about your life there. Was it hard In Honduras?
Speaker 2:Yeah Well it's like I travel a lot because my mom is a chemical engineer. So I live in Honduras for 13 years. Then we went to Mexico, then we study over there. So in Honduras, yeah, it's tough because it's beautiful it's a beautiful country.
Speaker 1:I saw that it was beautiful, but there was a lot of violent crime and the highest murders of females yes yes, san Pedro Sula was one of the one time.
Speaker 2:It was like the first city that has most crimes and violence and it was hard because sometimes, like it's scary to go out.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it said you shouldn't go out at night. Is that how you felt? Yeah, you feel like trapped sometimes.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh, yeah, so you cannot walk in the streets.
Speaker 1:So is it like gangs, or is it just like mismanaged to the core?
Speaker 2:So is there's like gangs, they call it like the Madas, okay, and they are like the dangerous ones because in order to get into the Madas, they have like the top people tell them oh, you have to do like something bad to a random person in order to get in.
Speaker 1:To get initiated into the gang.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and what is it based off of? Is it drugs or just violence? Like it's like a mix of everything. A mix of everything. Were you at all like affected by it personally?
Speaker 2:Well, when I went to Mexico, I got how do you say it? Like Rob one time.
Speaker 1:You got robbed in Mexico, yeah what?
Speaker 2:part. The name was Polanco, mexico City. Okay, and like I was walking in the streets and someone like point me with something in my bag.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And then they told me, oh, give me everything you have. And then I start crying, no, no, like it's a crazy, super, super bad, because it was super scary. And the guy was like give me everything, give me everything. And I couldn't stop like crying, crying, uh-huh.
Speaker 1:Did you give him everything?
Speaker 2:Like I tried, but then the guy I was taking so much long yeah, and I had like like 30 pesos, that's like one dollar.
Speaker 1:So not much.
Speaker 2:Yeah, In that time I was like super, how do you say it? Like send, like I didn't like, like very bohemian, I didn't like to have cell phones. So he was like give me your cell phone, I'm like I don't have one.
Speaker 1:I don't have one, I don't have cell phone. The wrong person.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:OK, so I did read that you quoted saying that we will enjoy seeing some of your beautiful artwork produced from the mind of a survivor of a bleak land. Is that what you're talking about when you talk about that? Are you talking about Honduras, or can you talk about any surviving stories? Because your artwork to me is very ethereal, very storybook, very much from the imagination. But when I'm reading your quotes I'm like whoa, she's gone through some stuff and I know you've talked about bullying too and coming out of that. Can you share that?
Speaker 2:with us. Oh yeah, no, no problem, because I think that, like that's going to help some people.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Like well, like well. I've been suffering and bullying all my life because I have, like people are disordered. What? Is that Bipolar disorder.
Speaker 1:Oh, you're bipolar OK.
Speaker 2:And also I have autism. Ok, so that's made me be like a little bit different from everyone else, sure, and so since I was little, I was like, because of the autism, I was like out, you know, like in the spectrum.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm so curious about autism too, because, a it's not talked about enough, b it's kind of like a new. Whether it's new, you know to just hear about it more now these days, I think people want to know and recognize it. So you're saying that when you were young you would just space out. What other symptoms are like? What do we see?
Speaker 2:You can see like a change of behavior that like you don't have something, you want something and someone tells you no, you start like crying like a baby OK, or like you don't follow something in some rules because like it's a spectrum, so it's like different from everyone else.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's a big spectrum.
Speaker 2:So, like some of them doesn't like music, for example, like music affects me sometimes because it made me like, put me like anxious.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And then, like it made me want to like drink a beer or something.
Speaker 1:Really so. Does it depend what music Like? If you're listening to punk rock, you know you get the anxiety or your heart beating versus like Bob Marley. Does it chill you out?
Speaker 2:No, like it depends yeah, it depends on the mood, but like every song made me like beat my heart and I don't like that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:So it's like different because, like sometimes I'm like super out, like I can stay like just thinking in one thing, and when I'm like I like I'm thinking at all, I'm just like like space out, totally. Yeah, like this.
Speaker 1:Like when someone's talking to you you have trouble like following along yeah sometimes I have trouble. You go into your own mind.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so if I like, I'm out, you're like, yeah, be careful. Like, oh, yeah.
Speaker 1:I feel like I'm back. So I bet school was hard.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I was For those reasons yeah, I was super hard, like, and yeah, that's why they bullied me, because I was, like, super different and because of the bipolar disorder, I was like crying all the time, I get angry and getting trouble.
Speaker 1:The time.
Speaker 2:I get exposed who do not like. I get kicked out on time from the school.
Speaker 1:You did, yeah what happened.
Speaker 2:I was. I was super rebel, I like the director of the school because I was like I would have like trouble like following the like the curriculum or the rules classes, like I was like if he's biology, I was like super slow if math, but like in every class it's taking me like right so much it take me like a while to learn stuff. And the director told me, oh, you're super, you don't deserve to be in school. And then like I just tell her something bad because she told me that.
Speaker 2:Yeah. And then like she was like, oh, so you won't be in the school anymore. And then she just let me do that, like the tests and some homework, so I can pass the school without being there anymore.
Speaker 1:Were you like disruptive, or were you just not? I mean, I think some kids don't belong in a school setting at all. Would you say you are one of those kids?
Speaker 2:Um, well, I did have friends, I did was like social somehow, but I put an attention to school. It was super hard.
Speaker 1:Yeah, do you think that you found art sort of relieving?
Speaker 2:Yes, I think that was like relieving, because there's no rules in art. Yeah, like I don't know, since I was a little kid, like with my sister and like my dad, like always, like we painted all the time.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So I never stopped it, actually, like I wanted to be a psychologist and my mom and my dad told me no, andrea, you're a painter, you're an artist, you should study.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, so you've been painting. I mean, your work is so great. Can we, can we take a look at some of it? Jesse, my favorite painting of yours is the chimp with the uh, the butterflies coming out. That one, yes. Can you tell me about this one? Oh well, that's interesting.
Speaker 2:So when I went to the zoo like four years ago, no, like three years ago to Washington DC, I saw that in one part of the suit there was like the monkey, the chimpanzee, the gorillas, and then I saw them like super sad and I was about to cry because they look like really, sometimes they look like humans, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And all the animals like I don't know. I don't want to talk about Zeus.
Speaker 1:No, but there's plenty to say about Zeus. Let me, let's be honest.
Speaker 2:And uh, well, the thing is that, like I saw, their eyes were like crystallized of like pain and like they and they, literally they look like they were like in the floor, like all dirty and and then I say like I'm going to represent these chimpanzees as as kings, as light, so so people can see their eyes and see like the pain they have. And uh, he did a beautiful job with this one and the butterflies are like freedom and the crown is like all animals like deserve to be treated like kings, like queens. Yeah, have the freedom.
Speaker 1:I also noticed a lot of your artwork has this very deep blue in it. You see it in a bunch of your pieces. The Maryland has blue behind it and there's different ways that you paint. There's the one with the child sitting on the chair and I mean, like all of these have this blue background sort of behind them. Is that? Is that something that you even like realize that you do, that you do and like realize that you do, that you use a certain blue all the time?
Speaker 2:Um, yes, is I like the water, the ocean? Okay, so it's like a representation of of the water because, like when I grew up in Honduras, like, like the beach was 15, like 15 minutes away.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Well, that good one was 30 minutes away.
Speaker 1:Uh huh.
Speaker 2:So like I grew up like in the water environment, so that gives you peace yeah, give me peace. And also like, like when it's at night, like a little bit of intensity, because I'm from Latin America and like we are like very expressive you know, like very dramatic. Yeah, I like to add like some drama to my artwork.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, it is very dramatic, but in a good way, and some of it's very soft and other things are very like loud in your face. There's like a balance to your pieces. Do you think some of the more like when you're, uh, depicting children or teddy bears was that in the past. Now you're doing more of these, like you know, like I saw one with glasses like the ones you're wearing on your head today. It's more like pop culture or like party fun. Have you gone through phases?
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah, and so so it's like depends on the humor in the humor. I feel that sometimes I feel like like in peace, like a like a child. Some other times I feel like I want to go to party. Yeah, sometimes I feel like a lot of like intensity in my heart.
Speaker 1:What do you do with that? Because I mean, I also I could feel very intense sometimes, Um, and there's different ways. I think people like emote that or kind of relieve themselves of that. What do you? Is it through your painting that you do that?
Speaker 2:Yeah, Through my paintings and well, sometimes, like in I write, I forget it, it's through my paintings. Or sometimes, like I take pictures for like Instagram.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm like oh see, I saw you have a very unique fashion sense too. You know you're you're wearing wings sometimes or you know your your look is very artistic. Do you have fun with it? I mean, I'll definitely have fun with it, but what is your process like? Getting dressed every day?
Speaker 2:Um well, like I also like with my, with my mood. You know, like sometimes I don't know when I'm in an art exhibition. I like to like pop out, I like to like yeah to look very. How to say like, like, a little bit, like my paintings have like glitter or like details.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like larger than life, jesse's going to pull some up here. Oh yeah, that's like colorful.
Speaker 2:It's like a representation of my painting, but with my clothes.
Speaker 1:Yeah. And uh where do you get these things?
Speaker 2:Oh, like Amazon.
Speaker 1:You got it. You got them on Amazon Amazon.
Speaker 2:Like, like, like. I don't go to the mall anymore, just like Amazon prime now. Okay.
Speaker 1:That's really cool. So you like to make a spectacle when, when your gallery openings happen. So you've been in the Derek Gores Art Gallery around here and I actually saw your work down the street. Um, there's a new spa there, yeah.
Speaker 2:This the sand gallery, but um and also I'm in L gallery and Strabrich gallery.
Speaker 1:Uh-huh.
Speaker 2:So I'm like right now there is not. Sometimes I'm when Derek Gores has like open calls for artists, like I'm in his gallery, but now I'm like in L gallery in the same gallery and uh, uh and Strabrich gallery and yeah you're like a super go-getter.
Speaker 1:What, what is your? What are you aiming for next?
Speaker 2:Well, like I'm planning to, to keep one my. My plan in short term is going to our basil next year, because this year we're going to go, but I need to get more prepared. Okay, I'm having a solo show in L gallery in February, so everyone is invited. Oh great.
Speaker 1:February. Do you know the exact date? Um, it's the first Friday of the month, first fire. Okay, first Friday. Oh, that's a tongue twister. First Friday in February, you'll have an art gallery at the L gallery. Is that what it's?
Speaker 2:called.
Speaker 1:L gallery. It's like on the other side of um of Derek Gord gallery of Derek Gord gallery, right. Cool, you're going to have a solo show. That's amazing. Yeah, I'm having a solo show. Do you have enough work for that?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I do. Yeah, I paint every day. Like, even though, like, if I go to the movies, for example, at 8 to 10 PM, 8 PM to 10 PM, I go back and paint, like I'm like are you a night owl? I'm not night owl, like it depends, like, I paint every day.
Speaker 1:Every single day.
Speaker 2:So, like it's like, if I wake up, I, when I wake up, I paint. When I clean the house, I say, oh, I have to paint at least before I get in the house.
Speaker 1:Do you have a studio in your house or do you go somewhere else to paint?
Speaker 2:No, I have a studio in my house, in your house, and sometimes I go and paint like outside. Sometimes I go to the beach and paint. Sometimes I we have a lake in our complex apartment so I go out and paint and I see the dogs and the turtles on this painting. Paint those.
Speaker 1:So you mentioned your boyfriend. Do you guys live together? Yeah, we live together. Yeah, how long have you been with?
Speaker 2:him. We have been together since 2019. Yeah, oh, wow. So right before COVID, yeah, right before COVID. Right before COVID, it was a long time ago. Yeah, I was. I was 28.
Speaker 1:I was in my 20s. Yeah, I'm 32 now. I know we're all aging.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I'm butter now.
Speaker 1:So how's that going?
Speaker 2:Pretty good Like we have been working on. You know like having a relationship is like working every day. You know so like we are people that that we know our mistakes and we try to like try to fix them every time. Yeah, so like we, both of us, try to have like a like a good Environment. Guess, for example, like I have a polar disorder, so in the beginning I wasn't take how to say it Medicine yeah, you weren't taking your medication.
Speaker 1:I have because I'm so.
Speaker 2:Sometimes it was like Like crying too much or like screaming too much. Yeah so bipolar disorder. For some people that doesn't know it's like drastically shades of humor. You cannot control it because Some serotonin and dopamine you don't have it. Yeah, it depletes Uh-huh, and it's affects you, or sees what they say it like well affects you and the people around you and the people around you and so, if you have it, you have to get like what do you say, subscription?
Speaker 1:A prescription. Prescription you have to get yeah medication to help you sort of regulate those imbalances.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so. So like he didn't tell me to have to take them, I decided to take them.
Speaker 1:So it was it your first time getting on medication? Yes, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was my first time, so like you guys met you.
Speaker 1:You showed them your true colors and he's like hey, maybe you should do this no.
Speaker 2:I, I decided, you decided. He told me no, he thought he was like a latino thing, is he?
Speaker 1:is he? Is he a latino as well? No, he's, uh, he's from virginia.
Speaker 2:Oh, okay, he likes like I don't know. He said that he's a country boy. Okay, country boy. Yeah, he likes country music and he's like to say what does he do for a living? Uh, he's uh Programmer, but he's very smart. He's a genius, a computer programmer, yeah, but he's a super mega genius because, like I see him like working with his Go workers and keeping his that work like in three hours and the other ones take like nine, eight hours, so then he doesn't know what to do with his time when he finished work and then he just go to the pool and sometimes he has meetings in the in the pool with the floater.
Speaker 2:Living the life and having a meeting and he's like, oh yeah.
Speaker 1:Is he working for one of these big companies around here? No, he works online, online. Yeah, that's cool.
Speaker 2:Yeah, oh, I should have said that he's gonna kill me.
Speaker 1:That's okay, oh we all do that post covet, right? We have more liberties with our time because we're not showing up at offices anymore and, you know, instead of twiddling our thumbs in front of a computer when our work is done, we're free to go in the pool and take that meeting.
Speaker 2:I think it's fine. Yeah, no, he loves to go to the beach, to the what, to the pool. So in one time it's like he wanna text me, but like I prefer to stay home and paint.
Speaker 1:Yeah, are you a homebody?
Speaker 2:No, just when I paint, just when you paint.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:No, I like to be out all the time, but but I can't because I have to paint.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. Where do you go when you do need to break out?
Speaker 2:Um, well, uh, I like to go to pineapples. Yeah, you do.
Speaker 1:But how long have you been in this area again? Did you say 10 years, or just in the States, about 10 years, no, in Melbourne.
Speaker 2:I have been like one year and like Three months. Okay.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. So you've made quite an impact in that last year. In three months, I mean, yeah, you can't go anywhere without seeing your artwork up somewhere.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, no, I tried to knock doors.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, you do.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So I think that is important. You know like sometimes people just just like stay like this and like wait for opportunities. I'm like no man. Like I see many artists that like they just like Say I want to be a paper artist, I want to be outside, and they're waiting for someone to come magically and like expose them in the artwork.
Speaker 1:Right, like oh, you're the one that we've been waiting for, but it doesn't work that way, right?
Speaker 2:No, it doesn't work that way. It's like you knock a few doors and then other doors open. Yeah and then you have to after all the doors open. You go forward and then knock another door and then some other doors. So it's like that, knocking by, knocking and knocking, and they start like opening.
Speaker 1:Would you say that's how you got your solo exhibit?
Speaker 2:Um, no, well, it's like in the gallery that we are um, we all have the chance to have like a solo show.
Speaker 1:Well, a lot of artists don't feel that way. They feel like maybe they're not worthy of it, they're not prepared, like can you share how you got your own solo exhibit? Like, how many paintings does that require? And like, how was your first meeting with the gallery owner? Was it intimidating? Like, how did you do it?
Speaker 2:No, like, I changed my mood, like, and then I'm like, I'm like if I always feel that you don't have to be shy, even though you are shy, because I'm shy, you know, like, like, really I'm super shy, but, like, when it's about my career, my, my job, like I changed my face and I have to say, like I'm gonna go for opportunities and doesn't matter, and I have to change my attitudes, like, so, like, when I went to L gallery at first, um, I text them, and then, uh, I went to, had a meeting with, well, barbara Smithers I don't know how to pronounce her name, barbara Barbara and then she liked my work. Then, like, I had like, and then, like they have a meeting, the other artist to see if they like my work.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay, so that gallery is run by artists.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so we all pay for a space. Oh, okay, so, so, like I have my work, like I have like paintings over there, so in L gallery you want to Go and see my art is an L gallery. Uh, in L gallery. What's the number of L gallery? 14?.
Speaker 1:I'm not if they address. I think everybody knows where that is Okay we can pop it on too. So that's wonderful. So you just went in there, you put your your artist mask on and and you got yourself a wall there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but they had to do a meeting first in order to let me in.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so they approved you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they approved me, so thank you.
Speaker 1:Well, it wouldn't have happened if you wouldn't knock down that door, right, yeah, and so how did you get from being approved to having a solo exhibit also?
Speaker 2:like Every artist that is in the gallery, they have a chance to have a Solo show. Okay, so it's part of the membership in the membership um. But Also I have been in fifth avenue. I had like a solo show in fifth avenue, yeah, like in In a space with a few paintings.
Speaker 1:Cool, was that recently? No, that was last year, last year. So when you first got here, you're like I'm taking over fifth avenue. Yeah, no, it's a fifth avenue.
Speaker 2:On an indial anac uh yeah, fifth avenue gallery Is in El Gali, but it was in it was in um. Okay, it was before in indial anac. Oh, that's why it's still called fifth avenue. Uh-huh, got it. One of the. It's a. It's a great gallery. Like they don't accept what any, whatever artist, so I'm like thank you.
Speaker 1:You got in. I mean your work is incredible.
Speaker 2:It really is. I mean Thank you so much.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely. So what um are you gonna? What are you gonna surprise us with in the solo? Are you gonna have new work there?
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, I'm gonna have new work I'm planning to. I'm designing some clothes with my painting. Really I'm gonna be a fashion show too.
Speaker 1:That's amazing some hats.
Speaker 2:I gotta paint some hats too and some some like more dramatic paintings, like Some some more drama over there.
Speaker 1:Can you reveal like a little bit of the themes, is it? I mean, um, so you've done children, we've seen you do like animals and we've seen you do like really strong females. Yeah, I feel like that's, you know, like this one, let's party.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, I like to party.
Speaker 1:What do you do when you party?
Speaker 2:Well. I like to dance, I like to be gathered with all my friends and I just talk about like it's period of things, energy things. So that's like my main conversation. They're talking about spiritual stuff. Yeah about like energy auras connections.
Speaker 1:Chakras, astrology, all that stuff.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so like, I like, I like that. So when I'm with my friends we like get deep in conversations, so I like that to go out and talk about and discover. You know, last time I met a medium and that was like the most amazing thing that ever happens to me, because you met a medium here.
Speaker 1:Yeah, do you remember her name?
Speaker 2:oh, you told me to don't tell oh, don't tell.
Speaker 1:Okay, can you reveal what she said to you though?
Speaker 2:oh, who knows gonna be well. Um, I connected with my cousin that he passed away, really, and he said that it's like my guardian angel he's my his name is Hydra and I love you so much. I'm saying in public right now oh, man, sorry.
Speaker 1:So she was able to connect you with Adrienne, your cousin. Yeah that he passed away. Amazing. Did he have a message for you?
Speaker 2:yeah, that he told me that. He said that he's proud of me. Yeah, and I can, I will go far, yeah. And also with one, with my best friend that she passed away too. He connected me with her, jessica, and wow. So so it was very interesting, you know, like. And then I was so intrigued. You know I was asking her question. Hey, you know, yeah.
Speaker 1:I mean amazing when you can sit next to a medium and you know all your past loved ones are just trying to talk to you, yeah, so cool and also.
Speaker 2:I met like a charm and girl that like she, like yours people you have a problem, she put your hand here in town.
Speaker 1:Yeah, can you reveal her name or no?
Speaker 2:I don't know she's gonna get mad, but I can't say her name.
Speaker 1:I mean, yeah, you don't. I don't usually see shamans in this town, but I imagine they're not like dressed like you would imagine they just look like normal people.
Speaker 2:Actually she dressed kind of like me okay, I like a similar style. Okay, um no, her name is Brian and wow, this is actually. It's a cool charm, but like, that's like that that type of people I like to hang out with yeah, where are you finding these people?
Speaker 1:I?
Speaker 2:I just asked to the universe please give me people that because to give me that spirit to all, because that's I like to talk with, about stuff like that yeah you know, sometimes I just how do they say? I just ask to people hey, do you like spiritual stuff?
Speaker 1:that's your pickup line yeah they don't like it.
Speaker 2:I'm like, okay, we got nothing to talk about here, moving on yeah, that's funny.
Speaker 1:Have you been to Aquarian Dreams? No, it's on beach side. Um, they have really cool classes there with like sound bowls and, um, the lady there sherry, super cool. I joined like a a meet-up, and we met up every every week and we discussed like a different thing in spirituality. I mean they, we had a week where we learned about the auras and we learned about the chakras and we learned about, um healings modalities and stuff, so that's right up your alley you should go check it out can you write it for me.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I'll give you the information after the show but, yeah, it sounds like um. Yeah, you would belong there too. Yeah, I would love that so are you always asking the universe for for things? Is that something that you practice all the time?
Speaker 2:um. Well, I suggest yeah, are you?
Speaker 1:are you religious too, or or not?
Speaker 2:really no yeah, I believe in God, like my family is Catholic, but, like I respect all religions, I like I believe in like every religion have like one purpose, like like respect every human being and sometimes I, you know, like I like to meet people from all religions. Actually, one of my best friends, she's from Saudi Arabia, hello, and she's Muslim and she's amazing and she talks me about her religion, how it is, um, and she's a great person. And I have another friend that she's from India and she's talking about like her life and stuff like that. So like I like to learn and be around people from all walks of life, uh huh yeah.
Speaker 1:What do you learn from them?
Speaker 2:like the traditions, the customs are like very different yeah the behaviors are different. Actually, like another good friend that I have, like she's from China, she always told me andra, you're so loud because, like because, when I was starting Savannah, the first people I started to hang out with, like Asian people, like Chinese, koreans and a few Japanese, and and at the beginning they liked me and we're like oh, andrea, you're super funny, blah, blah, blah. So then, like, I invite them to my house to have like a gathering party yeah and uh, they, they told me where is the food.
Speaker 2:And then what do you mean? Where is the food? Like there's the drinks. I'm not catering, I'm just throwing a party, but they told me no, but because in their culture they make food. Yeah, to in a gathering to invite people in and have that food and the drink, yeah, but in latin america and mexico you have just a drink and some, some chips yeah yeah and uh, and then, like the next day, they were like oh, andrea, you make a bad party. Oh my god.
Speaker 1:I'm like what a bad party. But that's just as rude. We were drinking and having fun, yeah and, and uh you got called out like a sim or something.
Speaker 2:Yeah no, but it's uh. What was the question? I forgot it, I don't know, oh, like if you've learned anything from being around all these different cultures ah, yes, so then I learned that like that I had to be more like learn a little bit before of the cultures, before like I make a move because I can't, you know, like it they can get, people can get offended yeah, and you're not unknowingly, you know, doing something that they see yeah differently yeah, also I learned in the United States that people something is good, because in latin america, as you know that we don't say no exactly, they are not very straightforward right, right, we beat around the bush a lot, yeah, and in the united states more straightforward.
Speaker 2:And I learned to be like that, you know, because before people were telling me like, oh, do you like that? I'm like yes, I like it, and you, my head was like no that's horrible.
Speaker 1:You found your voice.
Speaker 2:For now it's like people tell me hey, do you like that? I'm like, no, I don't. So I learned to say no, you know. So, uh, it's on this head, it's uh, it's a good thing, you know, because because, like before, I remember that when I, like when I started, like when I was in sabanna, I just hang out with people from, from all other countries because I was having, like, english classes yeah so so my, my main friends were like from foreigners, so that you guys were practicing together.
Speaker 2:I see and and, then like I couldn't like.
Speaker 1:Well, but then when I moved with my boyfriend, did he bring you here to this area, your boyfriend?
Speaker 2:no to Virginia, oh to Virginia. Yeah, so I was living with uh him and uh his mother. Okay, no with his mother. No, first with him and then like then, then when we have corona virus, we move with his mom. Yeah, like we thought that we are gonna die.
Speaker 1:I don't know, yeah, how was that? Living with a boyfriend's mom did that go well or not.
Speaker 2:No, she's an angel like. She's like a living angel. Mary Jane, I love you.
Speaker 1:Shout out to Mary Jane.
Speaker 2:So she made it all, and then my mom too, because my mom gonna get mad mom Carla.
Speaker 1:Is she still in Honduras? No, she lives in.
Speaker 2:Mexico. Oh, really, yeah. Actually, she's gonna visit me the 26th. I'm gonna spend Christmas with me and Ben's mom, uh two is coming and have they met? Yeah, they met, they met. It's all good.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no like, and did he put a ring on it? Ah, yeah, oh, so you're, you're engaged.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's supposed to be in this finger, but I have yeah, Sometimes they do that.
Speaker 1:That's why I don't wear mine. No, I get stride cuz the soap gets underneath and Ah. I mean, I think so.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Well, yeah, I mean as an artist, I just ended up taking it off.
Speaker 2:What was the point again, oh?
Speaker 1:it's just wondering if they were getting along. And I noticed you were wearing a diamond ring, and so the next question is when's the wedding?
Speaker 2:Um, well, we still figuring about it. Yeah, but when is it I gonna invite you guys.
Speaker 1:Oh, thank you, Thank you very much.
Speaker 2:Mix of American.
Speaker 1:Yeah, do you think you'll throw it here? Yeah with food, don't forget the food. Yeah but no, no plans soon, like not the next year or anything. Yeah, maybe next year. Okay, but you don't have a day, or no? But, you want to do it in the area? Yes, do you have any venues in mind?
Speaker 2:I Don't want to give advertisement. They have to pay me for that.
Speaker 1:There you go, there you go. Have you tried on any wedding dresses yet?
Speaker 2:I saw one in Amazon.
Speaker 1:Amazon.
Speaker 2:No, I give it like free, free advertising to Amazon.
Speaker 1:Yeah, baby, yeah, some a free dress from Amazon please, I'm also prime. Well, you will you do like a, a traditional white, or are you gonna go, andrea, on it and just make it your own thing?
Speaker 2:So my plan is like kind of like mix, a traditional white, but no one will choose. So we are connected with the earth.
Speaker 1:Yes, so that's my barefoot.
Speaker 2:No, like, some, like. Oh, I would like to bring some.
Speaker 1:Like Caribbean music, you know yeah, yeah, like steel drums maybe. Yeah, I can see it now. Yeah, okay, well, you got, you got some time to plan that. What else for the future for you?
Speaker 2:Well, um, like I would love to put my gallery in the future.
Speaker 1:You want your own gallery.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I want my own gallery. Okay, I Want to keep going putting my work out there in different galleries, doing great job on that With an artist. We were building this online gallery that we support, like on Durant's artist, so we're building that. Like it's going slow, but it's like, yeah, we're ready, like build, like the website and everything.
Speaker 1:Do you want to tell the, the viewers, what the name of it is, or maybe next?
Speaker 2:time. Yeah, no, mc gallery.
Speaker 1:MC gallery. Okay, and that'll support Honduran artists.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's a foreign artist, also other artists from other parts of the world, but we're gonna start with on Durant's artists. Sure, in under us we have the art of fine art. Is the people supported a lot Okay?
Speaker 1:so there's an art scene over there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's like a big art scene over there. I'm not like big big, but Like there's a lot of painters over there.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, I would have never known that, yet I'm your artist, yeah, cool.
Speaker 2:So it's a. And also, yeah, I want to go soon. I want to show more in Honduras too. I'm gonna show more in Europe too. Yeah, and go back to New York. And I've been in Miami too. Actually, I lived in Miami too, and I've been in some galleries over there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you're ready to go back. Make, make more art, make a statement.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes.
Speaker 1:Do you have any parting advice for your fellow artists? To you know, well, go get what they want. Yes, you seem to be pretty good at that.
Speaker 2:Well, like keep practicing like you know like life is tough, like we all have problems in life and even though you have problems, keep working. Keep working in your dreams because it's hard. And nobody tells that Everybody. When people want to give an advice, they just tell keep working hard, you're gonna make it. You have just to fight with and they don't tell you the hard part, that people, that life that is super hard to To do it. You know like I have to paint a lot, have to work a lot, my back hurts. Actually I had to get more strength.
Speaker 1:And then juggling that with, like, your emotions and yeah and it's like a sacrifice.
Speaker 2:In order to To to go to your dreams, you have to make a lot of sacrifices. You know, like I have to paint Sometimes I can't go out, you know, yeah, I have to if I have a Do time to do when I have commissions, sometimes I don't paint what I want. Yeah, yeah but you know like I have to pay the bills, you know yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2:So yeah, so like work hard, like even though you don't feel the mood and you don't feel like inspired, just going. You know, like sometimes, like I don't feel the mood and I'm crying.
Speaker 1:No, what gives you the strength to sort of, you know, put on your persona, like you were saying, and start knocking on those gallery doors?
Speaker 2:So it give me the. That's how do you say the after what happened, the what I ever the result the result.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what of what you're doing? It pays off.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that pays off. It's like, wow, look, when I'm in the gallery and I went my super outfit and it took me so long to make the painting. I'm like my wings, I'm like man. Yeah, this work that you did it, yeah.
Speaker 1:So you, you recognize that even though it's challenging to paint, to get up some days, to go knock on people's doors, you've seen your success and you felt it enough to be able to just keep. Keep going. Yes, well, I commend you. That's wonderful, and I think you're an inspiration to all artists everywhere. Thank you so much for sharing your story and your thoughts with us, and come back whenever you want to talk about your next Showing. I'd love to hear you, and we'd love to get to know you a little bit more.
Speaker 2:No, thank you so much for the opportunity. Thank you guys are amazing, thank you and I Want to say hi to my family, say a little bit hi to my mom's with that.
Speaker 1:My brother so Hello everybody and come see her solo exhibit in February at the O-Galley gallery and also you want to follow my, my website and my social media.
Speaker 2:I'm like Andrea Castaneda Castro, com and my Instagram is Andrea Castaneda art.
Speaker 1:Amazing. Thank you so much. You're so brave for sharing your story.
Speaker 2:We'll see you again another time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, thank you. Bye, guys, to be a sponsor or nominated guest, hit us up on the socials until next time. Bye.
