Today we’d like to introduce you to Santa Naisha Palacios.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Santa Naisha. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My story is pretty sweet and short. I come from a very creative family, so I’ve always been really into art and design. I’ve been making art since I was a kid, it was like my outlet. I’d make portraits of my mom and my sisters and they were definitely not the best! But they were always very supportive. I was that one student in school who was just so extra with my powerpoints and my class projects – from the design to the color schemes and fonts, everything had to be perfect and exciting to look at! I started making murals for my school and flyers for organizations and I would just have a lot fun doing it! So, fast forward to today and now I’m a senior at Texas Southern University. Surprisingly, I didn’t major in some kind of art, instead I’m a Sociology major with a minor in Psychology. But who knows, I might go into art therapy one day! So, how did Isha Prints get started? Well, I joined an organization on campus and I started making their flyers and graphics. Soon after, other orgs would ask me to create their flyers and one of the girls finally said to me “You’re doing a lot, you might as well start a business.” And it left me thinking. So, I spoke with my sister and my boyfriend, they’re my go-to people when I need advice, and they helped me come up with the name and my mom just as supportive as always. They pushed me to finally respect the value of my craft. Isha Prints is fairly new; she’s like my little baby. So, I’m learning and growing as I go but I really do enjoy it!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Starting Isha Prints wasn’t a smooth road and still isn’t. I’m new to the whole business world so there’s so much to learn but thankfully I have a really good support system and people who are willing to guide me along the way. However, I’m really sensitive about my work and sometimes fear can take its toll. Trying to keep the same amount of confidence in my art now as I did when I was just doing it for fun gets hard when there’s soo much beautiful talent floating around. Fear sucks, but I’m big on my faith and I believe that fear is just a barrier between now and what God has ready for me on the other side, so I try to trust that. But you know, trusting is a growing process that’s easier said than done so… still a lot of growth going on over here! One thing I would say to anyone starting their journey is to not compare your journey to anyone else’s. Everyone’s art is unique and so are their journeys. Your art wouldn’t be YOUR art if it wasn’t your own journey and someone else’s. Your art is a reflection of that. As you grow and you learn, your journey flourishes into something so beautiful that can’t be anyone else’s but your own. So, never stop growing. Never stop learning. Love your journey and appreciate everything that comes with it.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Isha Prints – what should we know?
So, I specialize in flyers and my art, of course. I’m working on combining both so soon, in the near future my art will be on prints, greeting cards and things like that. One thing I can say probably sets my work apart and what I’m known for is the nature of my art. I have this little obsession with drawing women and flowers- like different versions of mother nature. I think there’s an undeniable connection between the complexity of being a woman and the simplicity of nature. I’m not sure if I’m explaining myself well, I’m not too good with words but- for example, a flower blooming sort of symbolizes a woman bringing life into this world. So I express that idea a lot in my art. Trust me, the concept comes together more beautifully on sketch paper than in words!
Which women have inspired you in your life?
My biggest inspirations are definitely my mom and my grandmother. They’re two of the strongest women I know. I’ve never received anything but support and unconditional love from the both of them. Failure isn’t an option for me because I just won’t allow myself to let them down. They’ve done so much for me. I lost a grandmother, one of my best friends, in November 2017 and it took a toll on me. So, that’s just more reason for me to keep going even harder than I was before – in school, work, my art and just in every aspect of being a woman in general. I have to.
My muses, of course, are Frida Kahlo and Queen Bey! There’s just so much power in them and all the passion they put into their work is just so… I can’t even find the word to explain it! I’m just completely in love with both of them. They’re a constant reminder to love and respect my own art first because no one can ever truly love and respect it like I do.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 832-332-2872
- Email: theishaprints@gmail.com
- Instagram: @theishaprints
Image Credit:
Santa Naisha Palacios
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