Artist Mariell Guzman Talks About Learning to Say No & Developing a Speciality

"At first, it was the whole thing of, 'you want to gain exposure.' But then it got to the point where I was taking on too much, and sleep wasn't a factor. I'm not a robot. I'm a human, and I need to take care of myself." - Mariell Guzman

When we sat down with Mariell Guzman, she had just gotten back from the jungle. It wasn't a safari, though, and certainly not a vacation; she was there to paint. Mariell's vibrant, wildly vivid murals are incomparable to any other art you'll find. So it's no surprise that, one day, she received a random Instagram DM from an organization in Mexico, the country from which she hails.

"I got to paint where I'm from," she says, humbly. "So that's pretty cool."

Mariell came from a family of artists. Her mother and siblings were abundantly creative, always coloring and painting, and her father is an engineer ("a problem solver of a different kind," she says). Still, her decision to pursue a career in the arts was not made lightly. She faced significant financial barriers, took many risks, and is still constantly fighting to elevate her career.

In a wide-ranging exclusive interview on the Artist Uprising podcast, Mariell talks about the importance of risk-taking, her distinctive style, and getting started as a muralist.

Listen to the interview, and stay tuned to Artist Uprising for more exclusive interviews with talented artists.