Conversations with Alximista

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alximista.

Hi Alximista , so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
A few years ago, I was studying frog extinctions as part of my M.S. thesis. To no one’s surprise, the vast majority of the threats frogs face are from humans. I left my graduate program determined to make a difference and sought out roles across nonprofit, philanthropy and tech that I believed would enable me to do that. What I found from my time in my jobs across project management, strategy, fundraising and program development is that I believe we have the time, resources and money to fix most environmental problems, but what we lack is the desire to do so. And as the daughter of Mexican immigrants with a deep reverence for nature, this disconnect was very strange to me for a long time. I was encouraged to save bees that were drowning not because I thought I could extract their honey at a later date, but because I saw them as an extension of myself.

As I started to question the world around me, I couldn’t ignore this gnawing feeling that I had in me to pursue art. Albeit with much resistance at first, I turned to art to start to create a new relationship with nature. Over the past few months, I’ve loved exploring how nature mirrors our inner worlds. I’m not alone in my quest, either. Some really dope people that love art and nature have been joining my print club, 24K Print Club. Each month I create three art pieces around a monthly theme with a simple goal: find gold from the natural world. I send these prints with stamps via snail mail to members in 10+ states across the country. The print club has also recently gone international reaching members in The Netherlands and Spain!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
When I first launched 24K Print Club, I honestly didn’t have a clue as to who I was as an artist let alone what my unique art style would be. Over the past 6 months, I’ve experimented a lot with my art. I’ve tried different mediums, styles, color palettes, subjects and more. Through lots of trial and error and endless sketches and pieces that will probably never see the light of day, I’ve found my flow. Turns out I am a surrealist artist. I adore color theory and want to make art that is vibrant and bold. I gravitate towards art that makes us see ourselves, each other or nature in a new way.

While I was finding my art style I also started to experiment with content creation, the bane of every artist’s existence. For years I’ve felt so much resistance to making content. I get why – being on camera kind of feels like doing shadow work where you have to confront all of the things you might not like about yourself. Frequent exposure to the light really does help and at some point, I realized that making content is not that deep. In a strange turn of events I’m even kind of starting to like it?!

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a Mexican-American visual artist and painter based in Los Angeles, CA inspired by nature, transformation and the systems that shape how we see the world. I completed a four-year art conservatory program in high school and later earned both a B.S. and M.S. in Biology. Today, my work brings these disciplines together through observation, symbolism, and lived experience.

Right now, I’m most proud of the community I’ve been growing through 24K Print Club. I’m humbled that so many cool people want to receive my art monthly and I’ve been starting to fall in love with the art of marketing to grow the club.

Currently, I believe my storytelling and print club sets me apart from other visual artists. I usually develop a short story around each month’s theme and I’ve been very surprised that people love receiving these stories as much as I love making them!

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Delusional optimism. I have this gut feeling that everything is going to work out in the way that I envision and I make decisions from that belief.

Pricing:

• $8 a month to join 24K Print Club
• $150+ for original art, listed on my site
• $25+ for larger art prints, coming soon!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://alximista.co
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/alximista
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Alximista

Image Credits
Alximista