Today we’d like to introduce you to Karen Jenifer Lopez.
Hi Karen Jenifer, 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?
I was born and raised in Los Angeles to Salvadoran Parents who had migrated due to the Civil War. I expressed interest in visual arts as early as I could remember as evidenced by an insatiable tendency to draw on every wall in my home. My mother shares that I entertained myself with art for hours on end-drawing and painting in my own little world. As a teenager, I learned about Art Therapy through a friend who was a bit older and more versed in college. She inspired me to pursue my undergraduate degree in Visual Communications and Humanities with an Emphasis in American Indian Studies, followed by my Master’s in Psychology with an emphasis in Art Therapy. These rare spaces within the Educational system is where I reconnected with ancient truths of humanity and to the natural world for healing, self-embodiment and true connection to Spirit. I became part of the American Indian Student Association and learned ancient human values. Although I accepted the wonderful opportunity to work with VISCOM (student-operated service brand+ creative strategy agency), I found deeper and more meaningful work in creating with the purpose to support healing. Through serendipitous connections with different mentors and conscious friendships, I learned to implement holistic approaches in my medicine such as Visual Arts to tap into the Collective Unconscious, engage in life-giving talk circles, and facilitate Cacao Ceremonies.
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?
Oh, it has definitely been a rocky yet majestic road! Life at home was quite challenging due to financial stressors, community violence, mental health and addictions in the household. When my father passed away due to several reasons, including alcoholism, my life shifted. That was a transitional moment for me, for as an 11-year-old I realized that a person’s life can cease to exist without them embodying their full potential. I have experienced a lot of losses and detours along the way. I am grateful for all of it; however challenging, they have contributed to my personal growth, sense of compassion and connection with myself as well as others. It has been quite a humbling and magnificent life. In a sense, I feel to have already lived a full life and feel inspired to generate something that will outlast me as well as contribute to humanity in a positive manner.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am an Alchemical Visual Artist, Therapist (Psychotherapist), and Cacao Facilitator based in Los Angeles, California. Right now, I am most excited and proud of my latest design from start to finish, my Follow Your North Star Guidance Cards. I have been using this deck in my 1:1 sessions and cacao circles for several years and decided to extend this transcendental tool to the public! I also have several murals lined up in the Greater LA area. Art is in the heart of all these dimensions of my offerings because in truth, I see no separation between art and our overall health, for art helps us connect more deeply with our unconscious mind. However it may show up, art is an incredible tool that helps us connect more deeply with ourselves and others. It helps us embody our deepest truths and release outdated narratives that may impact our lives in a meaningful way. A fellow Art Therapist by the name of Pat B. Allen states that “art is energy made visible”. Art informs us and heals us. I am honored to offer art services in a way that helps us see ourselves more clearly and as an effect to help us make everlasting positive changes.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
A few of my most favorite podcasts and books that I am excited to share today include: The Higher Self Podcast with Danny Morel, Impact The World with Lee Harris, Highest Self Podcast with Sahara Rose, Aubrey Marcus, In Hindzsight, and The Resilient Mind with Joe Dispenza. Books: Art Is A Way of Knowing by Pat B. Allen, Greenlights by Matthew McCauneghy, In The Realm of Hungry Ghouls by Gabor Mate, and It Didn’t Start With You by Mark Wolynn.
Contact Info:
- Website: atenakeartbykarenjenifer.com
- Instagram: @atenake_art
Image Credits
Jazmine Kravitz- Beach Photography Felipe Guzman- Cacao Ceremony
