An Inspired Chat with Krista Parada of Ontario, CA

Krista Parada shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Krista , so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
I have a very busy schedule so the moments that I have for myself I like to dedicate it to spending time with my family. My cousins and I host Sunday supper when we can. I love to cook for people I care about it’s my love language. Eating delicious food over some great drinks and checking in on each other, especially with the chaos around us, has been bringing joy to myself and my family.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hello, I’m Krista Parada. I’m a mother, artists, art educator, museum educator, tattoo artists on occasion, and soon to be college student. I have a plethora of titles I hold on my belt and I’m always jumping into something new. However, art has always been in the forefront of my life and in so many different forms. I range from digital art, ballpoint pen, painting to large scale chalk murals. It’s been 21 years since I created my first chalk mural and I don’t plan on ever retiring from that art form.
I always do my best to work on my growth not only as an artist but most importantly as a mother. I have a little girl I’m raising and she motivates me to keep going. Since it’s just us two, we really have a ball together and I really want my daughter to feel seen, supported and loved.
I’ve been in the museum field for several years now and I absolutely love it. Merging my passion for history and art has been the biggest blessing. I’m very grateful for all the opportunities put into my path, and seeing my consistent work paying off. I swear everyone please keep going and chasing your dreams and you’ll eventually get to where you want to be!
I also have been an art educator for several years with Long Beach Unified School District and Ontario-Montclair Unified School District. The grade range is K-12 and being exposed to all grade levels has really shed so much insight on the new generation of artists. It’s such a rewarding feeling to guide these young artists and help them develop their skills. I’m really excited to see what they create and I always wish them the best after every session and school year.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
Growing up in Pomona, CA I was always around family, constantly. I think that’s why I was so shy and timid as a kid, I was very co-dependent. I was very aware of gangs, drugs, and the downfall of that lifestyle. Trauma is a genetic trait in my family and as a kid I saw a lot of unhealthy behaviors and coping mechanisms, so the thought of another lifestyle was not something I thought about naturally. Looking back on little Krista, she didn’t have many aspirations other than enjoying the happy moments with family. She didn’t see herself traveling or chasing dreams. She didn’t think that someone from her background could ever be recognized with her art. I wish I could go back and give her a hug and tell her that all those insecurities all the self doubt will go away one day. So the belief that I wasn’t worthy of such success has changed drastically to now believing in myself, my goals, and vision. Now that I work with students with similar backgrounds as myself, I really do my best to hype them up and provide them with as much support and knowledge so they could know early on how much they could accomplish.

When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
It’s very easy for me to not show pain as I naturally keep a lot of the negative stuff internally. More so when I was in my teens and twenties. I learned to mask behind the sadness, the anger, just all those yucky feelings so that I wasn’t so vulnerable to the world. In a way that’s how I thought I was protecting myself. In reality I was just pushing through life with no outlet other than making bad choices.
Art is very therapeutic and instead of writing in a diary I would draw out my emotions in my sketchbooks, I still do. It wasn’t until I started to share my more personal, emotional, my more vulnerable art that I felt myself shift into a power position. I began connecting with others who felt the same, I started having really meaningful conversations and in turn it was allowing me to heal. Showing my pain and the journey through it with imagery, colors, and symbolisms has taught me that it’s ok to be vulnerable sometimes.
I began coming out of my shell and my confidence started to blossom as my art evolved and I evolved. My healing journey, which is nonending, has been a unpredictable road of reclaiming my power by not allowing the pain to hold me back as it did once. I mean I have days where I need to disconnect in order to reconnect, but I’ve learned to not wallow in the pain, but to learn from it an move forward.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
Resistance I feel is extremely important to keep and protect, especially with the current state of the world. Being a Chincanx, resistance is and integral part of my culture. It’s imbedded in my DNA and I always encourage the younger generation to question everything, to speak up if they find something wrong. My ancestors resisted colonization, and with each passing generation from my lineage that resistance keeps getting passed down and will continue to do so. I will never stop resisting against an unjust system which fails us, our kids, and so many marginalized groups. Art has become part of my resistance by capturing my anger, frustrations, and sadness. So to anyone who is reading this, keep on resisting and empower one another.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope I leave a story of perseverance, humbleness, strength, and love. My life has never been a predictable one and I’m sure it never will, that would be boring! If you ask my close friends and family, I always have some strange but funny stories to share. As I’ve grown and evolved, I take each hurdle, heartbreak, disappointment whatever it may be as a starting point for self reflection, healing, and growth. I’d like to inspire the younger generation, especially my daughter, to keep going, to keep dreaming, to evolve, to love, to show empathy, and most importantly to never let anyone make you feel inferior. Take control of your own story and never feel like you need to stay on one path. Take a hundred if needed to become the person you want to be and leave a legacy you wish to share.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: kittykap90
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krista-parada-189208187