Daily Inspiration: Meet Natalia Paola

Today we’d like to introduce you to Natalia Paola.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Growing up I doodled and took photos on my iPod, wrote scripts for my friends, and sang a LOT.
As far as I can remember art has been apart of who I am, informing my behavior and how I interacted with the world. I developed an eye and a heart that above all, observed and absorbed. And creating became my life force.

When I was around 17 everything ramped up creatively for me. I met my art mentor who taught me not only how to train my artistic eye but how to translate it to canvas, primarily through water color and pastel. Around this time, I also met another sort of mentor who saw my hobby of photography and believed in me enough to trust me with helping develop their clothing brand and its image. At the time, I was just having fun with it, but looking back, it really changed my life. It gave me a confidence I don’t think I would have found otherwise — confidence in my intuition, my eye, and in myself. I was helping direct and execute a vision, and no matter how big or small the project was, it was huge for me. It made me realize that I could trust my own ideas and that my perspective had value.

Since then, I’ve dabbled in all kinds of art, like the ones I listed, but I’ve found myself most passionate about my painting, my acting ( something new 🙂 ) and especially making videos for my YouTube channel. Whether they’re funny, casual, artistic, or more introspective, I hope they all come together to tell the story of my life and who I’m becoming. Because at the end of the day all these things I love are in service to storytelling. And honestly, I’m not sure where my art will take me, but I do know that as long as I trust myself as an artist, I’ll always love who I’m becoming and the things i’m creating.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Somehow, the answer is yes and no! Growing up, I had this weird, unwavering confidence. Even though I was made fun of for how I looked and never really felt like I was the best at any one thing, I think my instinct to be open and honest with myself has kept me steady through the rejection, missteps, and the occasional blows to my confidence.

When I was little, I had an accident that significantly affected my face and the way I looked. At nine years old, I stepped away from wanting to be in front of the camera and decided I wanted to be behind it instead. But I stayed with it. I kept pivoting, no matter how I felt, and I’m only now beginning to reclaim the kind of confidence in performing that I had before my accident.

Looking back, I think going through those difficult things as a child — those rough mental shifts and challenges — made me more confident and resilient in all of my art practices. I’m genuinely grateful for that. It gave me a much more refined perspective because I learned to see things from the outside: performing, creating compositions, writing stories, directing, and creating images. Instead of only being the model, actress, or performer I imagined myself becoming when I was very young, I became a much more well-rounded artist. And honestly, I wouldn’t change a thing.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
In my art practices, I specialize in fine art; oil painting and soft pastels primarily, for my subject matter i’m deeply inspired by the old masters and figurative painting although my voice in painting is something I am still discovering and experimenting with daily. In photography, I specialize in 35mm portraiture, I love photographing the small moments in between our big lives especially. I am currently studying the art of acting on film which is the peak art of human observation, I think. It is something that excites me everyday, because of the collaboration and the need to be in the present moment it requires.

I would like to be known for my identity as an artist. I am most proud of my work when I can inspire and encourage people to take a risk on themselves and jump toward the unknown of everything they dream.

I am documenting my life as a young adult who doesn’t have everything, or anything, truly figured out and making peace with that. A peace I think that can make way for miracles. I’m really proud when my eye as an artist can influence people in their lives who aren’t even “artists,” whether it’s a shifted perspective or a new sense of trust in their intuition. It all is art to me, and it’s what inspires me daily.

I hope what sets me apart is my taste, my honesty, and the way I can bring people together, whether that’s through art or just relationally, on a human-to-human level. I love people, and I hope to always be known for that.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
The sooner you surrender to who you truly are, where you truly are and what you truly want, the better.
Get very honest with yourself and make practical small steps everyday to get closer to where you want to be. Presence, trust and peace are everything. Keep any moments of joy, great compliments, serendipity or “luck” at the forefront of your mind and let them become the pillars of who you are.

I wish I knew that worrying does not equal, thinking ” ahead” or “responsibly” , it is actually incredibly irresponsible because your mind is the most important thing EVER. You must keep it positive. I believe you can do anything you set your mind too, and that fear really is the mind killer. As someone who dreams a lot, and wants a lot out of life, I can worry about how I’ll get there or what people think of me, if I make sense to them, If they will still like me etc. But none of that is our business, AT ALL.
All the best stretches of my creativity and crazy happenstances were all at times I was being truly myself and not trying to force anything. When I start to overthink, stress, and fear, is when I start to go dark. Don’t do it!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nataliapaola.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natalia3.14/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@natalia3.14