Today we’d like to introduce you to Shamir Alvarez.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Shamir. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
There is this memory that I always think back to where I have a plain piece of printer paper and a regular yellow number two pencil, and I’m just drawing. I remember my family being there, and I specifically remember my moms close friend sitting in front of me. I am asked to draw my mom’s friend, and when I do, my family is impressed and I really had no idea why. They kept saying that I put a lot of her facial details in the drawing, and ever since then, I have just been obsessed with the details on the human face. My family has always been supportive of me being an Artist and I think that has shaped me to be simply me.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Being as I am an introvert and a very anxious person, I get very drained from literally everything; from working to just being around too many people. My mental health has been a big obstacle that I struggle with everyday. Sometimes every aspect of life feels like an obstacle, but I know that’s not right. Art in general has always made this world a little better to be in, and it helped me through the struggles and challenges through life.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Caelitum – what should we know?
My Artist name is “Caelitum,” it means shimmer in Latin. A lot of people have all sorts of different nicknames for me, like shimmi or mir, so I just thought I would mix them to create “shimmer,” but that was not enough for me, so that is where Caelitum came about.
Currently, I have been trying to perfect digital art, specifically digital portraits.
When I think of my artist’s growth, I think about when I am creating an art piece. I have had a lot of moments where I’m halfway through finishing my art piece and I stop and think to myself and I say, “wow, did I really just make this. Am I really this good?” Those are the moments that I’m proud of. I love when I can see my self-worth and how skilled I can be.
I try and put my all into an art pieces. I really feel like I live, breath, and am art. I try and dissect everything art. I think that my passion for creating is what sets me apart from others.
Business wise, I do work off creating custom commissions for people, and I also participate in local or just general art events.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My mom has always been my number one supporter. I always loved that she never wanted me to be anyone else other than myself. Ever since I started creating art, she recognized that it was my passion and she just pushed me to do better.
Another person that I deeply admire is my high school art teacher Roberta Patterson. She has always seen potential in me and she too pushed me to do my very best. She guided me towards finding my art style, and I really appreciate all the time she spent with me through my art journey in high school.
My sister, brother, & my partner know how supportive they are. I can’t thank them enough for all their time and effort they have put into helping me, and my passion.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://caelitum.bigcartel.com/
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caelitum/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ca6litum
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/caelitum/
Image Credit:
@ofthedisco
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