Sometimes you just have to listen to the call of destiny when you are planning your next mural location. As a full-time traveling mural artist, I almost never know where I am going to be five days from today. I buy flight tickets the morning of the day I am travelling, and I change my travel plans about five times in the same month. Sometimes I plan to be in Mexico on vacation, resting my body and nourishing myself with beautiful nature, but instead I find myself cancelling all my plans and working like a maniac on a mural in some random suburb in New Jersey. Or sometimes it works the opposite way—this summer I went to explore India for a few weeks, and ended up staying for two full months. My work schedule is truly the whim of the gods, and I have to surrender completely and trust that I will somehow manage to be in the right place at the right time. It’s a daily lesson in how little control we actually have over our lives, and I’m grateful that by creating and painting murals, I am also able to practice a spiritual truth.
Meditating My Way to a Mural in Dallas
I just finished my first mural in Texas yesterday, and the story of how it came to be is also connected to the call of destiny. I was about to go into a silent meditation retreat for three days, and my thoughts right before I started the retreat were about how I hoped to work in Texas. I spend so much time in Mexico now, and the commute between New York and Mexico to paint my mural art is beginning to wear me down. I suddenly realized how close Texas is to Mexico City, and how many incredible cities I could paint murals in – Houston, Austin, and Dallas, as well as San Antonio and Fort Worth. I started dreaming of the quick and easy 2 hour flight from Mexico City, and then a few hours later, my silent mediation retreat started and I disconnected from phone and email.
A Surprise Email for Some Floral Wall Art
Three days later, after sitting with myself and my entire inner world in silence, my retreat ended. With a clear refreshed mind and light heart, I opened my phone to check my email and the very first email I saw was from a woman in Texas reaching out for a mural! I knew instantly that the divine will was aligned for me to go to Texas and I had to take the project. I felt so loved and seen by the universe, that even the smallest passing thoughts I had became manifest reality in three short days. It turns out the woman had found my work on Instagram, after interviewing no less than 15 mural artists in the Dallas, Texas area, and she decided she wanted to invest in bringing me all the way down to Texas for my floral mural work, no matter the cost. She was drawn to the way I paint flowers in all of nature’s abundance, with such a vivid and joyful style in my wall art. I am so deeply touched as an artist that this person saw the worth and value of my art enough to fly me from New York to Dallas to paint in her home. Even more than that, I am incredibly humbled at how this benevolent universe knows the inner workings of my mind and soul and has helped me at every step in the path to spread my murals across the world.
You Need to Drive in Dallas? : I Almost Lose the Mural
Of course the mural process was not without its challenges. About two weeks before I was supposed to go to Texas, the client suddenly got cold feet. Because I don’t know how to drive (proud New Yorker!) she panicked and thought I wouldn’t be able to get around the area easily, as her family lives in a small suburb outside of Dallas, Texas. However, I told her I am committed to my work and painting this mural and I will figure out a way—even if Ubers aren’t available, I will figure it out. I can walk! I can find someone to give me a ride and pay them! There are always solutions to every problem. So I was able to convince my client and we went ahead with the mural project. My first morning in Texas, I met a lovely driver named Tina, and I had her come get me every morning and then take me to the airport on the last day. She was a beautiful positive influence on my vibe every day, and I always paid her cash, so it was a win-win for both of us.
Success is a Wall Full of Peaceful Florals
The mural itself was for a newborn’s bedroom, and I used a very soft color palette and simple flowers for the wall art. I wanted it to be gentle and soothing in all muted tones, but also a piece of mural art that the baby could grow up with as she gets older. I think the mural is sophisticated and the client was so happy with the end result and she specifically said she was glad she ended up choosing me and bringing me all the way from New York. I am personally looking forward to doing many more murals in Texas and I’ve asked my Instagram followers to send me recommendations or projects if they come across any. I hope to come back very soon, Dallas!
