Liz Flores, Painter & Muralist
Liz Flores, the daughter of a Mexican-American dad and Cuban mom, dabbled in corporate America before turning her passion for art into a fully fledged career. After taking a few months to journal and really nail down what she wanted to do — staying at her office job was out of the question — Liz told her parents about her plan.
“I have not always been the most confident person and I definitely was a parent pleaser, so this was a big deal for me,” she tells me, echoing the sentiments of almost every first-born, first-generation Latinx person I know. (Myself included.)
Now, Liz is a successful painter and muralist. Her work can be found throughout the city of Chicago and New York, including on a limited-edition custom coffee bag, in collaboration with Dark Matter Coffee.
Just last week, she announced her partnership with femdot., with whom she’ll create a limited supply of art prints, clothing and a mural to help raise funding for Delacreme Scholars, a program that helps award Black and Brown Chicago students with scholarships for college.
Liz is 100% a mujer de magia. I can’t wait for you to meet her.
Grace Gavilanes: I’m going to start off with a loaded question because I always love those: What does being Latina mean to you?
Liz Flores: I struggled with this question, because being Latina has meant so many different things to me throughout my life. When I was a kid, being Latina meant explaining to my friends why I had another family party that weekend and couldn’t hang out. Being Latina meant arguing with my family about how they treated my boy cousins differently from the girls. And it also meant watching telenovelas with my abuelita as she made me café con leche after school. My youth was steeped in tradition and family.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to appreciate these things so much more. I now realize the power of being Latina. We are so strong, and the ties we have to our families, our ancestors and community root us in a power that is something really special.
GG: What would you consider to be your proudest accomplishment so far?
LF: The proudest moment in my personal life would have to be when I was living with my parents and called them into my dad’s office one night to tell them that I had put my two weeks’ notice in at my job and was going to be an artist. I have not always been the most confident person and I definitely was a parent pleaser, so this was a big deal for me.
One of the proudest moments in my professional life was most recently creating a mural for The Chicago Bears!
““Living my version of being Latina has helped me live my version of being a woman, and an artist.””
GG: Imposter syndrome is a very real thing in our community. How do you combat those feelings?
LF: Whew, I can say so much about imposter syndrome. I feel it all the time.
I think as Latinas we have an extra dose of expectations that can fuel these imposter feelings. Expectations like having a “safe” job, getting married, being a “good” daughter. When I decided I was going to be an entrepreneur, travel to other countries on my own, paint murals, and not get married right away (I’m 30 now) I received a lot of concerning looks and comments from my family.
I combat imposter syndrome in a few different ways. First, I write everything down. All my fears around my life, career and/or a project I’m going to do. I then write a response to each fear and that helps ease my anxiety so I can move forward.
Second, I remind myself over and over that I have a right to make art just like anyone else. I have a right to be here. Elizabeth Gilbert calls this the “arrogance of belonging.”
Third, I rewrite the definition of what it means to be a Latina, artist, etc. I keep what feels true for me like the traditions, our language, the food, the importance of family. But I leave what isn’t true for me — having a 9-5 job, marriage being my main goal, being a great cook, etc. Living my version of being Latina has helped me live my version of being a woman, and an artist. I feel less like an imposter because I’m living my life on my terms. This, in turn, has expanded my family's thoughts on what being a Latina can look like.
GG: What do you wish people knew about you that they wouldn’t know from a quick scan of your Instagram?
LF: I wish people knew how shy I really am. I try to put myself and my work out there a lot on social media but it’s not always easy for me. I feel like this is important to know because we often look at people’s IGs and think we need to be super confident and have everything together to share our ideas, but you don’t. Just do your best.
There’s a quote by Georgia O’Keeffe that gives me comfort and I read often: “I’ve been absolutely terrified every moment of my life, and I’ve never let it keep me from doing a single thing that I wanted to do.”
GG: I know you’re a big fan of amplifying other voices. Which Latinx content creators are you currently obsessed with?
LF: I love Karen Ramos, an outdoor activist who speaks on a variety of social and environmental justice issues. Her IG stories are just so witty and informative.
Kozmo, a painter and muralist in Chicago, is always creating artwork that is insanely good and puts a smile on my face. She is so prolific and a real inspiration for me.
Andrea Campos who is a photographer, producer, and illustrator in LA/SF. We actually grew up together and I have always been amazed at what she creates. Her photography in particular is so powerful and gives me all the feels.
