I love sharing stories with you that show you life is not always made up of straight lines. I’ve featured my friend Marisol Martinez on the blog before but hadn’t had a chance to tell you her “story”, which I think is a valuable one. Marisol and I went to Parsons School of Design together, each earning our B.B.A. in Design Marketing.
Although we both started out thinking we’d go into fashion, her internship at a big fashion house with a truly infamous designer turned her off fashion forever. She ended up working at VHI, beginning a very successful career in the music industry. Now she is a painter. Still, she is so stylish I could have done an entire blog just on her style. I use her as an example all the time of someone who just KNOWS what works on her and what doesn’t. Her style is as consistent as Audrey Hepburn’s, yet her looks are always modern and cutting edge. Keep reading to find out more about my multi-talented friend and why our first act is just that.
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Lani: Tell us about what you do
Marisol: I am currently an Artist/Painter specializing in abstract and contemporary art, working out of my studio on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
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Lani: How did you start your career as an artist?
Marisol: About 3 years ago my career in music came to a complete stand still. My mother and I are big dreamers and we both had the same exact dream, my uncle telling me to pick up a brush and paint. The last time I painted was about 15 years ago. It made no sense and was completely scary. Simultaneously I was healing from a break up and painting was a great healing activity. As I painted I developed a pretty nice portfolio and decided to make a go at turning it into a business. Within months, I put together my website, business cards, instagram, facebook and now snapchat! I have been very fortunate to have success with Interior Designers and some curators. I literally just did the work!
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Lani: What is your first memory of being truly, madly, deeply interested in fashion?
Marisol: I was 13 years old, sitting in my room with every high end fashion magazine dreaming of living back in the city ( we moved to the suburbs) and working with all those designers and buying all those clothes! I felt such an amazing rush and joy, like i felt connected and at 13 I had no idea I was really connecting to the creativity not the actual clothes lol :).
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Lani: What advice would you give someone looking to start a career as an artist?
Marisol: My first piece of advice is to create from a place of love and what feels good to you…once you can get that in place the rest is all logistics. Once you have that creative aspect in place, I suggest writing out a great digital marketing strategy. Most everything lives online these days. There are so many outlets and networking opportunities via the web. Do the research and find the ones that match your aesthetic. Also, don’t completely live online. Good old fashion in person networking still works like a charm. The instant connection breeds great long term contacts. Check out conventions, expos, talks, etc. There is always something available for you to check out.
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Lani Inlander is a personal stylist, working with clients who want to feel their best and look put-together every day. You can find her in the Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia and New York areas.
You can find Lani Inlander and Real Life Style on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.
