We had the good fortune of connecting with Ly Iris and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ly, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I chose to pursue a creative career because it’s intertwined into the very fabric of who I am. Growing up in the dynamic streets of the South Bronx, New York surrounded by the pulsating energy of the city, I found solace and inspiration in artistic expression. Guided by my mother’s unwavering encouragement, I explored into the world of art from a young age, armed with oil pastels, sketchbooks, and boundless imagination. My journey through various creative outlets—from canvas textured paintings to website design—has been a colorful exploration, but my heart has always gravitated toward content creation. The allure of connecting with audiences, sharing stories, and making an impact fueled my dream of building a platform doing what I love. Combining my love for content creation and my passion for sharing my art to the world, has led me to establish CreativeLy—an outlet where I can translate my vibrant experiences into tangible works of art that empower people of color.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I have been an artist all my life. But it was not up until 2021 I started taking myself seriously. My first opportunity as an artist was with my mentor, Joshua Poyer, looking for art to hang up in a nonprofit he works at. My painting Silenced was born. She was created with a lot of emotion. After seeing her up on the wall, I knew that being an artist wasn’t a hobby but who I am. I created many paintings before Silenced but Silenced made something inside of me make sense.

Being an artist for a living in this day and age is hard. But the path that I have been on has led me to a lot of fun, travel, and joy. On this path, I have also faced some challenges. One major challenge I face, not just as an artist but as a young artist is sometimes being treated like an adult and sometimes being treated like a child.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend was to visit where I live now, which is the Bronx, NY, I would give them an exclusive tour of the Bronx. I would show them where Hip-Hop was born. I would drive them by a few different mural spots in the Hunts Point community as well. I would take them to the various neighborhoods to show the diversity and different cultures. I would take them to see the two parks, Starlight Park and Concrete Plant Park, that my nonprofit was led in creating because my last few years in high school, I and other youth organizers spent a lot of organizing moving the projects forward. Along this path would lead to another project that was finalized my last year in high school turning the Sheridan Expressway into the Sheridan Boulevard. Behind all this sightseeing is a rich history of the Bronx and how the community is taking back what’s rightfully ours.

As for places to eat, I would start with the bodega right around the corner from my house because nothing screams New York like a good baconeggandcheese! At some point throughout the trip, we would go to my favorite Hala truck out of NYC in general, and take a trip to a strip of restaurants and bars in a neighborhood called Mott Haven. As for the rest of the trip, there are so many different neighborhoods with different foods, that we would at some point have to google and TikTok to decide what’s a good spot specifically for that day!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
To my mentor, Joshua Poyer for continuously aligning with many opportunities as an artist and as a young person.

Website: https://linktr.ee/LyfeOfLy

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/c.reatively

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalylasantiago/?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LyfeOfLy

Image Credits
Photo Credits: Iky Davis

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