For those of you who were with me before WELCOME BACK to the HOLA GWAPA GIRL GANG 2.0 and for those who are shiny, fresh and new HOLA GWAPA! I wanted to write a post to welcome everyone back and to explain the pause and relaunch. Like most of you, this is my second job and I do it because I LOVE all things art-related and am obsessed with building this creative community. BUT like I’m sure most of you also know BURNOUT IS REAL. Mon.- Fri. I’m the Creative Brand Manager at a PR agency in downtown San Diego, so by the time I get home my creative energy is mostly spent. As the HG community started to gain traction Artist Feature and Artist Takeover requests started coming in quicker and quicker and I couldn’t keep up with the momentum. Not to mention, all the behind the scenes that go into prepping, scheduling, content creation, answering emails, finding new talent and well essentially running the show. What was once my obsession and passion started feeling more and more like a forced chore.

Also, I think most of us can also relate to the feeling that if we’re not able to do something perfectly or exactly how we envision it we’d rather just not do it at all. So emails started slipping, features postponed and takeovers canceled. I needed a break! Looking back now I felt super stuck and taking a step back from the day to day tasks that were keeping HG afloat allowed me the opportunity to look at the bigger picture. So I started asking myself questions like… What was the point of all of this? Where did I see this community going in the next 3, 5 and 10 years? How was I ever going to find the time to create MY art on top of everything else I already had on my plate? I think it’s important to note here that none of the answers to these questions came to me right away. But I was patient and eventually, they did come. 

Another important thing to note is that the thought to ditch this thing all together never once crossed my mind. I always knew I would re-launch but had no plan as to when. So after taking a solid hiatus, I did some major soul searching and started plotting the HG comeback. What ultimately came to me was that community is core at HG so I truly wanted to find a way to make each feature sparkle and shine. Aesthetically I wanted things to be fun, playful, expressive and totally female-focused. I also knew I wanted to play a bigger role by showing face and basically playing MC. And last but not least THE HOLA GWAPA SHOP. 

I have been working behind the scenes for MONTHS on the Hola Gwapa shop. Playing with product, styles, shapes, colors, branding photography, and everything else that goes into bringing the online shop to life. One thing that you may not know about me (since in the past I haven't shown my face here very often) is that I am totally 100% obsessed with statement accessories. I truly believe that getting dressed in the morning is an art and the way we present ourselves to the universe is the purest form of self-expression. There is no look that I love more than a center part, slicked-back low bun, bright lipstick, and a statement earring. So I knew I wanted to contribute to the way women feel when they buy and wear a new bold accessory by creating a statement earing that also felt like art. EAR ART. I mean am I crazy?! These are the things I think about! Visiting, the shop you'll find two styles of lightweight repurposed marbled leather earrings named in homage to my main muse Frida who was also known for rocking her iconic hand earrings. I hope you love them as much as I do and I seriously CAN'T WAIT to see how you babes end up styling your unique set. So don't forget to tag @holagwapa whenever you post a pic of you and your new party dangles. 

 So with that, welcome back Gwapa Gang and stay tuned because you guessed it babes! My next posts will be hitting the site next week with my favorite ways to style each pair + my top 5 tips & tricks to avoiding creative burnout. LOVE YOU, mean it!