We had the good fortune of connecting with Debora Medici Guetta and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Debora, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I am always careful about what direction I go. I think about the next step carefully as I always remind myself that the decision you take today will shape who you’ll become tomorrow. When I decide where I want to be in months from now, I ask myself if the risks involved in getting there are worth taking. I let the question sit within me for few days thinking about what kind of risk may unfold, until I receive an answer. When I am sure that a risk is worth taking I commit to whatever it is that I want to pursue with all my beliefs and I only concentrate on the positive little outcomes that unfold ahead. I stayed dedicated to what I feel true to my heart and trust the process with gratitude. This process never proved itself to be wrong when done with love.
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I create my art from the experiences that I have lived throughout my life. I am happy that I have been able to create a strong foundation to represent myself through my creations. I have found that my creations come best when I am passionate about my work. Few years ago I started to apply my own cut and weave style to my photos. I cut the prints and hand-weave them together to portray the fragmented pieces of a portrait or urban cities or nature as a whole. Each photo is shredded in the same way the chaos in everyone’s life shreds us apart. It needs to be pulled apart and sorted out to allow us to rebuild. Once each strip is put together in a new arrangement, you’ll realize that you have recreated a new life, a new city, and landed in a new parallel world. This helps you become the person you want to be, build the city you want to live and reconstruct the life you want to live. I see this new world from many angles as a woman, artist, mother, wife, and daughter. The challenging part is to imagine this new world. So I learned that I need to prioritize my well being, which directly impacts the quality of my art work. From meditating, reading books to journaling about my day, I have found that centering myself has profoundly helped my creative processes. Once a new world opens up in my creative mind, passion and determination to bring it in a tangible form follows.
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The options for a good time in Los Angeles are endless. Here are few options: go for a hike in Eton Canyon in Altadena/Pasadena stop for a coffee and baked goods at Little Flower and end the day taking a stroll down Old Town Pasadena. A day in downtown L.A. could start at the Grand Central Market, followed by a visit at the Angel Flight Railway and visit The Broad Museum. In Glendale area go for a coffe at Coffee Commissary and relax at the Friendship Garden and Japanese Tea House. Then there is the Ocean! Malibu Broadbeach and have lunch at the Malibu Farm at the Pier. In Highland Park you can have a delicious Spanish cuisine style dinner at Otono restaurant and then go to Highland Park bowling, the oldest operating bowling alley. Also a must is the Descanso garden because of its natural beauty and the best pizza at Oste Restaurant on 3rd street.
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?
I would like to send my love and appreciation to my mentor Tracey Landworth, for always pushing me out of my comfort zone. Her direction has brought me to the place that I am at today. 12 years ago she saw in me what I was able to produce and share with the world today. It is thanks to her support and and productive feedback of her photography workshop group (that I still attend biweekly today), that I have been able to receive all the guidance needed to move forward with encouragement, passion and motivation. I am also immensely thankful for so many of my friends and my family who have been of a tremendous support believing in my talents and creativity. They genuinely are there for me and enjoy my success as their own.
