How to live like Frida Kahlo
“Frida.” Her name is synonymous with Mexico, floral crowns, and raw, emotional artistry.
My admiration for Frida began long ago, and on a recent trip to Mexico City to celebrate the New Year, there was one absolute “must-see” item on my agenda: Frida Kahlo’s home, La Casa Azul.
Her life there was not easy – but it was meaningful.
She survived polio as a child, a debilitating bus accident at age 18, fell in love with Mexico’s most famous painter (and notorious womanizer) Diego Rivera, suffered a traumatic miscarriage, lost part of her right leg to gangrene… and along the way, created some of the most moving artwork of all time.
My love for Frida is not based on a fairy-tale idea of her life; it’s because she insisted on living her truth, no matter how dark her days became.
La Casa Azul offers a compelling window into her soul.
The day we visited, we arrived early to collect our tickets for our reserved tour time.
The house was quite the zoo from the street. Herds of people wandered around outside looking for guidance, hoping to score a few of the limited number of tickets available (they usually sell out days in advance) so they could make their way inside and have their own Frida experience.
On the positive side, the restricted number of visitors gave everyone in our party enough space to explore the modest yet exotic grounds and the beautiful rooms of the house unencumbered, and even to find a quiet corner in the gardens in which to sit quietly and meditate.
As I strolled, I kept imagining what Frida’s ghost might say at the sight of so many eager fans crowding into her home. I guessed that it might be somewhere between “Come, welcome, have a shot of tequila!” to “Who are all these strangers? Get out of my house!”
In the end, Frida’s lasting impact on the world shows how our creativity can affect the lives of others – even after we’re long gone.
I was glad to visit her home, because there’s real power in visiting the creative space of someone whose work was so authentic – so unmistakably her own.
Frida shared her talents so well that she’s still gaining new fans every year, decades after her death.
She’s also become one of the most commercially successful artists ever, even though that was never her goal in the first place.
So the next time you feel like your creativity is being wasted on unappreciative clients, or that you’re at the end of your rope in business, recall Frida’s words: “At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can.”
You are unique – and your work is important and necessary in this world… and in the lives of those you connect with.
All you have to do is rise to the occasion and persevere: you can endure (and overcome) much more than you think!
P.S. Your creativity as an interior designer is special, and deserves to be both appreciated and recognized.
That includes how you’re compensated for changing the lives of your clients!
You can stay true and authentic to yourself and your craft while having a wonderful business that supports you.
If you’re struggling, feeling lost, or are unsure about how to live your truth in business, then let’s talk!
Schedule a complimentary Breakthrough Call HERE, and let’s discuss how to help your inner artist shine through!
