Re: Building a Life Around What You Care About The Most | Alessandra Maria
In this episode of the Arts to Hearts Podcast, Charuka Arora sits down with artist Alessandra Maria for an inspiring conversation about what it really means to put your time and energy into something you love.
Alessandra opens up about how she found her way to art and the long, winding journey she’s taken to build a life around it. Together, they talk about what goes into making meaningful work—like how long a single piece can take, choosing colors, and giving art that beautiful, aged feel. They also dive into Indian aesthetics, influences, and what makes a piece of art truly unforgettable.
Charuka and Alessandra don’t shy away from the tough stuff either. They talk about the doubts that come up, the pressure to be perfect, and how hard it can be to stay inspired. But through it all, they keep coming back to one thing: the importance of doing what you love, and doing it with heart.
From building a creative life and hitting professional milestones to making space for love, authenticity, and community—this episode is full of real talk, big laughs, and reminders that the journey might be hard, but it’s absolutely worth it.
If you’ve ever wondered how to stay true to your passion and build something meaningful, this one’s for you.
About Alessandra Maria
I was born and raised in Seattle in 1989 and am now working in Brooklyn, New York. I graduated from Pratt Institute in 2012 as a Presidential Merit Scholar with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications Design and Illustration. Represented by Galerie Fledermaus in Chicago.
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When artist Alessandra Maria sat down with Charuka on the podcast, what unfolded was an honest, meandering conversation about how art evolves with time, how personal histories shape creative choices, and why color—or the lack of it—can tell its own story. They talked about influences, experiments gone wrong, the slow discovery of self through practice, and how imagination, books, and beauty all find their way into the work we make. It wasn’t about arriving at the “right” answers, but about asking the kinds of questions that keep an artist moving.
Why we talk about color so much
Charuka opens the conversation by sharing how her use of color in painting changed over time. She started with bright, bold colors and slowly moved into a more muted palette full of black and gold. Alessandra relates but says she’s actually doing the opposite—starting with limited tones and slowly adding color. For her, it was about learning how to balance patterns and light before jumping into more color. It was a way to focus and get better.
You know, painters compose their work in terms of light; I compose my work in terms of pattern. S4E66
What art school gave (and didn’t give) her
Alessandra went to art school for commercial illustration but quickly realized it didn’t feel right. She didn’t see her kind of influences—more decorative, pattern-heavy, and fantasy-inspired—reflected in that world. Even though she had a solid education, it took time to figure out how her personal tastes could become her own kind of art.
So I am working to integrate some more color, but what I’m working on right now is making sure that I keep that kind of age feels to it.S4E66
Who and what she looks at
Her influences are all over the place: from Leonardo da Vinci and the Pre-Raphaelites to Sabya Sachi, Japanese art, and even fantasy novels like The Wheel of Time. She loves patterns, jewelry design, and anything that feels a bit magical or sacred. It’s not one clear path—it’s a mix of art history, literature, fashion, and feelings.
How she finds her style
Over time, her work has developed into what it is now: faces, butterflies, flowers, gold—all arranged in a way that builds a whole little world. But it didn’t start there. She tried everything in school: oil painting (which she admits she’s terrible at), sculpture, collage, woodworking. She kept asking herself what the most jaw-dropping, unbelievable artwork would look like if she were to stumble upon it in a gallery. That question helped shape her path.
Making art that feels like a world
Charuka points out something interesting: Alessandra’s work feels like stepping into another world. And Alessandra agrees. It’s not about who she is now—it’s about slowly finding out who she’s always been. It’s a quiet, ongoing discovery. Not everything needs to be explained. Some things just feel right.
You know, like if I were to close my eyes and walk into a gallery and see the most unbelievable To me, this is how I define the most unbelievable, jaw-dropping work ever. What does that look like? I would try to imagine what that looks like, and I would sit with it and envision it.S4E66
Following what feels good
Alessandra doesn’t believe that you need pain or sadness to make good art. In fact, she says her worst work happens when she’s feeling low. For her, creating comes from a place of joy and curiosity. She sees it as asking herself: What would be beautiful to see in the world? And then trying to make that.
I found that exercise in particular really helps crystallize that vision, like, “Okay, this is where I want to go,” or “this is where I want to be,” if that makes sense.S4E66
This episode reminds us that the art we make doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. It’s okay to follow a strange mix of inspirations. It’s okay to change, to start slow, to get better quietly. Most of all, it’s okay to make art because it feels good—not because it has to mean something heavy. Sometimes, it’s just about making the kind of work you’d be excited to walk into a room and see.
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