Welcome, my name is Lys Santamaria.

When we are little, we often have dreams of becoming something great - a teacher, a doctor, a nurse, a lawyer, a scientist, etc. For me, that wasn’t the case. I never knew what I wanted to be.

I floated around for a good part of my life searching for a dream. Along the way, I decided I would become what I thought my parents wanted for me. I was born in Colombia and when I was three years old, my parents bravely moved our family to Canada for a better life. They made countless sacrifices for me and I wanted to make them proud and happy.

So, after graduating from school, I started working for the government. It wasn’t long until I was promoted and offered a permanent position with benefits and a great salary - the dream, right? But there was an emptiness inside of me. I was disconnected and my light was dim.

So I did something that no one in my family has ever done. I quit my job and decided to travel ALONE. I aimed to stay away as long as I was still happy - I went across Canada, to Japan, and throughout Asia for 6 months. Leaving was a scary thing to do but staying was even scarier. I was suffocating and pretending to be okay.

When I finished traveling, I moved to Austin because I fell in love with it while visiting my sister who lived here. I decided I would find any job that I could and my focus would be making jewelry and focusing on my creativity. When I landed in Austin, my sister picked me up from the airport and we went directly to an art opening. I was so happy to be surrounded by artists - sipping wine and looking at the art. The gallery was called Pump Project and I loved how there were art studios tucked into every corner. I remember staring at one of the paintings and wishing with all of my heart that I would work in a place just like that one day. My heart was overflowing with gratitude.

One month later, I got a job interview with a local jewelry company, Limbo Jewelry. When I arrived, I was shocked. It was at Pump Project, the very same art gallery where I had made my wish months ago.
I got the job and my wish came true.

While working at Limbo Jewelry, I developed my jewelry and production skills while also working on my artwork on the side. I began to find my voice using beads. I created my very first beaded portrait during that time and even had my very first art show during the East Austin Studio Tour with Big Medium. I began connecting with other artists and becoming part of the vibrant artist community of Austin.

It was a time of discovery and allowing my curiosity to guide me. And that was when my dream emerged - I wanted to be an artist. After reluctantly applying, I was accepted to ArtistINC - a program held by the City of Austin to help emerging artists learn business skills. Shortly after graduating from that program, I quit my job and decided to become an artist - another thing no one in my family had done. Honestly, this was scarier than traveling the world alone. Thankfully, I had a lot of friends and supporters who believed in me and encouraged me along the way.

I finally had a dream.

Since, then it has been a journey of learning, discovering, and leaning into my joy. I’ve had some amazing experiences and created art that has gained national and international attention. I am growing every day. I love what I do and I’m grateful for this sweet dream of mine.