Meet Carmel Mercado | Artist+Illustrator & Eye Surgeon

We had the good fortune of connecting with Carmel Mercado and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Carmel, other than deciding to work for yourself, what was the single most important decision you made that contributed to your success?
I had to make some practical changes to my day-to-day to help myself stay on track. Rick Rubin says it best in ‘The Creative Act’: ‘Discipline and freedom seem like opposites. In reality, they are partners. Discipline is not a lack of freedom, it is a harmonious relationship with time. Managing your schedule and daily habits well is a necessary component to free up the practical and creative capacity to make great art.’

I went from a job where my work hours were already scheduled by my employer. For every day of the month, I knew which location I would be at for my clinics, when my operating days were and where, when I was expected to manage consults for the hospital, the emergency room, and be on call in the evenings. I was also used to having to complete work tasks for the day after clinic hours so it was all too common for work to bleed into personal and family time in the evenings. Going from that to working for myself and immersing myself in my art practice was a big change in many ways, but I had become accustomed to just working all the time so this habit continued. At first, I was painting all hours of the day, every day. I still was allowing work life to take over all aspects of my life. For short bursts, that singular mindset of getting work done is great, but if you’re doing that for months on end, I think you end up sacrificing your health and relationships for that pursuit. Months into full time art, I was alarmed that I was suddenly feeling aged. I think it was from bad ergonomics, but I was getting shoulder and back pain from sitting and painting non-stop. I was gaining weight. I also was not doing my part in the upkeep of my house. I came to realize that my health and environment greatly affected my art and the emotions I can convey through my art, so I needed to break this ineffective feedback loop. I had to stop and spend some time to reassess how to optimize my schedule. I would say that it did take some adjustment, but I now have a very regular and disciplined schedule, which frees my mental capacity when it is time to create. Now having dogs has certainly helped with keeping a schedule. Of course, there are days where I’m off to collaborate on projects with other people and groups so those days are different, but when it’s just me, my schedule is pretty predictable: I get up at the same time. I eat breakfast within a set timeframe then care for the dogs. I allot 1 hour of clean up of the house every day and try to tidy up as much as I can in this allotted time. By mid-morning, I peak in focus so I set a timer and let myself flow and do the work I need to do until lunch time. My dogs then remind me when it’s time for a lunch break. I am amazed by how they can sense meal time within 10-15 minutes to the hour. After lunch, I get in another undisturbed, focused work session until late afternoon. I will then take a break, exercise, and go out with the dogs if the weather is good. Depending on mood and energy level, and whether I have a deadline to meet, I will call it a day by around 5 or 6 pm (or keep working until dinner if that deadline needs to be met). After dinner, it’s rest time. This may or may not be a surprise that as a creative, I have such a set schedule. However, this is what allows me to keep pushing projects forward, take care of my health, and manage all of my other life responsibilities.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
If you haven’t heard of me before, hi, my name is Carmel Mercado. I am an artist, illustrator, and eye surgeon. My time connecting with patients in the clinic, especially my pediatric patients, has deeply influenced my art style and my desire to inspire joy in others. On the flip side, my time as an artist reminds me of our shared humanity and helps me to be a more compassionate and connected caregiver to those I meet.

Once upon a time, I was a little girl that lived on the edge of the Everglades in South Florida and dreamed of exploring the world beyond the river of sawgrass in the backyard. Born to hard-working immigrant parents, I was also driven to make something of myself and explore the world. In the two decades of schooling that came after, I got myself a couple of degrees from places like MIT, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and Stanford. I held roles such as clinical instructor at the Oregon Health & Science University and assistant professor of ophthalmology at the University of Washington. In this time, I also moved around and lived in several cities across not only North America but in Europe, Asia, and Oceania as well. While the academic pursuit thrilling at each stage, I also was very much inspired by the new people I was meeting and new places I was visiting while on this two decade long journey.

Several years ago, while I was working with one of my ophthalmology fellows in the operating room, she asked me how I managed to create the life I had then and what it meant to have a fulfilling career. As I was reflecting on her questions, I realized that I had come to a point in my life where I was ready for something new. I was missing the mental space and inner quiet needed to allow for my imagination to run free to create. Unfortunately I think this is one of the downsides when you are a health care provider constantly putting others’ needs before yours.

My first love was art. Since childhood and through the years of schooling, I had a long-running parallel interest and love for art and the creative process. From elementary school to college to medical school to even residency, I would gravitate to leading the creative opportunities for all of the clubs I would participate in. You want a shirt made? Done. You want a logo and website created? Done. You want an end-of-the-year residency video filmed and produced in 2 weeks? Done. Somehow I had gotten so caught up with pursuing a career solely in academic medicine that I had stopped making time for art. By the time I became an attending doctor, the weight of that void was becoming more immense.

So, long story short I made the switch and took the deep dive to become a full-time artist. This art journey thus far has been a delightful learning process. I am learning to re-engage with my inner child and creative spirit. I am developing community with other artists and art organizations, still using my skills in service of others through these venues. You can find my public art installations and murals around the Seattle area, in Orlando, and Japan. I also do children’s style illustrations and am deciding what space to venture into next — perhaps children’s books since my style lends and background lends itself well to the skills needed for this medium. I tie my medical knowledge into some of the art collaborations I have. While I had to initially let go of my identity in medicine when I first delved into the world of art, the pendulum has swung back towards the center and I have found a satisfying middle ground for me. Outside of being in the art studio, I set time aside to travel locally and abroad to help on medical missions and serve those in the community who might not have access to care in a clinic or hospital setting.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
There are so many great places to explore in and around Seattle. Each neighborhood has its on charm. First and foremost, I love that the water and mountains are so close by. Some of my favorite places around Seattle are its parks for these views (and because of my doggos). I love Discovery Park, Golden Gardens Park, Seward Park, and Magnuson Park for the scenery and changes in terrain. I also always have a good time going to the CID (Chinatown-International District). I love the loco moco scotch egg and the Okinawan-style andagi dessert at Itsumono. I also love their quirky team there. Karaoke at the bar with the staff? Yes, I am all about it. I also enjoy the ube latte and arroz caldo at Hood Famous and food shopping at Uwajimaya. The food court at Uwajimaya is pretty awesome if you haven’t been. If you’re going to the CID at night, like after a game since the stadiums are close by, peking duck and karaoke is a great pitstop before heading home 🙂 . Just north of Seattle, I find myself going to Edmonds a lot and walking around the downtown area. Edmonds has that lively coastal town vibe that I like. It’s also fun to jam on your ukulele by the water (there is a ukulele group that I have had the chance to play with in Edmonds!) and watch the ferry come in and out of the port.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many people in my life who deserve credit and have helped me become who I am today. My parents and my sisters give me the courage and inspiration to just go for it. My partner, HK, the Miejos posse, my friends, and my work colleagues have all been such supportive cheerleaders in my career transition. Shoutouts to Mimi, Lashel, Laura, Jenn, Lyndsey, Jess, Bridget, and the group for all of your kindness when I was going through a rough patch. To all the gallery owners (yes including you Jill!), city art commissions (Bellevue, Kirkland, Tukwila, Kent), business owners (thanks Greenery Creamery!) and organizations like Urban Artworks and Nerd Nite Orlando who have given me the opportunity to showcase my art and be part of a wonderful community of artists – thank you, thank you, thank you! Thank you all so much for helping me get to where I am today.

Website: https://www.carmelartlab.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carmelartlab

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carmelartlab

Image Credits
Urban Artworks, City of Kirkland, Hokuto Ueda