Meet Mona Martinez | Hair stylist and visual Artist

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

Hi Mona, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I’ve always been a risk taker. I moved to NYC with 600 dollars and I survived, found a job and a place to live. I have always been fearless and experimental in my life. I like to change it up. As an artist I get bored once I master something so I find new things to learn. I also left my fancy job to go teach English in Spain. I needed a change of scenery and something new. I love languages and people and culture so that was a great experience. I never let money stop me from doing something. I always find a way to get by with all my skills. Ive been told I am a true renaissance woman and that I agree with now that Im older and confident. Ive had many jobs in my lifetime. I am spontaneous and impulsive so if you look at all the cities I’ve lived in you’d think I was insane. I have so much energy for life and curiosity. I had some bad moments but I am a better person for that. I don’t have any regrets. My life has very exciting and unique because Ive taken so many risks.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My first career was as a VFX artist for film. I worked on films like Matrix Revolutions and Constantine etc etc I did that for 8 years. I got that interview through a friend and I got in the door as a restoration artist. At age 30 I had a mid life crisis and decided to move to Barcelona and I taught English for several months. When I was done I came back to San Francisco and told a friend I wanted to be a hairdresser because I never wanted to sit in front of 3 giant computers and not talk for 12 hours straight or move. My first job trained me to be extremely visual. I was always a visual artist. I attended art school in San Francisco so my life makes sense to me. Doing hair came naturally as I had already studied the human anatomy, worked on my art projects, and worked in film as a 2d compositor. I had to relearn how to socialize. Changing careers at age 30 was very difficult. I took a giant pay cut and stability but I had more time and I had great mentors my first year as an assistant. I also had time for my other passion which is music. I then went on to live in NYC because I wanted to work on editorials and fashion week. I was successful but the NYC lifestyle is too fast for me. As an artist, I need time to process and alone time to create. I never let money stop me from doing what I want. My parents taught me at an early age to work for it. Things don’t come easy especially when you are a first generation American. MY parents were both Immigrants when they came to America so my life is a breeze compared to theres. I always here my dad say, “Don’t be a quitter” or “Thats life in the big city”. I’ve always loved traveling and I end up leaving everything behind for adventure. The thing is I have many talents and I can say I am a master of some now. My purpose in life is to be a visual artist. Every time I wander away it never works out. Art is my life. Im sticking to what I was born to do. If it doesn’t feel right, keep going until you find the right thing that feels right in your gut.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m a native Angeleno so I always have the best ideas for all ages. I love taking visitors to see music. Los Angeles has so much good music. I’d definitely take them to the lodge room in highland park to catch a show. I love taking people to the Huntington library to see the beautiful gardens and then Id take us to a sushi restaurant called Oba sushi Izakaya. Im a fan of the opera or a great dance show so the music center in DTLA is a good spot for that plus dressing up and having a glass of wine is always nice there before the show. LA is a melting pot so everyday we can visit a new country for dinner. My favorite is Vietnamese food or sushi but there is also Korean BBQ and Mexican cuisine, Lebanese, Indian, middle eastern. LA is the best for food. Im a fan of art so I love the MOCA or the LACMA but also small secret art studios in the arts district and all over LA. I like taking people for a walk at the LA historic park and have a picnic after walking around in china town. Being a fan of the cinema I love taking people to see the Bradbury building where they filmed Bladerunner then walking over to the grand central market for a snack. I also love thrift shopping or antique shopping so that is a full day of driving all over as far as Monrovia to some secret vintage furniture shops. If you are bored in LA, you are a boring person. Everyone has to drive out to the desert and have that experience. Its mandatory to catch a show at pappy and Harriets in Pioneer town near Joshua tree. Plus much more I can write a few more paragraphs. hahah

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?
My clientele. I’ve lived all over, NYC, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and other places and my clients stay in touch and follow me around. I attract the perfect people and they have become my extended family. They inspire and share their stories with me when they sit in my chair. Its such a great job because I get to hear my clients and it helps me figure out my life. They are also a fan of my art. I also paint when I’m not working as a hair stylist. The books that are inspiring me now because I am training for a half marathon are Born to run by Christopher McDougall and
what I talk about when I talk about running by Murakami.

Instagram: theramonacut

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mona1/