Meet Sergio Palacios | Fine Artist and Tattooer

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

Hi Sergio, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
Work Life Balance is an interesting topic for me. I like to think of it more as: rest, push forward, rest, push forward. My life is fully immersed in my pursuits; there is no separation of work and life. Everything is fully integrated. I am always counting the costs of actions taken outside of those two categories, “rest and push forward.” If I am not pushing forward in my creative endeavors, I better be resting! My energy is finite and worth almost more than my time because if something costs me too much energy, it in turn ends up costing me more time to recover. I do not see myself building a family, I am not interested in checking off your standard life check marks. On the contrary, as I mature and progress in my purpose, I want to be better immersed and deeper integrated with my purpose. When I am not taking actions within it, I just want to rest and recharge so I can keep going. With all this said, I guess I should briefly define what I consider rest. Cooking, moments of stillness, naps, movie time, ( I love me a good movie!) and although I do not want a family life of my own, I do enjoy catching up with the “fam” I already have! Sometimes, even rest and push forward end up blurring together when I take the time to paint and make art, for art’s sake.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My Art is my life. My art has saved me, my art has drowned me. My art has been the vehicle to my existential angst, taking me to the most deepest parts of my self and to the most outer parts of this existence. It has primarily been a selfish endeavor for so many years. I have used it to heal, to escape, to search for meaning and purpose, and to feel free. I have managed to keep it up without fully seeking its exposure, without fully seeking any real validation… I have been very stubborn with doing things my way for so many years, but I have been at a turning point these last 2 to 3 years and have sought to bring it more into the world. I am at point now where my needs have changed and I do want exposure, I do want recognition and guidance and have been taking the steps in those directions. Being in my early 30’s I hear others of the same age say, “I am just getting started,” but for me, it feels more like, “I am still laying down the foundation to get started on!” Looking forward to what I build on that foundation.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Being from LA, I love actually being away from all the hustle and flow. I love me some nature. It could be parks within the city, like Elysian, or Griffith, or the beach; as long I can find a spot to space out and chill, that is good with me!
I actually do not go out much to “hang” but when it comes to food, I love me a good authentic Korean BBQ. There are so many good ones in and around the city. Man nothing beats stuffing your face until you can’t anymore, and Korean BBQ is just the perfect go to when I want to fill up on protein. Next to that is any good sushi spot. Still have many to try out, but there is this one in Monterey Park, where I live called Kaiba, that is my go to.

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 relationship with my parents has been a very simple yet complex dynamic. As first generation Mexican American, and as the oldest of three, I grew up with a lot of pressure to do and be all that I could be, while also not being able to fully fly away from the nest you could say for the sake of my family’s well being. Much of my early adulthood felt like I was driving with the breaks on. The weight definitely broke me down a few times…but it simultaneously, made me stronger. Today I can say I am grateful for that diamond building pressure and for the support and love I have received from them. We might not be able to full help each other the way we would like to…but we are there for each other in the best ways we can. When I can, I give, and when they can, they give, and for that, I would like to shout out my parents as big components of this journey.

Instagram: @floatingstreams

Image Credits
Self