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

Hi Vanessa, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I feel that taking risks is a daily task. Some may be small while some could cause you to lose money, hours of sleep, and forget to eat. Regardless on how big the risk may be, in my opinion the outcome makes it all worth it. I have learned what risks may not be worth the time but I have boiled it down to one point of reason. So long as I can grow and maybe help someone else along the way, I’ll take that risk. I believe that I can say I have taken risks for as long as I have been pursuing the need to “master” my craft. It’s made me into the person I am today…as cliche as that sounds. If it wasn’t for risk taking I would never had experienced the hardships that brought me to the life I live now, with the people I love the most.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Whenever someone asks me about my work, I always have to take a second to think through all that I’ve done. Before pursuing an art degree, I was fortunate enough to be a part of a musical community called DCI and WGI that aren’t very well known in the “real world”.
In this community, I was a drummer and dedicated almost a decade of my life being a participant and an educator. It gave me the chance to travel the country, meet people from all over the world, and it’s where I met my husband. We were drummers for the same group. During my time as an educator, I was pursuing my degree in studio arts and living that paycheck to paycheck life. It was very difficult to make ends meet sometimes but like I mentioned, I would take the risk if I knew I could grow from the experience. During this time, I learned how much of an impact music has had on me. All the years performing with other amazing musicians who were regular people just like me, had morphed into my art. My art began to reflect the music I performed and listened to and it taught me about my strengths and faults. I was able to become a better teacher, a better artist and a better partner with my husband. Once I had realized this, the fun began. I graduated college and was able to become a designer for some of the groups in the community for their show sets and costumes. My husband and I became partners and wrote choreography to the music for some of those groups. Most recently, my husband and I began to work for a design and vehicle wrap shop together. He as the lead installer and myself as the company manager.
In between all of this, I still make art and we still drum and I am very excited to see what adventure comes next.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Ventura County has a lot of different things going on. I love to go to the beach weekly, if possible. There are some that are more hidden from tourists that I like to escape to with my husband and our dog.
The food is great! We have a some of the best tacos spots out in Oxnard! You can find great breweries and (my favorite) billiards bars.
I would recommend for anyone to make a weekend trip to the area and explore the breweries/bars the county has to offer.
My favorites are Casa Agria in Oxnard, Institution, Twisted Oak Tavern, & the Lamplighter in Camarillo, and Limon y Sal, FluidState, and Dargens in Ventura.
Best of all, the art community is awesome. There are art markets monthly and some artists groups that provide a place for you to create and communicate with other artists.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I am so thankful that I have been given so much support over the years. My biggest supporters would be my family and my husband. They have always been honest with me and my tendency to take big risks but most of all, they push me to give my full potential.

Instagram: @el_lujo_art @vane.ramos92

Other: Work Instagram – @eyedentitygfx

Image Credits
Damien Masterson Pedro Rodriguez

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.