Learn the Rules to Break Them—Behind the Niche with Camila Salinas
- Anisha Dwarka
- Mar 14
- 5 min read
Art has always sparked controversy, yet it remains one of the few universal languages that tether us to something deeper when life feels like it’s slipping away. For Camila Salinas, art has been more than just an outlet—it’s been a force of transformation. From tracing cartoon characters on an old box TV to painting self-portraits that challenge her own perception, she now creates pieces that echo in the hearts and minds of many.
The First Sparks
From an early age, Camila felt inseparable from her pen. Drawing at every opportunity, she never imagined that what once felt like a simple pastime would shape the very path she would walk.
Reflecting on her discovery, Camila shares:
“I was always drawing, and when I found out you could take art as an elective in middle school, I started crying because I was so excited and so relieved that I didn’t have to take a band elective like my sister.”
With exposure to new opportunities, Camila began expanding her artistic horizons, refining her skills, and exploring her interest in realism. She started with portraits—capturing the faces of people and pets—but something inside her urged her to push further, to create beyond just technical precision. It wasn’t until the world was upended by the COVID-19 pandemic that her art took a deeply personal turn, becoming a mirror of her inner world.
Reflecting on this shift, Camila shares:
“I began to paint self-portraits, which made me wildly uncomfortable. I was very insecure about my self-image, but ironically, painting myself over and over eventually helped me mostly overcome that. Now, I am experimenting more with my style, playing with these caricatures that I’m currently obsessed with drawing in my sketchbook.”
The pandemic reshaped many lives, forcing people to confront emotions they had long buried. For Camila, it became a period of transformation—one where she channeled her emotions into a medium that absorbs, reflects, and communicates what words often cannot. Through each stroke of her brush, she embraced vulnerability, allowing her art to become not just a form of expression but a form of healing.
The Art, the Process, the Misconceptions
Since starting her content creation in 2021, Camila has accumulated over 2 million followers on her social media platforms. She shares that one of her favorite things about being an artist is having the opportunity to share her work on a global scale.
She reflects:
“The fact that something so personal to me is out there in the world for anybody to see, interpret, and relate to is so fascinating. It belongs to the audience once it is shown.”
Camila’s ability to connect with a global audience speaks to the universal power of art. What started as a personal form of expression has blossomed into a platform that invites others to find their own meaning in her work. For her, the act of creation is no longer just about personal catharsis but about creating shared experiences with people across the world.
But beneath the polished final pieces that appear on her canvas is a process that many people never get to see—one that begins long before the first brushstroke. For Camila, it all starts with the intangible. Sometimes it’s a fleeting emotion, a sense of nostalgia, or even a fully formed vision that appears in her mind. From there, she grabs her sketchbook and lets her intuition guide her.
“My process isn’t super innovative or interesting, it’s kind of simple. It starts with an idea that, as cliché as this sounds, just comes to me. Sometimes it’s a feeling or a sort of nostalgia for something. Sometimes I see exactly what the painting will look like in my mind from the beginning,” she explains.
Words and scribbled concepts often accompany her drawings, helping her solidify the direction of her piece. When the foundation is set, she gathers references—sometimes taking her own photos, other times pulling from past images that spark inspiration.
Camila reflects on this process, saying:
“Once I have a drawing or composition I like, I take reference photos of myself. These works are always personal, mostly because they’re of me and my image, but also because most of them are based on personal life experiences.”
While reference images once dictated much of her work, Camila has been pushing herself to break away from rigid realism, allowing spontaneity to guide her decisions as she paints.
“My process used to be very reliant on my photo reference, but recently, I am giving myself more liberty to break from the reference and make decisions with my painting as I work on it.”
For Camila, the creative process is a balance between structure and freedom, discipline and experimentation. It’s not just about rendering something realistically—it’s about capturing something real.
Learn the Rules to Break Them
Are there rules to art? This question has sparked much discussion in the creative world. Some believe that structure, technique, and tradition lay the foundation for artistic mastery, while others argue that true creativity thrives in the absence of constraints. For Camila, she has learned the rules just to break them.
She says:
“Learn the rules, you know, like learn the technical skills, and then you can break them however you want. It’s kind of easy learning how to draw realistically. It might take a lot of time or practice, but once you learn how to do that, there are so many possibilities you can unlock with your art knowing the ‘rules.’ Or don’t. I think there are no rules to art.”
For Camila, artistic freedom is a paradox—rules can be both a foundation and a limitation. Mastering technique provides artists with a toolkit, but true creativity comes from knowing when to follow convention and when to abandon it entirely. For her, the beauty of art lies in its endless possibilities, where structure and spontaneity coexist.
The Journey to an Art Career
From the time Camila started drawing as a young child, she never thought she’d be pursuing art the way she is now. All she knew was that she wanted to draw and paint for the rest of her life.
When the time came to decide her future, she faced a moment of realization, stating:
“When it was time to apply to college, I was stressed ’cause I was thinking, ‘Omg, what the hell am I going to do?’ Then I found out that you could go to school for art, and I have no idea how that concept evaded me all those years. My teacher told me about RISD (Rhode Island School of Design), and I was like, ‘Ok, I guess.’”
Now at the institution, Camila recalls how stepping into RISD was intimidating at first. Surrounded by other artists who had years of formal training or came from creative backgrounds, she found herself battling imposter syndrome.
Despite the challenges, Camila embraced the learning experiences and found herself growing in ways she hadn’t expected. She shares:
“I’ve learned so much about the ‘art world’ here and have been introduced to so many things that I had been oblivious to my whole life. I’m just like... damn, I really wasn’t serious about this art shit before. But I am grateful for where I am right now, and I wouldn’t change anything.”
Final Message: Redefining Success in Art
For many people who say they want to be an artist for a living, they are often shut down or questioned of their choices. An artist, seriously? You can’t make that a career. You won't make enough money to survive. Why is it that we resort to these questions or statements? Are we projecting because we were told the same things as a child? These doubts are ingrained in society, discouraging young creatives before they even begin. But Camila’s journey is proof that passion and persistence can carve a path forward.
Even though art school wasn’t always part of her plan, her talent was recognized by those around her, leading her to opportunities she never imagined. Now, as she continues to grow and refine her craft, one thing is certain—her canvas of life is still being painted and so can yours.
xoxo, Anisha Dwarka, Social Media Intern
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