LAUREN B. SANCHEZ

“The moment you have a connection to creativity, that’s your gateway to higher consciousness,” the visual artist Lauren B. Sanchez says, talking about how both her practices as an artist and as a yoga/meditation teacher interconnect, and how they have paved the way for her current artistic inspiration. 

This tells not only of the importance of balance as an artist, but also how mental space allows a person to unlock untouched inspiration leading to greater creativity – which is already within them. Which is already within all of us. We just need to find it first. 

Whether it be painting a mural of Mujeres Divinas (Divine Women) or leading a one-on-one guided meditation session with a client, for Lauren, her career has been a series of learning and growing experiences. Discovering and unlocking these subconscious inspirations within herself.

WHO IS ARTIST LBS? 

Lauren B. Sanchez, a.k.a Artist LBS, is a multidisciplinary visual artist and intuitive guide based in Mohkinstsis, Treaty 7 (Calgary, AB). From childhood, she has always been creative. But it wasn’t until 2014 that she started getting into yoga. Seamlessly, Lauren blended her love for creativity and spirituality to establish her unique perspective – one that she devotes herself to and helps others see as well.

“It [yoga and meditation] helped me see more visions, colours, and symbols in my dreams.” 

From this realization, Lauren began teaching art, yoga and meditation classes and would use each of these practices to inspire her work. 

“If I’m commissioned to do a portrait of someone I’ve never met, I will actually make it a point to – I ask my client to send me at least three different pictures of this person, and I will sit with that. I have a little ritual in my studio where I sit, and I meditate, and I focus on that person’s energy – so that I’m able to capture their essence in my portrait.”

In a state of constant movement or complete stillness, she finds the inspirations or visions for her art. If she ever has a creative block, Lauren will move until she’s sweating. Some of her favourite activities are yoga, dancing, or walking her two dogs!

“For the majority of society, if we stay in a 9-5 mindset, we’ll just create resentment and it will manifest into something else like a physical disease… you’ll just create limitations for your body and spirit.”

MO MONEY MO PROBLEMS

Reference to The Notorious B.I.G. You can check out one of Lauren's paintings of him here.

Lauren’s big goal growing up was getting into art and fashion. After graduating high school, she decided to pursue this goal, and attending the Alberta University of the Arts (ACAD) was looking like a logical next step. But during this time Lauren discovered she was pregnant with her daughter. 

“Whatever life path we’re on is something that is meant for all of us because it’s teaching us something.”

 At this point, she put her art and fashion dream on hold, facing the pressures of the “immigrant parent” mentality. 

“My Dad’s like “If you’re going to raise this baby on your own, you’re going to have to do a career.” My ethnicity is Filipino – my parents immigrated to Canada to give us, you know, the “All American Dream” and so there was this expectation that we were all going to become nurses and engineers, and things like that. So that’s what my Dad was suggesting - or something that’s going to make a lot of money.”

 Science and math weren’t her "jam", so she compromised by studying architecture and interior design. After completing her studies at Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), Lauren worked as a project manager and designer and quickly saw success. But was it really success if she constantly felt stressed, disconnected, and would wake up feeling angry and resentful?

 Eventually, due to high blood pressure, she took leave and started therapy. Here she was tasked to do something for herself and she immediately thought of traveling. 

“I was 25 and my doctor was like “You have a blood pressure level that people normally in their 50’s have.”

Lauren explored Mexico, Hawaii, the Caribbean. When she landed in Barbados, this is where her whole mindset towards life shifted. 

“I was in Barbados at the time, and there was somebody I met – he ended up being the like owner of the resort – he asked me what I do for a living and I gave him my whole sales pitch, that I was a project manager and designer. And he was like “that’s not what I’m asking. What do you do that contributes to the whole human collective?”

This unsettling question made her think about life. She decided she was unhappy and left the architecture industry. This led her to open up an art gallery in Calgary and encouraged her to start making her own artwork. She shares that another motivating factor was asking herself, "What example do I want to set for my daughter?" She appreciates the sacrifices her parents made for her but didn’t want that same pressure to be on her daughter.

INSPIRATIONS

There are pivotal moments in life that you may not expect or you hold onto because they have a deeper meaning than what initially appears to be. What Lauren paints stems from these moments. 

You will notice many pop-culture references in her work – the Biggie, Tupac, #beychella hand-painted denim jackets, the “3-peat” image of Michael Jordan painted over a background of blue grids, Dennis Rodman in a Bulls jersey painted with a third eye – Lauren captures these important moments and adds her unique spin on them. Eye-catching and playful, yet somewhat whacky and surreal (although Dennis Rodman with a third eye wouldn’t be shocking!) 

“Every artist, we’re all inspired by another artist or another human being. It’s just a matter of us taking a little idea or whatever we were inspired by them, and then you play with it, and then you end up finding your own.”

 She is not obsessed with these artists, or basketball for this matter, but these cultural moments mark pivotal moments in her life. Whether it be 90s artists she grew up with or The Chicago Bulls winning a championship, these seemingly distant moments act as a direct catalyst for everything else that has come after. 

“The connection of Michael Jordan and Dennis Rodman, for example, watching the finals. Me painting their portrait was super relevant in my upbringing because it was an important moment in my memory, in my life. It was the first bonding moment between me and my father … we still talk about it today.”

Womanhood and femininity (through all genders) – is another big inspiration. Lauren says that she lacked this in her upbringing and constantly saw women in 90s media competing against each other. A once guarded person to female friendships, they’re now necessary to her. It’s the ability to have a vulnerable, honest, and supportive space – especially for women of colour.

“Women, womanhood, and working with women really inspire me.”

THE MISEDUCATION OF LAUREN B. SANCHEZ

Reference to The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. You can check out Lauren's paintings of her here.

If you feel like your mercury is constantly in retrograde, Lauren shares some advice...

“Advice for all the young people – do some solo travelling and before you get married, make career decisions.”

 To be more patient and accepting. That “perfection” is irrelevant, allow room for mistakes. These are some things she wishes she'd learned earlier. The biggest lesson she’s learnt is that self-acceptance and knowing your worth is non-negotiable. Never compromise your style or your worth. 

“We often seek advice from older people, but they are going through the same things – just in a different way. Have an understanding that we’ll always be learning no matter what age. You can never be the master of everything.”

When Lauren began as a commissioned artist, she was a photographer and videographer. Here she faced a challenge that many artists face when getting paid for their work – you become at risk for not loving it anymore – it becomes a job you have to do. Through experience, Lauren has learned to stay inspired by practicing different mediums of art simultaneously. That’s why on her website you’ll not only see paintings on canvas, but also paintings on clothing, pottery, and photography. 

She also advises that you don’t have to take on everything. 

“I know that I have great fashion design, but I know that I don’t want to sew, and I’m not going to take the time to learn how to sew when I know that there’s going to be someone else who loves doing that stuff, and can take that on, and I can just stick to creating and designing.” 

For any artist…she says to step out of your comfort zone and “say yes to the things that make you feel like saying no.”

NOTES ON THE CALGARY/ALBERTA ART SCENE  

Lauren knows the struggles of being a self-taught artist in Calgary first-hand. She shares that Alberta is very political and traditionally prioritizes graduates from art schools to showcase in galleries. But times are changing and places like Nvrlnd and restaurants are seeing the need to showcase local artists.  

“I commend all those business owners that are taking the risk to create spaces like this because it’s hard-hard work and my heart goes out to them in the time of the pandemic with everything shut-down.” 

 She believes that the Calgary art scene is “getting there”. Though she primarily remained in Calgary to stay near her Father and Brother, Lauren sees so much potential in Calgary [and Alberta] because unlike busy cities like Toronto, the nature of the countryside is so inspirational.

“My partner and I have always had this vision – I am very nature-based and want to live on an acreage. I would also love to own a horse and a donkey one day!”

WHAT’S NEXT FOR LBS?

Since the pandemic, Lauren has put a halt to her in-person classes. But despite this, she thinks the move towards online activities, allowed more people to see her work and understand it on a deeper level.

“I had somebody comment on a painting that I made in 2016, and I don’t know who this person is, but I remember they were like “I am feeling this on a completely different level, I am so connected to this painting. Is it still available?” and I said, “No it sold in like 2016!”

Although she is not doing in-person classes right now, she encourages anyone interested to reach out to her for a 1-on-1 session (which can be done virtually for now). 

She is currently working on a couple of projects. One titled “Goddess Castings” will feature body castings, documenting women of colour at various stages of life – she hopes to exhibit this sometime next year.  

Stay tuned for an upcoming clothing collection designed by Lauren in collaboration with a local textile artist. It will feature pieces that mix Filipino textiles with modern ready-to-wear silhouettes! 

Her painting series is ongoing. She mentions a few pieces she’s picked up during a recent thrifting trip (including a real leather jacket) that she’s excited to paint on - a good piece inspires so many ideas. 

“If I had never-ending motorbike jackets [omg] it would be different. Because it’s so hard to find good condition ones [jackets], I really have to figure out what to paint.”

HOW TO FIND HER

You can find Lauren on Instagram @artistlbs and her website Artistlbs.com where she posts her portfolio work. Also on her website is the link to her shop, where you can buy shirts, totes, and hand-painted jackets!