Introducing Carla S. Dopazo, Owner, Cesedeka
Carla was born in Caracas, Venezuela. As the daughter and granddaughter of immigrants, her house was a bit of a mix of cultures, which she absolutely loved. With a Bachelor's in Communications , she also has a strong passion for the arts, dancing, acting and painting. In 2011, she moved from Caracas to São Paulo, Brazil, lived there for 4 years and worked in Marketing at a Corporation. However, she wasn't very motivated about it. That lack of motivation at work made her start exploring what she really liked to do and listened a bit more to herself. In this research, she found a Make-up and Arts College here in Canada and decided to save some money and invested in coming here and study. So in 2015, she came to Toronto and 5 years later she is still here! So we decided to sit down with Carla and dig even deeper. |
Tell us what you do? and how you came about your side hustle(s)?
Recently I started painting furniture with the aim of giving it a new life. Seeing pieces that are 100% still functional in the garbage is something that always makes me wonder why? Why is that there if still works, maybe because it doesn't look a certain way or because people got tired of it at home and is going to buy a new one? Who knows. But I certainly know that it can be personalized or transformed into a functional piece of art.
This project has been on my mind for a while, I think the first time I did something like this was in my teen years when my parents were changing the kitchen cabinets and I decided to grab them to use them in my bedroom, I did a cool collage onto them and used it as my wardrobe. Then, once I moved to Canada every time I looked at furniture outside I could see it transforming, always wanted to bring those pieces home, but because of work and other responsibilities, I never took it too serious.
Pandemic days left me unemployed and with lots of free time, so I started connecting a bit more with myself and my needs and press start to all these projects that were in my head for a while. Took some online courses and painted almost every piece of furniture that is in my apartment. Now I have some commissioned pieces in line and I am very excited about it!
This project has been on my mind for a while, I think the first time I did something like this was in my teen years when my parents were changing the kitchen cabinets and I decided to grab them to use them in my bedroom, I did a cool collage onto them and used it as my wardrobe. Then, once I moved to Canada every time I looked at furniture outside I could see it transforming, always wanted to bring those pieces home, but because of work and other responsibilities, I never took it too serious.
Pandemic days left me unemployed and with lots of free time, so I started connecting a bit more with myself and my needs and press start to all these projects that were in my head for a while. Took some online courses and painted almost every piece of furniture that is in my apartment. Now I have some commissioned pieces in line and I am very excited about it!
What about your work brings you true joy?
The full process for me is so enjoyable! To do this to me is like to do magic. Being able to see what can be done with our hands is just amazing. Transformation and recovery, new beginnings. I think sometimes because we live in a fast-paced environment/society we tend to forget how to pause and that not everything needs to be disposable all the time. Been able to show this through my work is what brings me so much joy.
What has been your most valuable learnings?
I think that the most valuable learning from my professional life so far is that everything you do will teach you something that you'll take with you forever. And no matter what you do for a living, that experience will give you valuable tools that will be totally applicable for the next chapter, even if is a completely different job because everything can be translated.
So I learnt to absorb experiences, information and ideas from all the things I do.
So I learnt to absorb experiences, information and ideas from all the things I do.
Images from Cesedeka
If you could give your past self any advice, what would it be?
Sit quiet, breathe and listen to your inner voice, to your heart. That is the way!
If you could learn to do anything, what would that be?
If it could be anything I would love to learn every single language that is in the world. Imagine the power of communication that you could have and how many amazing things could be done? I think that would be the best superpower ever!
If you could be any fictional character, who would it be and why?
I think I would be Cinderella's Fairy Godmother hahaha because I would have the power to transform things with my magic wand. And also because I would get to sing that Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo song every time hahaha!
Can you describe an experience/incident that happened that made you a stronger person?
Even when the migration gen is in my bloodstream and DNA, I think been a migrant twice in a road has played a good part in making me strong. Adapting myself to diverse cultures, been away from loved ones, and starting over every time definitely add some resilience to my life. I would do it again and again, I think I am a bit of a nomad after all.
Sit quiet, breathe and listen to your inner voice, to your heart. That is the way!
If you could learn to do anything, what would that be?
If it could be anything I would love to learn every single language that is in the world. Imagine the power of communication that you could have and how many amazing things could be done? I think that would be the best superpower ever!
If you could be any fictional character, who would it be and why?
I think I would be Cinderella's Fairy Godmother hahaha because I would have the power to transform things with my magic wand. And also because I would get to sing that Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo song every time hahaha!
Can you describe an experience/incident that happened that made you a stronger person?
Even when the migration gen is in my bloodstream and DNA, I think been a migrant twice in a road has played a good part in making me strong. Adapting myself to diverse cultures, been away from loved ones, and starting over every time definitely add some resilience to my life. I would do it again and again, I think I am a bit of a nomad after all.
Banner Photo on landing RhondaK Native Florida Folk Artist on Unsplash