Meet Raquel Antoinette Magazu | Artist & Marketing Professional

We had the good fortune of connecting with Raquel Antoinette Magazu and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Raquel Antoinette, can you share a quote or affirmation with us?
“Hard work outweighs talent — every time” by Kobe Bryant. There are many great quotes, but that is one I think about often. I don’t believe you are born with talent. I believe talent ultimately comes down to your desire to master something you are passionate about, and once you acquire those skills, it’s your responsibility to nurture them. If you don’t, you allow others access to opportunities that could be meant for you simply because they never stopped working hard to seize them. I hate to think about opportunities I could be missing out on and that quote serves as a good reminder to keep working at what I care about because if I don’t someone out there will.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Coming out of high school, I began working as an artist for a company that offered their designers commission-based pay. My job was to help market and create designs and textiles for items they sold both online and in-stores nationwide. I managed to get my designs into multiple boutiques across Scottsdale and Phoenix, and into a few boutiques outside of Arizona as well! I loved collaborating with other creative-minded individuals in the process, but I did not have full creative control over my designs, nor did I have the ability to set my own prices; and that did not sit well with me over time. My peers would frequently express their desire to support me in any way they could, but most of them were college students at the time and many of them could not afford to buy cashmere and silk apparel at the prices they had in place. I realized that I had established a network of people who were now interested in selling and purchasing my artwork and all that was left for me to do was to set up a business that I could manage on my own terms. Though it is still growing, it truly gives me so much joy to create artwork for others and to be reaching so many new people through this business. There is no feeling more rewarding than completing an art piece that I have invested hours of my time and love into and having it resonate well with someone. It is really special to me that most of my sales come from repeating customers. I make it a priority to learn their styles and do my best to recreate their vision to the best of my ability. They understand that I genuinely love what I do and that I care about meeting their expectations. I believe most people really just want to work with someone they feel understands their vision and someone who takes pride in their craft. I think my clients sense that about me and that is really the most important factor behind my success. I work full-time as a marketing professional while running this business, so it’s definitely been a struggle to find a good work life balance, but it is worth it to me. The most helpful I advice I can give someone in my position is learn to master your sleep schedule and establish a good routine for yourself!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Honestly, if I had a full week, I think I would leave the city completely and take them to visit places like Sedona, The Grand Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, Montezuma Castle, Antelope Canyon, and other scenic locations Arizona has to offer. I think places like these are truly the most beautiful parts of the state. However, if I had to take them around the cities, I would probably visit the Desert Botanical Garden, Taliesin West, and Scottsdale’s Museum of the West. I would definitely take them around Old Town Scottsdale since there are so many neat restaurants, unique shops, and galleries there. I think it would be a great way to absorb as much of Arizona as you possibly can in a short amount of time.

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 uncle was the first person to sit down with me and to attempt to teach me how to draw; he did so the moment he found out I had the desire to learn. I remember when he taught me how to draw Mickey Mouse and Bart Simpson and made me draw them over and over until I really got the hang of it. My father always brought home recycled printer paper from work because he knew I enjoyed drawing and wanted to encourage me to keep practicing. After awhile, it became a known thing among my entire family that I loved to draw so birthday presents and Christmas gifts were often art kits or sketch books!

Website: www.artbyraquel.com

Instagram: @artbyraquelantoinette – www.instagram.com/artbyraquelantoinette

Twitter: @ArtByRaquelA

Facebook: www.facebook.com/artbyraquelantoinette

Other: Etsy Shop – www.etsy.com/shop/RaquelAntoinette