Meet Britney Sandoval | Owner of Reflection Art Studio

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

Hi Britney, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
When I decided to start my own business, I hit a really hard point in my life and I decided to follow my childhood passion.

I had worked for my aunt and uncle in UTC doing finance and accounting for an asset management & trucking company. They allowed me to work my way up from filing to keeping books and then to managing the financing aspect of the trucking company. This provided me with business skills and experience. However, when I got pregnant, I lost my job. Even though I worked for “family” they were disappointed that I had gotten pregnant before getting married & still needed to continue the operation of the business while I was on maternity leave. I had to train my replacement because the company had less than 10 employees in CA so I was not protected under the labor laws.

After having my son, I went home to Colorado to visit my grandparents. This is the moment when I decided to start my own business. I told myself that if I was a true creative then I could create my own job with the skills and expertise I had accumulated in life. I decided to follow my childhood passion of being an artist in CA. I decided that I wanted to “do what I loved and love what I do.” Deciding wasn’t the hard part, figuring it out is the challenge.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I stay busy creating and teaching art. My mission is to empower people by igniting their creative fire & boosting their confidence by showing them what they are capable of creating. Art saved my life. I grew up being sexually abused at home by my stepfather and learned first hand that oftentimes families protect the predator and keep secrets that only hurt the child. To prevent me from telling anyone, my parents always grounded me to my room. I literally felt like I was going crazy!!!! The only way to escape my reality was to dive into my imagination. As long as I used my imagination, I could create any reality I wanted. I drew pictures and sang songs about the city lights I dreamt of seeing. After my stepfather went to prison for sexually abusing me, my teachers were informed of my situation because I developed so much anger & had issues with authority. One of those teachers made a huge impact on my confidence by teaching me to write poetry. Not only did she teach me, she submitted my work and one of my poems were published. This was an accomplishment I was greatly proud of. Shortly after that, I moved to San Diego, CA where I attended high school and took art classes. My art teacher presented my work & got me into AP Art Studio without me having to apply. This is where I started to see my talent come to light & I started to gain attention from my peers. The projects I created in AP Art Studio taught me alot about myself. Years after I created these pieces, I looked at them in a whole different way. I realized that my emotions came out in the art I created. The colors and textures were a reflection of my deepest emotions. That is why my company is called Reflection Art Studio.

What sets me apart from others is my willingness to share my passion with others! I want to IGNITE THE CREATIVE FIRE in others around me!!! Art is the oldest form of self expression and I believe everyone has the power to create and I love showing people what they are capable of. Art makes me feel good so I want to share it with everyone. It has the power to help us all physically, mentally, and physically.

It wasn’t easy to get to where I am today! It took vision, determination, heart, and energy. There is always that self doubt that creeps up and then I have to pick myself back up and remember that I’m a bad *ss & keep going because I will make it into history. I had to learn to be my own best friend! When I said I was starting a business, many people said I was crazy or it wouldn’t work. Learning to have tunnel vision is important! Don’t pay attention to negative energy it will only slow you down.

You can accomplish anything you want in this life if you keep mind focused on it! You do not have to be a circumstance of your situation. Everything in life is temporary. You can take charge of your future!

The most important thing is to follow your heart. Love is the universal language. With love, anything is possible so make sure to love yourself. Be good to yourself. Nobody is perfect.

Reflection Art Studio is here to empower people through art and creativity in order to promote happy & healthy lives. Life is stressful but you can balance that with aromatherapy, sound therapy, and creativity. We are here to help you along the way.

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.
If my best friend was visiting San Diego I would be sure to take her to all of my favorite spots. The most magical places for me would be the “Two Man Spot” in La Jolla where we would park and walk the coast to the cove and go down to the cave. Then I would take her on a kayak and snorkeling tour on La Jolla Shores to see the state fish and Dr. Seuss house. From the kayak, I would show her what inspired the trees in his books. Then I would tell her about the man who lived in the house and made the stairs down to the cave. He moved to La Jolla to become an artist but wasn’t any good at it so he smuggled liquor through the cave and then took it to downtown SD where he sold it and made a living. Next, I would take her to Old Town and tell her about the early history of the city and how our Old Town was the “original” downtown of San Diego before the current downtown was constructed. Then I would take her to Balboa Park to explore all the museums, gardens, and of course The Spanish Village. Our next stop would be Cabrillo Monument where she could explore the tide pools, and climb the lighthouse. I love San Diego history so I would tell her all about how Cabrillo and when he came to San Diego. At night I like walking down the boardwalk of PB and Mission Beach. Having fun at Belmont Park is definitely a must.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would love to thank Jason Bergado for being my biggest supporter. Without him, none of this would have been possible. Jason has allowed me to be a stay at home mother, go back to school, and start a business. He believed in me so much that he connected me with his boss at the time, Moises Hernandez with ProSciento, Inc. This is where I started teaching art classes! I provided art classes for the clinic in Chula Vista once a week. Every week, I came up with a completely different art class. This was no easy task but it was the beginning of something much larger! I taught painting, string art, epoxy, and more. Matter a fact, I still teach some of these same classes today. During the pandemic, I needed to figure out how to still provide a creative experience for the clinic but in a virtual way. This was the beginning of my Art Boxes. These boxes provide all the supplies and materials needed to create a project. All you have to do is scan the QR code on the instructional pamphlet and watch me instruct from a prerecorded tutorial.

If it weren’t for Moises Hernandez taking a chance on me, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

Website: www.reflectionartstudio.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/reflection_art_studio

Linkedin: Britney Sandoval

Image Credits
Hector Montalvo & GoBeRewarded