Ever since she was little, Karina Cabrera loved making her friends and family handmade cards and gifts. Whether it was personalized birthday cards for her family or a piano flower pot for her piano instructor, she would do it because to her, it felt more special.
“Since elementary school I would make people cards and then it became a known thing,” Cabrera said. “If it was your birthday you were going to get a handmade card from me. My whole family has tons of them from over the years.”
Through her small art business, Krafty Cab, Cabrera is able to express her creativity along with using her business as an outlet for self-care.
Cabrera, second-year clinical mental health graduate student, started her art business in 2020. Within Krafty Cab, Cabrera sells an array of hand-painted items including canvases, tote bags and flowerpots.
Karina Cabrera, a second-year clinical mental health graduate student, holds a custom graduation cap. Upon request, Cabrera has painted personalized graduation caps in the past.
Cabrera explained that during the pandemic, after painting multiple personalized items for her family and friends, it was their encouragement that turned her hobby into a business, bringing Krafty Cab to life.
Some of the places Karina Cabrera vendors at includes UCF Market Day, the Collective Corner in Orlando and the Milk Mart in the Milk District. She explained that she also loves attending any local markets, even when she’s not selling, to support other small art businesses in the Orlando area.
“The art scene in Orlando is incredible,” Cabrera said. “There is so much community here that not everybody knows about. There’s different markets that go on every weekend. Orlando is such a small business focused city and people really like that stuff, and I do too.”
While both her and her boyfriend’s families are very supportive and helpful at the markets, Cabrera said that her mom, Veronica Cabrera, has traveled from Miami a couple times to help her. Veronica Cabrera explained that her daughter is the artist and that whether she is helping her prime and seal the art pieces or operating the marketplace tent, she will always help her in whatever ways she can.
“I’ve always supported my kids and I’ve always supported her in everything she has done,” Veronica Cabrera said.
For the future of Krafty Cab, Karina Cabrera said that she would want to incorporate her art into her future as a therapist. She is currently integrating her art within her work as a mental health technician for both adolescents and adults.
Karina Cabrera said that the balance of work, school and art is so important to her because it is critical for good mental health. Karina Cabrera said she doesn’t pressure herself to meet any business demands.
“There will be weeks, sometimes, where I don’t always feel like painting,” Karina Cabrera said. “The business isn’t my priority, it’s really school.”
For her, this is supposed to be a fun hobby through which she can share her creativity. She enjoys personalizing her business Instagram, Krafty Cab, experimenting with art designs and sharing her art pieces with people through the markets she partakes in.
“Painting is my outlet,” Karina Cabrera said. “I paint whenever I feel inspired, and I don’t put that pressure on myself to have to paint all the time because then it’s not fun anymore.”
