Hi, I’m Oscar Paniagua, founder of PANIAGUA in Los Angeles, California.


My mission in this world is to motivate and empower other dreamers to achieve their goals through my own story.

“Your gift will make room for you.” – Proverbs 18:16

I believe that every person is born with a gift from God. Once you discover it and start developing it, your life changes completely—you find your purpose, your direction, and your happiness.

Before I share my journey, I want to ask you a few questions. Think about them honestly:

• What is it that makes your eyes light up when you do it?
  
  
• Where do you feel most effective?
  
  
• What is it that excites you so much you’d gladly do it for free?
  
  
• What is it that, when you do it, creates impact, brings results, and gives you deep fulfillment?
  
  

I was born and raised in El Salvador, Central America, until I was 22. Now I’m 25 and living in Los Angeles, California. When I look back at my childhood, it was completely different from how I see the world now—especially here in the U.S. I grew up in a poor, working-class family and didn’t get my first cell phone until I was 14. The word naive really describes me back then. I had a simple life, and my fun was playing outside in the street with friends, going to school, using my imagination, drawing, and painting. I was born in a small country, and I thought that was my whole world. I was happy with what I had.

I can’t say I was the “rebel kid” in the family—I never gave my parents trouble. I was quiet and shy. In my early school years, I was the kid sitting at the front of the class, always doing my homework, leading group projects, and getting the best grades. I enjoyed it. I was short and shy, but I always had big ideas.

As I grew into my teenage years, I still didn’t know exactly where I was headed. I started college studying something I didn’t really like—a three-year technical degree in electronics. I chose it mostly because of influence from my parents and family. During those three years, my mind started to change a lot. Even though I remained an excellent student, my tastes and preferences were evolving.

Once I got on social media, I started seeing more of what was happening in the world, and my interests shifted—everything from the music I listened to, to the shows I watched, to how I dressed. At the time, I was really into electronic music and rap. I enjoyed watching History Channel shows like Pawn Stars, American Pickers, and American Restoration. Since I was little, I’d also watched series like Mazinger Z, ThunderCats, and Pokémon.

I remember around age 12, I started collecting vintage figures—that’s when my interest in retro and nostalgic things really began. I also found inspiration in nature. I loved visiting small towns in my country; their natural, handcrafted, artisanal vibe fascinated me. That became a huge source of inspiration and creativity for me.

I was born a very sensory person. Since I was a kid, I’ve connected deeply with the world through my senses. I remember that when I watched a movie, my mind would fully enter the world it showed. For example, I loved the Wallace and Gromit films—my mind would travel into that world, and I could imagine myself living in it. All my senses would take me there.

This is important as an artist and creative—because when you meditate deeply on who you are and what makes you unique, you can access your highest creativity and your purest art. That’s how you reach the deepest origin of your being.

Behind every genius, there’s a story deeper than you think. How does a genius think? Let me give you an example: Virgil Abloh. We all know what he did and how he changed the world with his art—how he became the creative director of Louis Vuitton without having a traditional fashion design background. How did he do it? When you see his work, to really understand why he became so famous and impactful, you have to study how his mind worked—what inspired him as a child and as a young man. That’s how you understand the “why” behind his success and the way his mind processes the world.

Back to my story, I enrolled at Don Bosco University in El Salvador. This time, after really reflecting, I wanted to study something I truly enjoyed. I chose a bachelor’s degree in graphic design, and just a few months in, I realized I had made the right choice—it was something I loved, and it made me feel alive. Everything in my life seemed to be going well… until the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

I was 19 at the time, and overnight, everything changed. No more in-person classes—everything went online. Suddenly, I had a lot of free time at home, and I remember picking up a book that would change my life forever: Act Like a Success, Think Like a Success by Steve Harvey.

When I finished that book, it lit a fire inside me. I realized I was born with a gift from God, and if I used that gift, I could make my dreams come true. I learned about vision boards, about changing my mindset—it was a turning point in my life. I couldn’t wait to put my gift to use.

I started an online store selling imported products from the U.S. Before the pandemic, e-commerce in El Salvador wasn’t really popular—people preferred going to physical stores for anything they needed. But when lockdowns started and no one could shop in person, the game changed new opportunities appeared, and I decided to take the leap.

Thanks to my graphic design skills, creating my brand and building the store was possible. The business did well and slowly began to grow. At one point, I even imagined that was going to be my future—that I’d expand and have physical stores all over the country.

After about a year, I wanted to get a regular job to help finance my project. I ended up working at a printing shop, where I learned more about the work world, how to deal with people, and the reality of the job market in my country. I was earning $500 a month, and it would take years and years to make more. That was disappointing—because with my business, I could sometimes make that much in a week. That’s when I knew my true path was to have my own business and be an entrepreneur.

2022 became a life-changing year. In just a few months, I made the decision to move to the United States. I could see my dreams and goals so clearly. I love my country, but I knew it would be very hard to achieve them there.

It wasn’t easy to leave everything behind—the people I love most, my parents, my friends. I was two years away from graduating, I was making new friends, going to the gym, enjoying life. But deep down, I knew that lifestyle wouldn’t take me where I wanted to be. There was always a fire inside me telling me I was born for something bigger. I had huge dreams and was willing to do whatever it took to make them happen. I didn’t know exactly what was waiting for me, but God gave me the courage to not look back.

The day came—I left on July 15, 2022, and arrived in the U.S. that October. That December, I moved to Los Angeles to chase my dreams.

Since 2023, I’ve been living in Los Angeles. I had to start from scratch. At first, I stayed in a small hotel room for three weeks. Then I moved into a shared house, where I lived in a single room with three other people—four of us in a tiny space. You only had a small area for your clothes, and the closet was shared. That year was tough. Everything was different—the language, the public transportation, the culture. But little by little, with God’s help and the help of a few people along the way, I started to adjust and survive.

Even though I have a lot of family in the U.S., only a few helped me. That first year in L.A. was full of challenges, new situations and challenges appear. When you’re on your own, you have to do everything yourself—cook, do laundry—no one’s waiting for you with a plate of food when you come home from work.

It was hard for me personally because I had always lived with my parents and never had to survive completely on my own. But I’m grateful for those experiences because they taught me lessons I’ll carry for the rest of my life.

That year, I tried so many things just to survive and find my path to success. I saw the reality of many immigrants—people with university degrees working as housekeepers or in construction, doing jobs they didn’t like but had to do to survive. It was a hard truth to face. I worked cleaning bathrooms, scrubbing stadium stairs, picking up trash, doing warehouse work, and construction.

The first year was rough because I still didn’t have a clear path. I tried everything—selling t-shirts at stadiums and concerts, making paintings to sell at Venice Beach, selling second-hand clothes. Mentally, I wasn’t in a good place because I couldn’t find my way, and it frustrated me. I just wanted to find extra income because I didn’t have a stable job, and I had debts and bills piling up. Physically, I was also worn down. Even though I went to the gym, my daily routine was exhausting, and I walked everywhere.

I walked hundreds of miles that year because I didn’t have a car and had to rely on public transportation for everything—from grocery shopping to getting to work or the gym. Still, I never lost hope that God had something better for me. In the middle of anxiety, depression, sadness, disappointment, and stress, I never gave up. I kept my faith that God was preparing something for me and that things would get better.

The first year ended, and 2024 began. My relationship with God grew stronger, and from the start of the year, I prayed for something different. I prayed to move out of where I was living, to find another job, and my main goal—to get a car. I also need to mention that I was battling an addiction to pornography and masturbation.

In January, God was already blessing me—I moved into a new place, got my own room, and found another job doing maintenance and construction, working seven days a week.

The months went by, and it was still a tough year. There were months when I felt depressed, anxious, frustrated. All I wanted was to wake up early every day and work on something I love, something that uses my gift. But it felt impossible—no one was helping me, and I had debts to pay. If I didn’t work, I couldn’t eat or pay rent. I couldn’t survive without a regular job, and that broke me mentally.

Even though I prayed every day and tried to stay positive, there were dark days when I felt terrible inside. Once you’ve identified your gift and you know your potential and skills, but the next morning you have to wake up at 5 a.m. to go clean bathrooms or do construction, it’s hard to live with that every day. It’s like putting Virgil Abloh in a job repairing walls, scrubbing toilets, or packing boxes in a warehouse. Inside, I knew I was made for something greater, that I had huge potential—but who’s going to see it or value it in a job like that?

It wasn’t just my mind that was struggling—it was my body too. The first few months of my second year here, I didn’t even have a car, and my daily routine was exhausting. I’d wake up at 5 AM to catch the train and then the bus so I could be at work before 8. Some days I worked in construction, and by the time I finished—completely drained—around 4 or 5 PM, I’d still push myself to go to the gym. The gym was the only positive thing in my life at that time; it helped me mentally. I’d spend two hours there, then take the bus and train back home. What would’ve been a 15-minute drive by car often became a 40-minute to an hour commute.

By the time I got home, I’d shower, cook dinner, and want to stay up late working on my project—but my body just couldn’t take it. I was exhausted, and that left me feeling sad and depressed.

At the start of that year, I was studying artists, creatives, and designers who inspired me. I loved reading about their success stories, especially the early stages, because that’s where I was in my own journey. I remember in early January, I was studying Colm Dillane, the creator of the brand KidSuper. His story fascinated me—he built a brand from scratch without a fashion background, didn’t go to the top fashion schools, and still made it all the way to Paris.

After reading his story, I thought, It would be amazing to meet him. I never imagined that two months later, I actually would.

Remember at the start of my story, I told you how your gift will make room for you, and that when you use it, magical things happen? God gave me a glimpse of what my future could look like. On February 29, 2024, after coming home from work, I saw on Instagram that Colm Dillane was going to be in Venice Beach. The only thing I saw in that moment was an opportunity to meet him—and to share my art.

I had nothing fancy—just a small canvas and some paints I’d bought at Ross. I stayed up all night painting for him. I knew his idol was Ronaldinho, so I painted him with Ronaldinho. I finished around 1 AM, and the next morning I got up early, took the bus, and spent almost two hours traveling to get there. I didn’t care about the time—it was worth it.

When I arrived, the first thing I remember is a girl telling me she liked my outfit. And then… there he was. Colm Dillane in person. I was excited and nervous. I went up to him and spoke. My English wasn’t great yet, but with the little I knew, I told him I was from El Salvador and that he had inspired me. I handed him the painting, and he got so excited that he even recorded a video and posted it on his Instagram.

That moment was magical. For a few minutes, I felt like I truly belonged, like my art mattered, like I was worth something—as if I was an artist in that moment. It was such a beautiful feeling, and when I left, I thanked God. I knew then that using my gift would take me to unimaginable places and help me achieve my dreams.

The hard part was waking up the next day, putting my work clothes and boots back on, and going back to construction—where no one saw or valued who I really was.

The months went by, and I kept experimenting with different ideas. I still didn’t know my exact next step, but during that time I started eating healthier and stayed committed to the gym. I was making progress physically, and that kept me motivated. The gym was important for me. Eventually, I bought everything I needed to start working on my embossed metal art again, and in May 2024, I finished my first piece in the U.S.—after years without practicing it.

I’d learned embossing in metal sheets when I was 12, thanks to my uncle, Jesús Paniagua. He introduced me to art, drawing, and painting—the very skills I’d be practicing again, 12 years later, in the United States.

I kept working in construction until finally, in June of that year, a moment I’d been waiting for arrived: I got my first car after a year and six months of taking public transportation. I was so thankful to God—those carless days had been tough. I already had my California driver’s license, and having my car saved me so much time and energy.

After a lot of thought and prayer, in August 2024 I decided to create an Instagram account to share my passion for art, painting, and fashion. Little by little, I started creating and posting my work on Instagram and TikTok. I could see the light at the end of the tunnel—I knew I was finally on the right path.

Even with my regular job, I dedicated every bit of free time to my project. Later that year, I switched jobs and started working at a print shop in downtown Los Angeles. It was a positive change; I didn’t want to keep doing construction. Now I had more time and energy to focus on my dreams. And the amazing thing was, I started seeing how, when you use your gift, magical moments happen. My gift led me to meet artists and creatives like Lil Xan, Paulo Wallo, and Danny Cole, and even to attend a clothing brand launch. That’s how 2024 ended for me.

When 2025 began, I knew I wanted something different for my life—a change in my mindset, my body, my job, and a step closer to my dreams. I bought a sewing machine and decided to take my project more seriously. My passion has always been painting and fashion, and my main goal was to create my own brand and launch my online store. What I really want is to be able to live off my art, quit my regular job, and dedicate myself fully to my project.

But this year started out rough. From January 1st, I was praying to God for change—and sometimes change is painful but necessary. That month, my mind was in chaos. I convinced myself I had a serious illness. I got sick for a week, lost my job, and spent my savings. I went to a clinic, got tested, and the results showed I had nothing—it was all in my head. I’d had a full-blown anxiety attack.

It was terrifying. The year began in darkness, and everything in my life was changing. I had no job and no money. Still, I never lost faith that God was doing something in my life. Eventually, a staffing agency called me, and I started working in a kitchenware warehouse at the end of January. I unloaded and loaded boxes from shipping containers—a job I never imagined doing.

There I was, at 6 AM, inside a dark container, stacking boxes onto a wooden pallet. There were moments I asked God why I was there. I didn’t feel good emotionally, but I needed the money. I stayed there until April, when I started a new job in a clothing warehouse near downtown LA. The first weeks were tough—it was physically demanding. I had to lift heavy boxes of merchandise, stack them on pallets, and load an entire container every day. On top of that, I had to take out the trash, walk long distances, and sometimes work 10-hour days from Monday to Saturday.

I was exhausted, and although I had to pause the gym, I treated the job as a workout. The downside was my time was so limited. My only day off was Sunday, but I spent it grocery shopping, meal-prepping for the whole week, doing laundry, and cleaning my room. I felt like I didn’t just lack time—I lacked energy. It frustrated me because I wanted to keep working on my personal projects.

But all of this has taught me lessons. God is preparing me and shaping my life to handle what’s coming in the future. So even though this may be my present, I know it’s not my future. I never lose faith that something better is coming. My main goal is to leave my regular job, develop my gift, and fulfill the purpose God has assigned me. So I’m going to push as hard as I can to make that dream a reality.

When it comes to love, it’s been complicated. Not many will believe me, but at 25 years old, I’ve still never had a girlfriend. When I finally do, I’ll probably come back and edit this part.

Since I was a kid, my childhood and teenage years were different. Back then, I had no interest in having a girl by my side. While other kids were dating, my focus was on school, drawing, and painting. As I grew older, in my teenage years, I was skinny with dark circles under my eyes. I didn’t see myself as attractive. I tried here and there, but girls weren’t interested—they would reject me.

When I got to university, I started to change physically and began going to the gym. At that stage, I was meeting more people, but still, no girl ever got close to me. It wasn’t until I was 22 that I had my first sexual experience, and even now at 25, I’ve only been intimate a few times. That’s how different my life has been.

Since moving to the U.S. at 22, love has been even more difficult. Now, my number one priority in life is to achieve my dreams and fulfill the purpose God has for me. And as strange as it may sound, I think God has kept women away from me so I wouldn’t lose focus. I wanted my mind to be 100% on my goals. Every single hour and minute mattered to me. I understood the season I was in and was willing to sacrifice everything for my dreams.

I did try something in 2024 with a girl, but it was short-lived. I chose to walk away. Whenever I’d meet someone, something inside me would always whisper, “It’s not the right time.” God’s had control over my life, and there have even been moments when I had a gift in my hands for a girl, but at the very last minute, I’d feel that same voice telling me, “Don’t do it.”

My mindset has changed. I’m not going to play with a woman’s feelings just to get her into bed. So these past years, I’ve chosen to leave my love life completely in God’s hands and let Him decide when the right person will come.

Right now, my mind is focused on my project and my personal growth, trusting that God is guiding my path and decisions. I’m excited for what’s to come throughout 2025 and the years ahead. If you’ve made it this far into my story, just know—this is only a small piece of it. There’s so much more to tell.