We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Erika Valdez a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Erika, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
Over four years ago, when I was first applying to college, I had a lot of people tell me, subtly and outright, that I should not major in art. My math teacher even brazenly said it would be a “waste of my mathematical brain” (I hated math). I tried for a long time to deny my love of art. I tried to convince myself that I should major in something safer, something practical, something with guaranteed longevity. But in the end, I knew I had to follow my passions and major in Art (Painting and Drawing) at ASU, and I’m so grateful I did. Although the creative industry is certainly not for everyone, the longer I’m immersed in it, the more opportunities I can see. People told me I’d be limiting my chance at success by entering the art world, but choosing to study something you deeply care about is never a mistake. I feel anything but limited; I have so many choices about where to take my career – from pursuing an MFA, teaching, illustrating children’s books, painting murals, and selling in galleries. If I hadn’t taken the risk to major in something “unstable,” I wouldn’t know just how achievable some of these goals and dreams are!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My name is Erika Valdez and I am an Arizona-based visual artist and illustrator. I graduated from ASU with my BFA in Art (Painting and Drawing) in the Spring of 2024, so I’m what you would call an emerging artist, or someone just starting out and getting their footing in the art world. I primarily create illustrations and paintings, working with oils, acrylics, colored pencils, graphite, and ink. I also experiment with textiles, expanding the confines of a canvas to create multi-media, dynamic pieces. I am a lifelong lover of books, and I’m currently developing my illustration portfolio to apply to artist agencies. As an emerging artist, I’ve found it helpful to be involved in my community outside of an educational setting. So in addition to freelance work, I’m a library employee, an intern for Grey Box Collective, a member of the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators, and a member of the Arizona Artists Guild. I’m currently working in and hoping to expand my career in the fields of children’s literature, exhibitions, art education, and public art!
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
I believe this book is pretty well known, but I love “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron! You follow along weekly with the prompts and I found it incredibly helpful as a creative transition from an educational to post-grad setting. For any other visual artists out there, “The Artist’s Handbook of Materials and Techniques” by Ralph Meyer has excellent practical techniques and information about materials. Additionally, several of my professors also recommended “Starting Your Career as an Artist” by Stacy Miller and Angie Wojak and “I’d Rather Be in the Studio!” by Alyson B. Stanfield for business tips for artists.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
Admittedly, I don’t have a huge social media audience, but my advice is to just post! I always felt kind of self-conscious about my low following and thought maybe it was a waste of time and resources, but despite my small following, I got a job painting a mural because of my Instagram! It just goes to show that you never know who will see your posts, and if you’re feeling overwhelmed about adhering to a posting schedule or gaining a huge audience, just know that you can still get opportunities from a small account, especially in your local community!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://artbyerika.wixsite.com/artbyerikamichelle
- Instagram: @artbyerikavaldez
