Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ana Rodriguez. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Ana, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
I have always liked to draw since I was very little. I found peace in creating my own little worlds through drawing. When I was about 17, I got stickers made of a few designs. I would walk around San Juan selling them to people, and some local stores would sell them for me. Before I knew it I had actually sold a good amount, and I remember feeling so hopeful, like “wow people actually want to buy my art!”, It was the first time I sold my art, and I still have some of those stickers, it gives me a lot of nostalgia.
Ana, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I have been drawing since I can remember, it has always been an escape for me. I find it very comforting to be able to create little worlds that don’t have to align with our perceived realities. Once I began bringing my ideas, characters, and designs to life through stickers, I was motivated to find other ways to share my work. Currently, I take on commissions ranging from murals to screen printed designs, portraits, paintings, cover art, and more. I enjoy interpreting people’s ideas into a visual that they will ultimately love. Besides commission work, I make sure to take time for my personal projects. I have always leaned towards illustration, ink work particularly. Anime, cartoons, and Ghibli films were a huge part of my childhood, which is one of the reasons I believe I am so drawn to storytelling through visual imagery. My style is heavily characterized by my love for plants, rivers, oceans, beaches, Borikén, the moon, our connection as humans with the moon and our surrounding environments, the complexities of living in cities, of being part of a diaspora, of living far away from home and the nostalgia it entails. I believe one’s art practice is sacred and deeply personal, which might be why it is so hard to explain in words sometimes. We all have our own style for a reason, I think that our art is a reflection of our being.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
I find it very rewarding to think that my art style is an accumulation of my life experience, growth, heart ache, joy, subconscious influences, and truly of everything! It is a blessing to look at life through a lens that finds beauty in even the simplest things. A mundane object like a washing machine or a light post can be perceived as an artifact that holds significance, every day objects can serve as a deep inspiration out of the blue, a cute interaction between two strangers can move you enough to write a whole poem book or draw up a graphic novel. I think that is what makes someone a “creative”, the ability to find light and beauty in unexpected things.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
Pay us fairly. I think that absolutely every single creative I have ever met, we have all downplayed ourselves, sold ourselves short to make that extra money, allowed someone to pay us less than we asked. Creative services are just as important as any other, so I think it is important for clients, and especially corporations, to make it a point that creatives are paid accordingly, and that their rights are respected.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: artexanateresa
- Other: Portfolio: https://www.behance.net/anateresaraf00