We were lucky to catch up with Andrés Palacios Constanza recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Andrés , thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I think we might have to take this a few years back. As a kid I remember being intrigued about drawing and art in general. I would draw on my tests, I would draw on my math homework (my mom got a letter about that haha), and I would always be one of the few students who really enjoyed our art’s class in elementary school. That is not to say I was the best at it. I feel that in the creative world, there’s always this pressure to be good at it from the start, but for me it wasn’t the case. I am very blessed to have two incredibly supportive parents who would allow and exhort me to take extracurricular art classes where I could hone in my abilities and find my creative voice. That’s how I learned to illustrate, years of showing up to my classes and exploring my inner voice. Although I have yet to learn so many things, which is really exciting!

To speed up my learning process, I should’ve stopped striving to be other artists and instead be my own self. A natural part of growing up, especially in a digital era, is comparing yourself to people online. As an artist, this still applied to me and the art I was doing. I would often follow trends, styles and what I saw was giving other artists the notoriety I wanted. Doing this only hindered my creative process and slowed the discovery of the unique qualities in my own art. Once I understood that we all have our own strengths and unique voices, it was easier for me to follow my creative path.

Basic design skills! As a freshman in college I had to take basic design courses that were essential to my understanding of things like composition, color, value, form, shape, line, and so forth. I’ve taken these lessons with me throughout my creative journey and they are still the foundations of my illustrations! As far as obstacles go, time has been one of them. There’s so many online courses I want to take, but I have been really busy with school work. But as I like to remind myself, there’s always time, you just have to find it.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Well, I want to start by saying hello, thank you for taking the time to read this interview!

As you might expect, the path to get to what I am doing now, which is illustration, was not a linear one. Can you believe I wanted to study mechatronics? Me neither, because boy would I have been bad at it. After trying to apply to a high school with a better math program and failing miserably, I realized that was not what I wanted to do. I then took the “art” route and the first thing that came to my mind was graphic design. Come freshman year of college, I decided to enroll in the animation program, a big no after taking two classes. Long story short, I looked through my college’s programs an found illustration. I realized it encompassed so much of what I loved in art: storytelling, personality, communication with the audience and a broad field to be discovered.

I always love a good and clever challenge. A phrase that has stuck with me said by one of my professors in college is: “A pretty illustration is nothing without a good concept.” I wish I could remember which professor said it, because I would like to thank them. I’ve taken this to heart and every time a client approaches me with an idea, I love to expand on it. I want to look closely and discover why the illustration is being made. Is it to convince people, is it to excite them into reading an article, is it to communicate a complex idea? This is how I’m able to not only make a compelling illustration, but also one that is rooted in a good concept.

In my images, I like to explore the good and (sometimes) the not-so-good that comes with being alive. I am fascinated by how each of us experiences the world, the stories we share with one another and maybe, even through an image on a screen, we can uplift each other.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

This might sound surface level, but I think that adding beautiful imagery to the world is something I find very rewarding. Not only that but also bringing my client’s ideas to life and being able to come up with a clever idea that materializes a complicated concept. If you look closely, there’s a common thread: adding meaning and bringing joy to others is what I love about being an artist. I have to thank all of the illustrators and artists who have filled my world with captivating images, they set in motion my creative journey.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

We’re going to get a little bit personal in here. I am very grateful with CanvasRebel, thank you for giving me the space to share my story. I think it is important to share the challenges and obstacles as much as the good things that have happened to me. I’ve struggled with depression and anxiety for most of my life, which has definitely given me a broader perspective of life. There were moments throughout my sophomore and junior years where I kept doubting myself. I saw the talent around me, which inspired me, but also scared me. What if I wasn’t good enough? I would spiral into a tunnel of doubt and insecurities. Through therapy I was able to learn how to overcome those obstacles and something interesting started to happen. I was being more compassionate with myself, I was able to look at my art and find the strengths within. I was starting to realize that by comparing myself to others and not honoring my own path, I was killing my creativity. I still have moments where I doubt my own abilities, but it gets easier for me to get out of that headspace when I am able to recognize the value I have and by doing so, allowing my creativity to come through. Resilience for me is not just about being able to get back up after hardship, but also about being easy on yourself and honoring your worth.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.andrespalacios.me
• Instagram: in.between.sketches
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/andrés-palacios