We recently connected with Mariangel Garcia and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Mariangel, thanks for joining us today. Who is your hero and why? What lessons have you learned from them and how have they influenced your journey?

Throughout my years as a graphic designer, I have been fortunate to be inspired and taught by incredible educators and peers. There is one person who stands out, however, and she has changed how I view what I do and how I do it. My hero is Melanie Parker, whose unwavering support and guidance have been instrumental in shaping my career. She is a mother of two, a marketing genius, and a business owner at Hewson, a strategy-driven gift consulting agency.

I have had the pleasure of working with Melanie on various projects, from fun, creative material to more serious projects. She has passed down advice and has taught me the invaluable lesson of self-worth in the creative field. I’ve always struggled to believe that my work is meaningful and worth more than a few “hey, that’s cool.” Still, Melanie has always encouraged me and instilled in me the importance of pushing boundaries and striving for innovation in my designs. She has been a constant source of inspiration, continuously challenging me to improve and go beyond my comfort zone.

Overall, my hero has profoundly influenced my journey as a graphic designer by instilling a sense of worth, pushing me to excel, and encouraging me to value my work appropriately. Her guidance continues to shape my approach to design, reminding me constantly to strive for excellence and to never settle for anything less than my best.

I’d also like to give a special shout-out to my first-ever hero, my mother, Mirna Madrid, who would be very proud of my work and creativity today.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I stumbled into graphic design by accident, the happiest accident of my life. As a child, I was always artistic and very creative, as most children are, but I never viewed art as a possible career path for my future. At 14 years old, I moved to Virginia from my home country of Honduras, and in the chaos of the move, I was late for my course registration at my new high school. One of the only classes available for extracurriculars was Graphic Design, so why not? It could be fun. Fun is an understatement. I had the best four years in that graphic design classroom.

I was so lucky to be taught by such an excellent designer, Erik Leise. He taught me everything I needed to know about design principles, movements, and random Illustrator shortcuts I still use today. He also shared his love for Swiss style, Bauhaus, coffee, and incredible graphic designers and artists like Shepard Fairey, David Carson, Stefan Sagmeister, and Michael Beirut, among many other brilliant people. In that classroom, I developed my love and passion for design. It became fascinating and something I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

One of my first projects consisted of using the pen tool to outline the Batman logo; at the time, it was challenging, and my lines were funky. I revisit that file sometimes when I need a reminder of how far I’ve come. Fast forward all these years, I was lucky to attend a very cool university, VCU, where I could fine-tune my design skills and obtain new skills as an advertising student. During my time at college, I began exploring freelance graphic design and seeing where it could take me. I developed a love-hate relationship with freelancing, honestly. However, it has made me a better designer and taught me best practices when communicating with clients.

I have had the privilege to work with some fantastic clients, creating various things, from social media graphics, website banners, logos, stationery, album covers, and fun posters and art. As much as I love making cool stuff, the most meaningful part of what I do is getting to work on projects that benefit our community. Recently, I was a part of a campaign for National Disability Employment Awareness Month and also designed stationery for an auction fundraiser dedicated to stopping child abuse. I’ve also had the pleasure of working with non-profit organizations and creating something visually representing their fantastic work. Those are the kinds of projects that are the most meaningful to me and make me feel very proud of the work that I do.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Word of mouth has worked amazingly for me. I’ve been lucky to have referrals and returning clients. I’ve been working with some incredible people who like my work and want to see me succeed. It is so exciting to see that people not only like my work but also like working with me. Having a portfolio where my work lives is crucial for this method because that way, people can take a look on their own and see if they think we’d be a good fit before reaching out to me.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

One of the most rewarding aspects of my job is creating work that makes a difference in people’s lives. That can look many different ways, but graphic design can bring people together, inform people about important causes, and make a difference for business owners. So, being part of someone’s venture is always an honor.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://garciamadrid.me
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/garciamadrid

Image Credits
Jaison Cureton