We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Michael Vasquez. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Michael below.

Hi Michael, thanks for joining us today. Let’s jump back to the first dollar you earned as a creative? What can you share with us about how it happened?

The first dollar I earned from my work was a commission piece from making a concert poster for a local musician. It was a great experience because it was almost immediately after graduating from college with my graphic design degree, and I was still determining my next steps. We met through an art event at the college I attended, where all the graduates from the class showed their art. They were impressed by my art, and it turned out to be a good collaboration because the musician made Latin / Mexican music that matched perfectly with my artwork. Although I had a few stumbles because it was my first commission and I needed to figure out what I was doing, the final design was excellent, and I got tons of recognition at the opening concert for the show. This first commission gave me a lot of confidence in selling my work and services and gave me future connections and commissions.

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

I am a 28-year-old graphic designer and digital illustrator in Fresno, California. I create digital illustrations based on Mesoamerican / Aztec culture. My designs primarily reflect symbols, gods, mythology, animals, etc., centered around Mesoamerican culture. I offer my graphic design services and make tattoo designs, logos, and murals. I also create and sell my own line of merchandise, which features my artwork as stickers, enamel pins, embroidered patches, apparel, and art prints. My main purpose is to create artwork that can educate people about the culture. I can be found on social media @izelillustrations

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

It took me a long time to build a social media presence. Mostly, I only used Instagram for about the first five years of my art business. I started using Facebook and Twitter only in the last two years of my art business. The biggest things I did to grow my following were to follow people with my interests and make and post videos! I also set and committed to posting three times a week for almost three years straight. I don’t post that often anymore, but committing to a schedule like that helped me create art and get my posts out to people. Social media is tough these days to grow a following due to all the algorithms in place now, but if you have fun with it and post when you can and what you want, you will grow a following.

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

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the comments from people when they see my artwork. So many of the comments I receive are positive and give me confidence that what I am doing and creating is worth it. Since I create cultural artwork, it’s essential to get the history and aspects of the artwork correct. And so when I receive comments that people are enjoying and loving the painting I am doing and saying that it’s a great representation of the culture, it makes everything I am doing worth it. It’s an expression of my culture, and it’s fantastic that others can find that expression within my artwork.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.michaelvasquezillustration.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/izelillustrations/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IzelStudios
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/izel_art