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

Paola, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Who is your hero and why? What lessons have you learned from them and how have they influenced your journey?

My hero definitely is my grandfather my beloved Papito José, He’s my biggest inspiration, born in the 19th hundreds, with two world wars and a Mexican revolution in his live, first generation of “braceros” coming into this country in 1943 to Anaheim, California specifically. A man with strong will, honest, wise and hard working persona.
He raised 7 children, and from all 25 grand children I was the fortunate to be raised by him., to learn from him, to do the right things, he taught me to cook, to clean, to sembrar y cosechar the crops and all kinds of vegetables, he was always encouraging me to study and have a career to support myself to not depend on anyone. He is my inspiration in so many levels; I remember how both we were learning to read by reading the Bible at the same time, he was 70 and I was 5 years old and yes at that age he took full responsibility of me when my mother decided that she wasn’t ready for motherhood..
My Papito José is my everything, my father, my mentor, my rock and I pray to be able to celebrate with him his 107 birthday.

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

I am a Preschool Teacher I’ve been working with children for more than 15 years, I always do my best to teach with love and compassion understanding each child background. I was always including in my lesson plans music in s panish, books in Spanish and teaching them a lot of spanish vocabulary; wondering all the time why we didn’t have many bilingual book or bilingual books;. With that in mind I started my own YouTube channel were I started to read/translate all the books from English to Spanish, and give to the audience (thinking about the parents, child care providers or teachers a few details about the authors, books and “datos curiosos “
Day dreaming to one day write my own books, I also launched my podcast called El libro felíz y yo as well, were I read the same stories like in my story time classroom to entertain the children’s listening, because I know a lot of parents limit the screen time to their children and I thought it will be a great tool for children to laugh while they’re learning spanish.
2020 came and with it the most uncertain times for everyone.. The only thing I had in mind was my children, my friends children I didn’t want them to be afraid so I started on my Instagram @ellibrofelizyyo lives every night called “a leer y a la camita” I sang and read every day at night to the children because I was the only way I thought could help to reduce a little the anxiety and fear we all were feeling.
Working wasn’t guaranteed anymore, even though I work countless hours the first year of the Pandemic,
On July 2021 we all got covid, my youngest was totally fine but my eldest son and I got really Ill, while I was battling covid and bronchitis my son was hospitalized with covid and severe pneumonia, I was terrified, not been able to see him or at least stay outside in the hospital waiting for news about his health,, the bronchitis got worse and I was by myself in the house praying to God for my son, one month became two and because I wasn’t working I wasn’t receiving any income. I remember all the nights I would spend just looking at the ceiling waiting for a miracle. Then I started reviewing and looking in all my planers and agendas all my writings and manuscript that I had at that time.
An just like that I revealed the title of the book to myself.
My dear son was discharged from the hospital, gracias a Dios.
Meanwhile I did everything I could or I thought was necessary I found a local print lab for my book and by March 2022 I self published my first bilingual children’s picture book , called: No me gusta el brócoli/ I don’t like broccoli and I did it in a God given opportunity I presented on Boca de Oro Festival de Santa Ana..
From there is all good I met a lot of great people, poets, writers, that support in every way,
I started writing poetry in Spanish because as I said before Spanish is my mother thong and I want to preserve my language with I love with all my heart, I want my children and my grandchildren tell the stories of Papito José and my stories as well en español.
On July this 2023 was the release of my second book Yo lloro/I cry bilingual too.
available in Amazon and my instagram.
Like I mentioned before I’m finishing my first collection of poetry in Spanish and I already have a publishing house Riot of Roses who’s supporting me since day one. .
I still teach but now remotely Spanish classes for children and adults which align with my books presentations and promotion,,

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Definitely was when I moved to United States. There’s a before and after of me…
Living my life for 30 years in my beloved country México, leaving behind my Papito José, my family, my friends my career, my roots chopped with no warning and no one to water them again…
I came here, I learned a new language, I went back to school and now at 45 years old I’m trying to figure it out what’s next for me.
I wan to say “veni, vidi, vici “ but I know I have a long road ahead of me
But at this point the only thing that it matters the most it’s my family, my two children, my partner and of course my grandfather.
I miss my tierra, my pueblo, my city, all the noises and aromas, At the same time I love this country for sure, it has been a secure place for me and my children.
Like every Mexican I know who’s living here like me we said : “No soy de aquí ni de allá”
My roots are still there but I learned to bloom from my heart.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I think for me would be to use my voice, to be able to write and tell the stories you want to live forever. To inspired others to do the same. It’s an amazing feeling to know that your ideas, your art can be seen and heard..
Also it is a responsibility for me to offer the best of my craft specially with my children’s books,
Also I’m representing one generation of Mexican immigrant women doing the work in a house that is not ours, and I want to do it in the most respectful way.
And definitely I want to tell young girls to work for their dreams but the audience that I want to get the most attention are all the women of my age, 50s and more I want to encourage them and tell them not to give up on their dreams, to inspired them to keep alive their dreams,

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/ellibrofelizyyo?igshid=MmIzYWVlNDQ5Yg==
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@ellibrofelizyyothehappyboo7205
• Other: https://hihello.me/p/2957afee-8bee-45d3-9261-28c66c804830

Image Credits
Jorge Pineda