We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Paola Meraz a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Paola thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
The biggest risk I’ve taken was leaving a successful nine-year career at Designworks, a BMW Group Company, to pursue a more independent creative path. On paper, it probably didn’t make much sense. I had spent nearly nine years at Designworks, eventually becoming a Creative Director of Interaction Design and leading projects for brands such as BMW, MINI, and Rolls-Royce to name a few. The work gave me opportunities to collaborate with teams across the globe, travel internationally, and help shape experiences that would ultimately reach millions of people. It was a career I had worked incredibly hard to build, and one that many people would have considered a dream job.
Over time, however, I felt a growing pull toward a different kind of creative work. Outside of my professional role, I found myself increasingly drawn to illustration, personal storytelling, community-based art, and projects that fostered human connection in a different way. I started HECHOXPAO as a creative outlet, but it gradually became a space where I could explore ideas around identity, belonging, creativity, and the stories that connect us. At the same time, I began noticing something else. Throughout my career, I had become very good at helping bring other people’s visions to life. Whether it was a new product, an experience, or a long-term strategic vision, I loved taking something that existed only as an idea and helping shape it into something real. Creating something from nothing, connecting with what people wanted, and translating ideas into meaningful experiences became some of my greatest strengths.
Eventually, I found myself asking, “If I could dedicate that much creativity, energy, and problem-solving to helping build someone else’s dream, what could happen if I turned that same energy towards my own?” From that point on, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I knew in my hearts of hearts that I needed to move on, but leaving was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make. I would be walking away from financial stability, a career I genuinely enjoyed, and a lifestyle that afforded me opportunities I never imagined growing up. At the time, I wasn’t even entirely sure what HECHOXPAO was or what it would become. I just knew that if I didn’t give it a real chance, I would always wonder what might have been.
I wrestled with that decision for years, and in October 2024, I finally decided that not trying felt riskier than trying. I left Designworks and gave myself three months to reconnect with myself, reflect, and figure out what this next chapter might look like. Since then, I’ve been building HECHOXPAO one step at a time. I’ve taught creative workshops, participated in local art markets, collaborated with community organizations, exhibited my work, and developed projects centered on creativity, connection, and belonging. Some of the most meaningful moments have come from watching people reconnect with their own creativity, whether that’s a child proudly finishing a project, someone finding themselves reflected in a piece of artwork, or a community coming together through a shared creative experience.
Building a creative business has been challenging, humbling, and deeply rewarding. Looking back, the real risk wasn’t leaving my job. It would have been ignoring the quiet voice that kept telling me there was another path I needed to explore. Choosing that path has led me to opportunities, relationships, and experiences I never could have planned for, or imagined.
Paola, 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’m a first generation Mexican-American artist, designer, and founder of HECHOXPAO (translates to Made by Pao), a creativity-centered practice rooted in storytelling, connection, belonging, and community.
Before founding HECHOXPAO, I spent nearly a decade as an interaction designer and creative director at Designworks, a BMW Group Company, helping shape future experiences for brands including BMW, MINI, and Rolls-Royce. While I loved many aspects of that work, I found myself increasingly drawn to creating experiences that felt more personal, hands-on, and connected to everyday people. Today my work spans illustration, jewelry, workshops, community-based creative experiences, large-scale installation work, and more. I’ve never been interested in limiting myself to a single medium, so the “and more” is an ever-evolving space where I allow my curiosity to lead the way. I see each medium as a different language for telling stories, exploring ideas and creating connections.
I draw a lot of inspiration from my Mexican-American heritage, folklore, nature, transformation, and the people and animals who have shaped my life. Themes of belonging, identity, memory, resilience, and connection often find their way into my work because they are themes that have shaped my own journey as well. What sets HECHOXPAO apart is that I’m often less interested in creating things for people and more interested in creating experiences with people. In many ways, I think of HECHOXPAO less as an art brand and more as a creativity-centered practice that happens to produce art.
What I am most proud of isn’t a specific product or project. It’s the community that continues to form around the work and the moments of connection that have grown through it. Whether it’s watching a child proudly share something they’ve created, seeing someone recognize themselves in a piece of artwork, or witnessing strangers connect through a shared creative experience, those moments remind me of why I do this work.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
Much of my creative journey is rooted in a desire to help people feel a sense of belonging, especially those who, like me, once struggled to feel comfortable in their own skin.
Growing up, I experienced a lot of bullying and spent many years feeling like I didn’t quite fit in. Those experiences shaped me in ways I didn’t fully understand at the time. They made me question myself, shrink myself, and avoid opportunities because I didn’t feel like I belonged in the room. For a long time, I carried the belief that there were certain spaces I wasn’t allowed to occupy and that certain parts of myself were better left hidden. So, creativity became one of those places where I felt the most free to explore who I was. It gave me a way to process my experiences, and express things I didn’t always have words for. Over time, I began to realize that what I was searching for wasn’t just creative expression, it was connection, belonging, and the freedom to be fully me.
Today, that realization drives much of the work I do. Whether I’m creating artwork, designing a workshop, or dreaming up a community project, I’m often thinking about how to create spaces where people can feel seen, welcomed, and comfortable to participate without fear of judgement. Spaces where people can explore their creativity, share their stories, and remember that they don’t have to earn their right to belong. And while I create work for people of all ages and backgrounds, I feel particularly drawn to supporting girls and women because I know firsthand how powerful it can be when someone is given permission to take up space, to trust their voice, and to be able to express themselves authentically.
All that to say, my mission isn’t simply about making art. It’s about creating opportunities for connection, self-expression, and belonging. If my work helps people feel a little more seen, a little more connected and comfortable being themselves, then I’ll feel like I’m moving in the right direction.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
One lesson I’m still actively unlearning is the belief that I need to fit someone else’s definition of what an artist should be in order to be taken seriously. For a long time, I felt pressure to choose a lane. Was I a designer? An artist? An illustrator? A jewelry maker? It often seemed like people were looking for a simple answer, and to be honest, I understand why. Traditionally, artists were often known for one medium, one discipline, or even one area of expertise. Labels help people understand what you do. The challenge was, that I never really fit neatly into one category.
My creative practice has always been driven by curiosity. I enjoy exploring different mediums, learning new skills, and allowing my ideas to go wherever they want to go. Sometimes that looks like illustration. Other times it’s jewelry, a workshop, a large-scale installation, or a community-centered creative experience. Rather than feeling energized by doing the same thing over and over again, I feel inspired by discovering new ways to tell stories, connect with people, and bring ideas to life.
But, I didn’t always feel this way.
For years, I worried that this made me less legitimate. You ever hear the expression, “a jack of all trades but a master of none?” Who ever came up with it, truly did not understand the beauty of complexity. I worried that if I wasn’t known for one specific thing, people would take me less seriously as an artist. I also encountered assumptions about what “counts” as art.
As a digital artist, I’ve occasionally experienced people dismissing digital art as somehow less than traditional mediums, despite the fact that it requires the same creativity, intention, and skill. Over time though, I’ve learned that my curiosity is not a weakness, it’s one of my greatest strengths. The ability to move between disciplines, translate ideas across mediums, and approach creative problems from different perspectives is a big part of what makes my work uniquely mine. I now spend less time asking myself how I should define my creativity and more time asking it where it wants to lead me next.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hechoxpao.com
- Instagram: @hechoxpao
