Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Xochilt Garcia. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Xochilt, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you feel you or your work has ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized? If so, tell us the story and how/why it happened and if there are any interesting learnings or insights you took from the experience?

Being misunderstood and mischaracterized is an aspect that I am all too familiar with. Whenever I have publicly displayed my art and present myself with it, people don’t quite believe that I’m capable of producing it. There have been occasions where I have publicly created a piece and even then, people refuse to believe that I am capable. I believe this mischaracterization often happens because of my appearance and demeanor. I am naturally a calm and collected person and my art is often described as “loud”. That juxtaposition alone I think really throws the public off. My art also can come off as very masculine and to see a feminine figure behind it could be bizarre to most people. In the end, I really just think that society naturally stereotypes even if it may not be intentionally. Despite this, I am here to prove that it is very possible for someone like me to be passionate about art and create art like I do. At times like these it can be challenging because I am someone who finds credit where it’s due, important. But, in moments when people doubt you and mischaracterize you the most, just prove that you are doing everything right.

People who doubt me, motivate me.

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

I am digital artist that emphasizes in creating narrative illustrations. I love telling stories through art about alternate universes. The reason I decided to truly pursue art is because I’ve made it my goal in life to live without any regrets, art is my biggest passion and I would never forgive myself if I went on living without trying to make it my life. Nothing but fate put me where I am today and I am grateful for the things and the people that have paved my destiny. The types of products that I offer range from custom illustrations, to character designs, to graphic Merch designs. I would the aspect that sets me apart from most would be my ethnic background and art style, I would that those two elements create and interesting mix for who I am. I am the proud of how far I’ve come. A lot of us don’t really take the time to give ourselves the credit we deserve. I acknowledge that I’ve grown individually along with my art, and to persevered through mental and physical adversaries and still have the motivation to push forward really shows that. I’d like for people to know that the goal of my art is far deeper than just depicting fictional characters in environments, there is a message within each piece.

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

A pivotal moment in my life came when I learned what set a true artist apart from an “artist”. When I was in university I took a video art class. In this class we learned about several artists who created animations through stop motion photography and so much more. What made these artists interesting was that each piece had a message behind it. Many of these messages were about things that people wanted to hear, such as political issues or societal. People love hearing that they’re right. And it seemed to me that most of it was made to cater to people. Unfortunately, I see this to be a trend even now. I see so many “artists” splash paint on a canvas, or draw on a photograph with gold paint and relate it to a societal, environmental, or political issue just to make their work seem important when in reality it didn’t have substance to begin with, I say this respectfully of course. I respect all work even those made by “artists”.

To me a true artist is someone who isn’t afraid of going against the masses. It is someone who craves to be original, someone who depicts inventions rather than what is in existence, someone who’s work cannot be replicated, someone who doesn’t feel the need to gain approval from others. Someone who lives for the craft. Who creates without caring about the money or recognition. When you’ve found yourself with no one to support you, but yourself in creating your craft then you are a true artist. When you become an artist because you are passionate about it and not for the status it gives you, then you are a true artist. If you’re willing to die for what you believe in, then you are a true artist. At that moment in my Video Art class, I realized I am a true artist at heart.

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

I started officially posting my art the second I turned eighteen. At first I wasn’t savvy about algorithms or the substance that followers had but of course as time progressed I gained an understanding. I’m still currently building a social media presence and it has proven to be challenging. I typically post around once every few months, but every time I do people are always very supportive and interactive with my content. Advice I would give would be to create clear boundaries between the real world and the digital world. Whenever I post I hit the “post” button and close the app. The less you care about it the less of weight you’ll carry. It is easy for one to define self value to the amount of followers you have. Having clear boundaries avoids the lines to become blurred between the value your life has. A number of likes, followers, or comments does not define you and I believe this is something that the younger generation finds hard to grasp.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @theuguudesuuguu
• Other: Email: xochi.garci@gmail.com

Image Credits
Portrait by Mychal Sorensen