Today we’d like to introduce you to Elena Sanchez.
Elena, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’m Elena, I’m 25, and I am an Illustrator and Graphic Designer. I’ve been drawing, painting and creating since I was a child and that curiosity for creating flourished during my college years at SCAD. I believe that creativity is a way of thinking and a lifestyle overall, it’s almost like the skill and craft is a byproduct of the creative mind, heart and soul reacting to the world around them.
I had a rough time after I graduated, as I quickly realized how hard securing work as an artist is. I got pretty far interviewing with companies like ESPN, Fisher-Price, a company in the New York Times Building and more. So, my search for creative work started all over the place, as I mostly walked in the direction of the job that would pay my bills. For me, graphic design saved the day. I just wanted a chance, no matter what new skill I would have to learn- I didn’t even care if I liked the kind of work I would have to do or not, I was determined to prove to the world that I could make it. That’s not necessarily what I would ever recommend anyone to do, by the way, as it distracted me from developing my creativity and honing in on who I really was.
Needless to say, I took the challenge and taught myself graphic design after I graduated in 2018. I had a degree in illustration with a concentration in animated film and game art, so this was definitely a brand new territory for me. It’s wild to think that two years later in Atlanta, I’ve had the opportunity to work with a hip hop label, creative agency, and more. That’s all God opening doors in my life.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Absolutely not! Haha, but right now, I’m able to say that I’m grateful for the way that I discovered my fullest self as a creative. Without having to go through roadblocks and rejection letter after rejection letter, I never would have learned the valuable skills I know now because I wouldn’t have given any other path other than the one I thought I wanted a chance. This is an “essential tension” that I believe every creative must walkthrough at some point in order to discover themselves on a deeper level.
We’d love to hear more about your art.
The type of work I do depends on the type of needs that are around me, typically. I love to help people solve creative problems and make their visions and ideas come to life. I particularly have a sweet spot for understanding people’s vision and pairing emotional language and poetic visuals to that vision using color psychology, mark-making, symbols, collage, etc. The visual possibilities to communicate how we feel are absolutely endless! For me, that can range from creating 2D characters that are animated in a short film to children’s book illustration, to social media campaigns, album covers and poster design. Art is like a language, and each “language” allows you to communicate an idea in a certain way or perspective.
I would say that a big identifier of my work is my use of supersaturated and vibrant color, oftentimes in gradients. I love the joy and excitement we can’t help but feel when experiencing the strength of a rainbow.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I personally struggled so much with separating my identity from my “success”. I know so many creatives relate to believing the lie of “I am only as good as what I make or the position title I hold,” and my heart truly goes out to these people as I actively fight against this as well. This is a mindset that really set me back and discouraged me from creating for about a year’s time off and on. I would say that one, my dependence on God and encouragement from my community got me through those tough seasons completely, and two, I had to truly solidify my identity in order to be confident in myself and in my work. For me, identity goes hand in hand with decisiveness, and it’s that confidence that comes from knowing who we are that releases us to take risks and make those scary decisions about our future.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.artofelena.com
- Phone: 2144546285
- Email: 95ElenaSanchez@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elenartistic/
Image Credit:
Dillon Coke, Briani Callender
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