Meet Marieli Valencia

Today we’d like to introduce you to Marieli Valencia.

Hi Marieli, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville with a BFA in graphic design. I originally started out in college as an architecture student. However, after being in architecture school for two years, I decided it wasn’t for me and I pivoted into graphic design. I always look back on this time as vital to where I am today, even though it did not work out, architecture school is what introduced me to the world of graphic design. I graduated in the class of 2020 which was definitely a scary time. Straight out of school, I was actually working at a restaurant along with being a freelance photographer while job searching. The overall job hunting process was not easy given the state of the world at that time, but eventually I landed my first official graphic design for an agency called Proximyl Health.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. I only say that because I faced some obstacles in college to get to where I am now. Like I previously stated, I pivoted out of architecture school at the end of my sophomore year and started the entire path to my career over again which at the time felt really scary. This prolonged my graduation date by a bit and then the pandemic hit once I finally did graduate which at the time just felt surreal. However, despite all this I learned so much from my journey I wouldn’t trade it for anything. It led me to where I am now, which I am very happy about!

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I have a huge passion for photography. I love taking abstract images of things you would never think would make an aesthetic photograph. There was a project for a music festival I worked on where I combined a bunch of ingredients from my kitchen into a bowl and it made a pretty unsightly mixture, haha. I took a bunch of close ups of it though and with some editing, I created a poster that actually got bought at the music festival! That was a cool experience. I also started a photography business my senior year of college taking graduation photos. It started out as and currently is, a side hustle but I would love to turn it into something more in the future.

I currently specialize in graphic design. One of my favorite aspects of this field is getting to experiment with so many different visual elements to make a brand or product come to life. I currently work in the pharmaceutical advertising space and I’m learning so much. It’s a challenging but rewarding experience that has really pushed me as a graphic designer.

How do you think about happiness?
Something that makes me really happy are moments when I create something just purely for the purpose of self-expression. In the current world, I think creatives feel pressure and necessity to commodify their creativity. I like to remind myself that my passion for graphic design and photography started out purely because I thought it was fun. I think it can be refreshing, kind of like resetting your creative battery, to create something without the external pressure of society.

Contact Info:

• Email: mv6464@gmail.com
• Website: marielivalencia.com
• Other: https://marieliphotography.mypixieset.com/