Hello fellow human, I think it is time we start this newsletter
Because I got tea to spill and not a table to spill it on
So let me tell you what’s up…
For several months, I have been thinking about writing a newsletter, and honestly, it’s because I want to manage social media differently. I have used social media platforms for many years and have connected with amazing people. But let’s be honest, do we even keep track of everyone we follow? Every other day or so, I check someone’s profile to remind myself who they are and why I follow them lol. So I realize that this has to change, and thanks to Meta’s new privacy policy, they just made it easier for me to start this newsletter.
Also, constantly sharing and viewing fast content through posts or short stories in a pool of overloaded content is not exactly the user experience I want, but that’s the thing—social media is meant to be fast-paced. So by doing this newsletter, I don’t have the pressure to be brief and you don’t feel the pressure to read fast so you can keep scrolling 😅. But don’t worry! These novela tales won’t be long and they won’t take much of your time. I am an impatient reader and I got you, I won’t give you a book novel.
So let’s kick this off by appreciating my dog Mango… who is the positive ray of sunshine in my dull life (I am kidding—that’s a bit dramatic but that’s why this newsletter is named a Novela, for dramatic purposes).
So what’s the first tea?
Exactly a year ago, I decided to quit my job as a senior graphic designer and many of you already know this, but there are new people I have met recently who don’t know my background. The thing is that I didn’t just quit my job, I decided to reframe how I see my life. First, I had prioritized my career as a graphic designer for so long and was not taking care of myself properly. After being obsessed with work for years, I knew I had to prioritize other areas of my life, and I decided to focus more on my physical and mental wellness. Nonetheless, I met some great people in my last job and learned that other creatives can be cool. Back in my college days, we used to joke that graphic designers were snobs because they always complained about colors and fonts wherever they went. See the example below.
That’s just an average day with a designer friend. Let me clarify that my college degree specialized in 3D animation so I didn’t go to snoby class 101. I am kidding! I must admit that even though I am not a snob with fonts, I can be snobby with colors and furniture, so I guess we are all snobs 💅. The point is that making this change has taught me to embrace discomfort and to be outspoken about my journey. I share my experiences because many people can relate to my story.
The second reason is that I decided to follow my dream of illustrating children’s books. At first, I wasn’t sure about this decision for many reasons including the rise of AI (And I have A LOT to say about AI, but... that will be for the future, because ay dios mio, where to start with that one).
But my thoughts about children’s book illustrations were, “If not now, then when?” I always had a good excuse to procrastinate on this dream, but I finally bit the bullet and great things happened. I illustrated a personal book for my nephews, and after creating a few more illustrations (which I will share in the future), I participated in a regional SCBWI conference where I won an honor award for my portfolio.
This was unexpected. Even though I had registered for the conference months in advance, I hesitated to join the portfolio competition because I wasn’t sure I was ready. But putting my work out there, paid off. This gave me a new perspective and I understood that it’s okay to be seen. I have always liked to be backstage because that’s my comfort zone, but now that I create art and love what I do, then I think it’s okay to show the world what my creative jazz hands can do.
So what’s coming next?
Like I told you I want to tackle social media differently and rely less on it to share my art. This newsletter ain’t about marketing, most of my posts will be about sharing recent project updates and even something about my personal life.
Recently I have been working on some exciting projects and want to share them with you soon. If I don’t share anything for a while, understand that I got busy or don’t feel like writing—in fact, I rarely write cuz it isn’t my cup of tea (lol, the irony). But I always have tea to share, so give me time, and eventually, we will share another novela cup. For now, feel free to leave a comment and say whatever! Thank you for reading! <3
So good to see you here, Paula! Looking forward to more tea. ;)