Meet Ela Faye Detecio | Graphic Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ela Faye Detecio and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ela Faye, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
It was never even a option to pursue anything else. The alternative would make me miserable! I know it’s possible to have a non-creative career and pursue artistic hobbies on the side, but that’s just not enough for me. I need to be surrounded by creative people and be in an environment where design is essential to solving problems.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I come from a culture that sees artistic talent as a great hobby, but almost unfathomable as a career. It was a long and ongoing struggle to convince my family that I can succeed in the creative field, I know it wasn’t because they didn’t believe in my skills, but rather because they just didn’t know about the possibilities that existed. Despite their doubts, they still supported me and I’m glad I can give them relief and proof that I can survive with my design degree! I’m now working as a graphic designer for an architecture firm. It’s been a couple of years now, but it’s my first job after college, and I know I still have so much to learn.

My personal work is very, well, personal! Shocker. I am inspired by everything around me: by media I consume, my observable environment, and my lovely weird friends. I am the kind of person that feels everything strongly, and I think that’s reflected in my work because I can only make things that move me.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well, if I’m with my best friend, it’s literally gonna be the best time ever no matter where we go. With that said, if she was visiting me, I’d love to take her to my favorite ice cream place in our little downtown. There’s also an antique shop there that I know we can get lost in for hours. We’d probably do a fun creative activity like do a silly little photoshoot or have a people-watching sketching session. If the weather was nice, we’d definitely want to do something outdoors, like a little hike or go kayaking. Why did you ask me this question, I miss her so much!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Definitely my mom. Which is kind of ironic, because she didn’t really want me to go into the creative field! She unknowingly sparked my love for art and design and detail when she helped me with early school projects. There are also so many teachers who recognized and really nurtured my creativity. I appreciate their encouragement so much, and I’m grateful for the opportunities they gave me.

Website: elafaye.com

Instagram: elafaye_design

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/graziella-detecio/

Image Credits
Wendy Ampuero (Took the image of me!)