Meet Elena Sanchez: Illustrator & Graphic Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Elena Sanchez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elena, do you disagree with some advice that is more or less universally accepted?
This is such a great question! I’ve found that our professional world loves to go to bed early and wake up early. There are even countless books with this golden formula for productivity on the shelves, as well as interviews and podcasts – you name it! However, life is a bit different for the creative mind that loves to wander at midnight. In his book, Why We Sleep, Dr. Matthew Walker explains that across the population, 40% of us are genetically hard-wired to be morning people, 30% are night owls, and the rest fall somewhere in the middle. I’d like to believe that a good deal of creatives make up that magical 30%. As far as my experience goes, some of my best work was done between the hours of 12am-3am, and speaking with a lot of my network, the same goes for the majority of them. When we have an idea, it’s sometimes difficult to just clock out when the clock hits 12 if we’re not done visually expressing that feeling. It’s not very pause-friendly work, so to speak. For this reason, I’d definitely disagree with the early bird mentality, though I do admire those who like to get an early start!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I like to call myself a multi-disciplinary picture maker. I do work ranging from illustration, animation and graphic design. This can look like a children’s book, product packaging, social media rollout, animated GIFS, album covers, merch design and more. I currently design for a Record Label in Atlanta. I have a unique perspective in that I started my career on the more fine art side of things, then eventually shifted into teaching myself graphic design in 2018 after I graduated from SCAD with a BFA in Illustration. Art and design are quite opposite, so there was definitely a learning curb there. Learning how to navigate in both areas opened so many doors for me, and has actually taught me quite a lot about communication, such as balancing the abstract with intentionality, grounding a feeling with structure, and more. There are a lot of beautiful balances that can be achieved when considering both art and design in a project. I’d like to share some helpful insight about being multi-disciplinary as well, as I know our culture is quickly expecting us to be both a niche specialist yet a wearer of many hats at the same time. I’d say to consider your interest in different mediums or programs as extensions of your personality. Each new skill is an avenue of communication you can choose depending on the message you are delivering. I’ve found that learning new skills just stretches my perspective and understanding of people as well. Overall, the goal of my work is to give beauty, positivity and life back to the world and to be a part of something bigger than myself.

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.
I think a classic welcome spot to see a bit of the city life would be Piedmont Park- nothing beats a peaceful picnic outdoors with your favorite people. I also prefer the vegan lifestyle, so Vegan-friendly restaurants like Slutty Vegan and Cafe Sunflower are dope (there’s a great curry dish at Hawkers Asian Street Fare as well)! Be sure to hit up local art galleries like ABV, Mint, Notch8, MOCA, Start Gallery or even the High Museum of Art. I most recently visited Cat Eye Gallery, they just opened up so definitely show them some love. Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have had the opportunity to work with a lot of super talented people I get to call friends, of them I found that my SCAD community from college has always been there for me on my professional journey!

Website: artofelena.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elenartistic/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elenasanchezillu/

Image Credits
Artimio Black