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

Hi Paulina, why did you pursue a creative career?
I am at my happiest when I am doing one of three things – serving others, problem solving, and creating art. Creating art is how I express my emotions and turn my imagination into something tangible. I have been drawing for as long as I can remember. Whether it was on my math homework, on the back of a Taco Bueno receipt, a random piece of copy paper, or an actual sketchbook, I would find any space I could and draw whatever came to mind.

Even though I loved to draw, for a long time I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I grew up. My career interests varied, and I considered being anything from a journalist, to a museum curator, to an archeologist, to an actress. I finally settled on pursuing something visually creative, but how I manifest that creativity has definitely evolved since I started seriously pursuing art as a career. Whichever way I expressed my creativity though – be it through mixed media, storyboarding for animation, or illustration – I always wanted to capture the depth of human emotions and experiences and reflect it in my work. When we reflect on and reconnect with some of the most basic aspects of our humanity, it helps to ground us and generate empathy and compassion for ourselves and for each other.

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.
In my art, I strive to bring out the intensity and nuance of human emotions and experiences. I also take a lot of inspiration from my family’s Catholic and Mexican heritage, as well as from my favorite movies, shows, and other artists. Combining all of these elements, I’ve created a style that strives to be bold, colorful, relatable, and deeply human. I love bright colors and expressing emotions through both strong lineart and subtle curves and forms. That said, my style is still constantly evolving as I experiment and learn new techniques and try different approaches.

Coming to where I am today took a long time, and came with a lot of twists and turns. Almost right after I graduated college and started to venture into the business of selling my art, COVID hit and everything I was planning and working towards was totally derailed. The COVID pandemic was a period of my life where I both created a lot of new art and also hit some of my biggest challenges mentally and emotionally. There were months where I was constantly drawing and creating, and other months where all the stress of those years just squashed my motivation and desire to draw. Nonetheless, when I was drawing, I used that time to experiment, practice, and seek feedback from my peers and mentors to find ways to improve my art. I learned a lot during this time, and it truly helped propel my art forward in ways that it hadn’t before.

I tried a lot of different types of art, taught myself a couple of new digital drawing programs, and experimented with different platforms of making money off of my art – Redbubble, Ko-fi, Gumroad – the list goes on. While I still upload designs to Redbubble from time to time, I eventually settled on Etsy, and I invested a lot of time creating designs and producing them as merchandise to sell online. I sell art prints, magnets, pin-back buttons, stickers, patches, and keychains. Once things started to open up again, I searched for ways to sell my art in person. I participated in my first vendor fair in October of this year (2022), and I just finished my second vendor fair in November 2022.

Some of the biggest lessons I learned amidst all of this is the importance of perseverance, adaptability, self-care, and having a supportive community. All of these things helped me get to where I am today, and have laid the foundation for my creative professional journey moving forward. As time goes on, I hope to participate in more vendor fairs and create more unique and memorable art for others to enjoy!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would absolutely recommend Koreatown in Carrollton, TX on the corner of Old Denton Rd. and President George Bush Turnpike! There are a ton of amazing restaurants to try new foods – I personally love Korean Street Eats and Kurobuta – and fun stores to shop at, such as Pink Box, Kinokuniya Carrollton, and Daiso Japan. There are also a variety of boba tea shops as well – I love trying new teas at different shops from time to time. Downtown Carrollton also has some very cute and fun places to explore – Lemma Coffee Co., Blooms Candy & Soda Pop Shop, and Vintage House!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I never would have gotten where I am today without the support of so many people, but especially my mom. She has worked so hard and sacrificed so much for my sisters and I, and she encouraged me, believed in me, and guided me from day one. My dad and my sisters have also been so supportive of my art, and alongside my mom, have been some of my biggest cheerleaders from the very beginning of my creative endeavors!

My artistic journey would not be where it is today were it not for the mentorship, guidance, and support of my art teachers. My middle school art teacher was my first long term art teacher who made sure I was always able to access art classes in spite of financial difficulties. My high school art teacher encouraged and challenged me to try new mediums, tackle ambitious projects, and grow in my art. My professor who oversaw my senior year capstone project in college challenged me to constantly improve my work, polish it, and create something that was memorable and impactful.

Last but most certainly not least, my friends, my boyfriend, my peers, and my community have all been an amazing support. They supported me in providing feedback and encouragement during college, reassurance while living through the COVID pandemic, and support while I started to grow my art business. As much as I love making art, the creative process can sometimes be uncertain, confusing, and draining, and their support has been vital in helping me stay motivated, inspired, and in love with creativity!

Website: https://paulinagil.weebly.com/

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulina-gil

Twitter: https://twitter.com/_paulinagil_

Other: My Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/paulinagilart

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