Meet Yulissa Ayala-Valles

We had the good fortune of connecting with Yulissa Ayala-Valles and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Yulissa, how do you think about risk?
Risk is a seed that grows resilience, perceptiveness, and confidence. Pursuing my career and life with risk led to many open doors. I believe humans need to embrace necessary risks to grow in wisdom. Ignoring this spark leads to stagnation and comfort. I once cared too much about others’ perceptions of my “failures.” But a failure to them may not be one to you—it’s often just a projection. I want those newer to the field to know there are always people ready to support you. You’re never alone when facing a needed risk within trusted community.

I’ve been experimenting with image manipulation programs since I was 13. At the time, programs like Artweaver and GIMP were relatively new, and my first real exposure to design came through using GIMP. More specifically creating album art for my apple library to admire on my orange ipod nano. This early interest eventually led me to pursue a career in graphic design.

Starting my own practice was a natural progression in later adulthood. Risk was one of the greatest factors I had to make peace with, coming from a cultural background that values conservativeness and stability. At the time in 2019-2020, the college I was attending in my hometown didn’t offer a design degree. I pretty much uprooted my life to the city to pursue my dream of expanding my knowledge in this trade. You have to assume it all and let go – risk and faith go hand and hand like yin and yang. I never imagined that I’d land the opportunities I have or create the niche that I did for myself. 2019 me would be extremely shocked to hear about the museums I’ve managed to work for and the job’s I’ve landed.

Coming to peace with risk taking stemmed from my desire to have more creative & personal agency, as well as a way to transmute the challenges I faced during the height of the COVID lockdown. In 2021, while closing out two years of coursework, our campus was shut down indefinitely. During this unstable time, my peers and I were tasked with submitting portfolios to apply for more specialized courses within our graphic design degree program. The entire situation was complicated by the institution’s uncertain and shifting response to health accommodations.

I vividly remember the stress and uncertainty many of us (myself included) felt. It was hard to focus on honing our creative voices with so much anxiety in the air. We leaned on each other to complete and edit our portfolios, as well as foster productive peer critique circles. Although I wasn’t selected to continue in the program, I still chose to pursue a graphic design career. That decision is something I’m incredibly proud of. I refused to let an institution’s vague and arbitrary criteria — which even led to talented creatives being declined — define my personal worth or the value of my portfolio. Fortunately for my career path, it’s not always mandatory to have that degree.

Despite that setback, I pushed forward. I didn’t let the rejection stop me. In fact, it motivated me to build my personal brand and improve my craft. As a result, I landed several internships and even secured my first full-time job — all without a degree.
All this to say that it taught me the valuable skill of betting on myself even when your environment is challenging you. At 27, I choose to believe growth can come from ALL circumstances. It’s always been in my heart to move this way, despite all adversity. I want to encourage young designers and people who are pursuing their dreams in general to gently release their fear in exchange for the thought of who you’ll become when you’re on the other side of a difficult decision. When it comes to your dreams, don’t wait. Only you can be a vessel to your inner world. Protect and cherish your voice.

Looking back, I can’t help but wonder: what would have happened if I hadn’t handled that risk gracefully? I guess we’ll never know.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
What sets me apart from others is my authenticity, multidisciplinary approach and remaining true to my cultural upbringing and values. I’m proud of the lane I’ve carved out for myself in regard to identifying my niche in museum oriented branding and visual identity. It definitely wasn’t easy, but my tenacity and community development has fueled my confidence and decisions. Aside from my design practice, I also showcase digital art around local galleries. My brand revolves around doing things, even if you don’t think you’re doing the “thing” the right way. Before you know it, a unique perspective is pieced together once you step back and take everything in. I pride myself in an unorthodox approach to planning, composition and being comfortable being uncomfortable / out of the box.

The lessons I’ve learned along the way were mainly revolving around risk, as I’ve addressed in the initial question. It was one of the most formative traits that sharpened my entire development in the creative world. Beauty is also another thing that I am always chasing – just striking that balance between beauty and functionality. Visual beauty is a window to fostering a deeper connection to ourselves and the world around us. Resilience, as I’ve been told ‘no’ many times as a designer, or having to start from scratch can be disorienting for many. I’ve had questionable experiences with creative leadership that I’ve had to take in my stride, yet never let that deter me from having faith in my ideas or creative voice. You’re going to be challenged a lot in this industry as others, especially as a designer of color. Honing and protecting your creative voice, design decisions, and not wavering in your confidence is essential because some environments will make you completely doubt your capabilities. It’s important to remember that everyone is still piecing their practice together much like you are – don’t get to invested in comparison. Knowing how to take it on the nose and keep yourself flowing is vital.

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’m into food, so I’ll focus on that mainly:

If I were showing someone around Atlanta, I’d definitely take them to West End. The area has such a vibrant local history, and there are so many great small businesses to support. You could easily spend a good part of your day there. Some favorites include Healthful Essence, Tassili’s, Portrait Coffee, Cafexito, and Soul Vegetarian.

For cocktails and food in the city, I’d recommend places like El Malo, Barcelona, Banshee, Pisces, Palo Santo, and Pata Negra. Each spot offers something unique and delicious.

I’d also make sure to take them to Decatur, especially around Candler Rd. That strip is known for having some of the best wings in the area. My go-to spot for wings there is US Deli.

For breakfast, My Coffee Shop at Eastlake is a must. It’s one of the few remaining places in Atlanta where you can get gorgeous, buttery, scratch-made biscuits—just like the ones I grew up eating in North Georgia. Their Aztec hot chocolate is also rich and perfect.

If we’re in Decatur, I’d definitely recommend checking out two of my favorite cocktail bars: Anansi and Commune. Anansi is hands down my favorite cocktail bar in the city, thanks to their incredible attention to detail when it comes to crafting drinks. Commune, on the other hand, is a vinyl bar specializing in wine. Both are fantastic spots for intimate, intentional conversations, which I really appreciate at this stage in my life.

Other than that, I’d spend time in Buford Highway. So many places there that one could explore. Sinaloense Pollo Asados is my go to spot at the moment. It’s been around since I was a child. Kang Nam is another second favorite, amazing sushi.

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?
I have wayyyy too many Shoutout flowers to give.

Firstly, I dedicate this shoutout to all of my family & amazing friends and support group: Nada Osman, Tati Fitata, Micky Gordon, Qarl Gurrola, Obioma Ugonna, Lidia Debas, Deshanier King, Anna-Frida Herrera, Maia Helvy, Saturn Wooten, Daryl Williams & so many more.

And then my art and design community peers: Meta Gary, Jennifer Siegler, Jessica Helfrecht, Jacob O’Kelley, Aineki Traverso, Julian Diaz-Gonzalez & so many more.

The Buford Highway People’s Hub and the friends I’ve made there who are constantly on the ground in direct action fostering mutual aid and education programs that inspire my personal ethos & fuel my creativity.

….& finally, thanks to ya’ll for giving me this space to share my story.

Website: https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:30f57acc-ccb1-4da3-80ce-a52e5927237d

Instagram: @Commute.design (design account) & @_yulissa.ayala (personal account)

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yulissa-ayala-valles-b942221a5/

Other: Portfolio:
https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:30f57acc-ccb1-4da3-80ce-a52e5927237d

Image Credits
Maia Helvy