Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Valentina Berdegue. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Valentina, so excited to have you with us today, particularly to get your insight on a topic that comes up constantly in the community – overcoming creativity blocks. Any thoughts you can share with us?
Creativity blocks are common and can be handled in a healthy way. When I graduated from university I got a creativity block, everyone had told me this would happen and it makes perfect sense that after four years of nonstop drawing your brain would need a “resting period”. Knowing and accepting this didn’t stop me from hating myself over it at first, especially with social media where it seemed everyone was drawing constantly. Eventually, I decided to allow the block to continue for a while and while this might limit me from creating a piece it didn’t necessarily limit my productivity and creative hobbies. I had a daytime job, went to different places, and hung out with my friends. I continued to doodle for fun, watch creative content, and take reference pics. All of this helped with my block because while I couldn’t draw I was still productive in other things, and I was gathering ideas, inspiration, and content. I lived so many great moments and memories, and that happiness and the need to share them brought my creativity back. When you run out of ideas or the will, just take a step back and explore other areas of your life, I guarantee this break will leave you feeling refreshed and refilled with creativity.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
My name is Valentina Berdegué Saénz, and I’m a Mexican illustrator. I find inspiration in travel, memories with friends & family, food, cinema, anime, fashion, my cat, and in plain old beautiful things. My primary muse is women, and I often integrate elements of nature in my work—a reflection of my upbringing and the inherent connection between women and the Earth. Beyond aesthetics, my work delves into the psychological and sociological aspects of womanhood, exploring themes that resonate deeply with me.
Drawing has been a lifelong passion, I started drawing with my sister, we’d draw our favorite characters from cartoons and it just became something I liked to do, and I did it every day (especially at school). I had a very active imagination and I loved being able to create these characters with personality and style. Despite grappling with a tinge of social anxiety, I am paradoxically an ambivert, shaped by a background in a vibrant and social environment.
I thrive on curiosity and experimentation, guided by my very tried and true motto of, “I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing, but I’m gonna do it anyways.” My professional journey has predominantly been in editorial illustration, but I’m open to exploring new challenges and projects and can switch my style to better fit my ideas for the specific project.
My work is a blend of personal introspection with a broader exploration. I take pride in capturing the essence of everyday women, celebrating their stories and strengths through my illustrations. For potential clients, followers, or fans, I want them to know that my art is a reflection of my passion and dedication to portraying women, as well as a continued exploration of myself.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Number one is obviously knowing how to draw! If you want to get better at drawing you have to do it every day, the good thing is you can actually see and document your progress! Beware of the cringe when looking back at old works though.’
Communication is incredibly important for a number of reasons. You need to be able to explain your art and your thought process behind it, if you’re getting commissioned to do a job you need to be able to properly communicate and understand what the client wants, you also have to explain and defend yourself while still being professional. A very important part of ANY job is networking. You have to be able to talk to people and make connections, this will help you get amazing opportunities!
The third skill I would recommend is curiosity. Try new things, new food, a new aesthetic, new activities, new mediums, new styles! Experiment! From that curiosity, you will grow so much personally and professionally and gain so many skills, friends, ideas, and memories along the way!
Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?
The challenge I’m currently facing is finding Illustration work. It’s a constant grind of creating new pieces, a new website, stalking art directors, and emailing them. I have an emailing list of art directors that has 700 people. I email each one personally. It’s a LOT. Especially when they never respond. It can really get you down, and I have been procrastinating, but you just have to keep going!
If anyone is looking for a freelance illustrator, you know where to find me!
Contact Info:
- Website: currently down
- Instagram: @doodle_cadet
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
