We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Calladitos a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Calladitos, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
Our purpose didn’t arrive all at once, it revealed itself slowly, the way a mural emerges layer by layer. We started painting in the streets more than a decade ago, simply driven by curiosity and the joy of creating together. But as we traveled, listened to communities, painted their walls, and saw how people connected with the characters that inhabit our world, we realized something essential: our purpose was not only to paint, but to tell stories.
Through murals, illustration, and now animation, we discovered that the characters we create — giants, girls half human half coyote, aluxes, people made of fungi — were reflections of our own questions and our own roots. They allowed us to speak about identity, memory, migration, transformation, and the spiritual relationship we have with nature and with each other.
Our purpose crystallized when we understood that our work could open emotional and imaginative spaces for others. We found meaning in building a universe where people could recognize a part of themselves, even in the most fantastical beings.
So our purpose is this: to create worlds that heal, worlds that listen, and worlds that invite others to dream, and have a moment of contemplation and just feel. And it continues to evolve with every wall, every story, and every character that chooses to appear.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
We are an animation and storytelling duo dedicated to creating poetic narratives rooted in Latin America’s emotional and mystical landscapes. Our work lives between the magical and the everyday, exploring identity, memory, migration, nature, and the spiritual dimension of ordinary life.
What excites us most about what we do is the chance to build worlds where silence speaks, plants remember, and small gestures carry entire universes. We love crafting stories where tenderness, humor and mystery co-exist—stories that invite people of all ages to slow down and feel.
Our creative practice expands across animation, illustration, ceramics, and editorial projects. Through Calladitos, for example, we explore the quiet rituals of childhood and the beauty of observing the world softly. With our firs shortfilm Puc Puc, our long-term universe inspired by a small plant-creature, we dive into themes of care, companionship, and the dreamlike connection between humans and the natural world.
We’re currently developing our new animated short film Carmín, a 2D piece about a girl who inhabits both her human and coyote selves. It’s a story about sisterhood, memory, and transformation, inspired by desert landscapes and the surrealist legacy of Mexican women artists. At the same time, we continue expanding our editorial and visual work—new collaborations, workshops, publications, and exhibitions that explore storytelling through images and rituals.
Our hope is that anyone who encounters our work feels a sense of tenderness and possibility—that they can recognize themselves in these quiet, magical worlds and walk away carrying a little more wonder.
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?
Looking back, we feel that three qualities have shaped our journey the most:
1. Curiosity that listens rather than hunts for answers.
For us, curiosity isn’t about collecting information—it’s about paying attention. Many of our ideas come from observing quiet things: nature, someone humming in the street, an object with a story behind it.
Our advice: slow down, notice the small things, and let them guide you. Creativity grows in places where you give yourself permission to wonder.
2. Persistence with softness.
Working in art and animation requires patience and displine. Things take time—sometimes years—and it’s easy to lose heart. What has helped us is staying consistent but gentle with ourselves: keeping the work moving, even if it’s one tiny step at a time.
Our advice: build a practice, not a performance. A little bit every day becomes a world before you know it.
3. Trusting collaboration.
Everything we do—from Calladitos to our shortfilms Puc Puc and Carmin—exists because we create together. We’ve learned to trust each other’s instincts, to merge our strengths, and to embrace the surprises that appear when two imaginations meet.
Our advice: look for collaborators who expand your world, not just your skills. And when you find them, protect that partnership—it’s one of the greatest creative tools you’ll ever have.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
We’re always open to collaboration, especially with people who feel a genuine connection to the quiet, magical worlds we’re building.
Right now, we’re looking for international co-producers who can help us accelerate the development of our second short film, Carmín. It’s a project very close to our hearts, and partnering with studios or producers who resonate with its themes would allow us to bring it to life with the care and depth it deserves.
We’re also excited to meet creative allies interested in expanding the Calladitos universe beyond animation — into art toys, sculptures, objects, and other materials that allow our characters and stories to exist in new forms. We love collaborations that blur the line between craft, storytelling, and art.
If anyone reading this feels called to connect, we’d be happy to talk. You can reach us through our Instagram @somoscalladitos or by email at [email protected]
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Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loscalladitos/
- Twitter: https://x.com/somoscalladitos
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@somoscalladitos?lang=es
Image Credits
Alejandro Cortes
Diana Nieto
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
