Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Cleonique Hilsaca. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Cleonique, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
As an illustrator, I work with clients on a variety of projects. Sometimes I have a lot of creative freedom, and other times I must work within strict guidelines and feedback. To keep my creativity alive and my clients happy, I must find a balance in my work where I am staying true to myself while creating work that successfully meets my client’s needs. To do this, I sketch freely to find exciting solutions to the project’s requirements, while finding inspiration through the project’s limitations. I try not to shy away from the creative process, and do my best to involve myself thoroughly, not as a hired hand, but as a collaborator.
When it comes to my creative practice, I make time to work on personal projects such as picture book pitches and self-published zines, to explore my own ideas and worldview. I don’t want to wait for others to hire me to make the stuff I want to put out in the world if I can. I also work with galleries often, creating original drawings and paintings, which is incredibly exciting to do in contrast with my digital illustration practice. Finally, I seek to sketch often, treating my sketchbooks as small worlds of fearless exploration and learning.
Even when I’m not working for others, or on my own, I surround myself with art I enjoy and am inspired by, such as through animated films, graphic novels and illustrated books, as well as videogames, podcasts and more. Plenty of rest, healthy food and exercise do wonders as well! This is how I do my best to keep my creativity alive.
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?
I am Cleonique Hilsaca, an illustrator from Honduras, based in St. Louis, MO. I am currently a Sam Fox Ambassador and candidate for the MFA in Illustration & Visual Culture at Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis. I work as a freelance illustrator, creating art for advertising, magazines, newspapers, board games, and picture books.
This year, two picture books I worked on will be released: “Dream Submarine” written by Charlotte Gunnufson and published by Candlewick Press and “Sleep, Little Dozer” written by Diana Murray and published by Random House Books for Young Readers.
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?
Three qualities that were incredibly impactful in my creative journey have been the following: desire to learn, discipline and perseverance.
It is my desire to learn that brought me to the United States all the way from Honduras, so that I can become the artist I want to be, and which keeps me active very day in my pursuit for artistic growth.
Discipline has helped me tackle all my projects and personal goals successfully, though it has taken time to build the habits and routines that suit me and my practice best.
And finally, perseverance, a skill that has kept me positive throughout failure and hardship, so that I may keep moving forward in my life and career.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
The biggest challenge I am currently facing is being a student again, as part of the MFA in Illustration & Visual Culture program I am attending. I applied to graduate school because I felt that I am ready to learn again, and even though my time here has been incredibly exciting and fruitful, it has also been more challenging than expected.
I am being mostly challenged by my studies while balancing an active freelance career, but the biggest challenge has been my own expectations towards my work. The way I am facing this time in my career, is by putting forth my best effort and being kind with myself every day; thus, treading forward knowing how much I will have learned and grown.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://cleonique.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cleonique/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cleonique-hilsaca-54a48b32/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Cleonique
Image Credits
Cleonique Hilsaca
