Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jesenia Matos. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Jesenia, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
When times get tough, whether that be due to mental health or creative blocks, I always remind myself of the support I have around me. I’ve been blessed with such great friends, family, and collectives of like-minded creative individuals. They wouldn’t want me to give up! Throughout my life, I’ve faced many changes in short periods of time, which required me to adapt quickly. I feel like getting through the challenges has given me an optimistic view on how I handle things or even when giving advice.
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?
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been interested in the arts, involving myself in it in any way I could. As a first-generation Caribbean Latina artist, I strived for more representation in my community. I’m fortunate to have grown up around a lot of Chicano culture, where I felt seen regardless of my heritage. My focuses are in graphic design, set/stage design, and photography. I’ve had the chance to work on all kinds of creative projects for local and bigger creatives alike. I’m especially passionate about entertainment and advertising design, making flyers for events or posters for musicians. I love bringing visuals to life! For my personal work, I tend to mix my photography into my collage art to make it feel more intimate and unique. I’m really proud of how far I’ve come, and I’m always looking for new ways to grow and push my creativity even further.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Specifically speaking, being in the film program at my high school taught me a lot of beginner fundamentals I needed to carry into the field and pushed me to pursue a creative career. Working with different kinds of people with different artistic styles really opened my mind to new perspectives. The last couple of years or so, I shifted my focus to graphic design, where I started taking my art and formatting/editing more seriously on a digital scale. I am completely self-taught with Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and Lightroom; however, I just recently changed my major from film production to graphic design (with a minor in marketing) to learn the craft further. The only advice I can give is to just make the damn thing! Don’t be afraid of something turning out “bad”. There is no “bad” if it means something to you. That’s all that matters.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
Both of my parents came to California not only to give my siblings and me a better life but for themselves as well. That single-handedly is something I’ll always be thankful for. They exposed me to culture, music, films, art, and shared stories of their own experiences before and after they met each other. A large reason why I work in the field I’m in is because of them. I would not be who I am if I weren’t for my upbringing, even if it was tumultuous.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.behance.net/jeseniamatos
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juh.sen.ya/
Image Credits
Danielle Newman
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