In this episode, I chat with Mexican & Salvadorian American illustrator Iliana Galvez. Iliana is a Latinx illustrator born and raised in the San Fernando Valley who creates bright, bold, and unapologetic art celebrating people of all sizes. Her work is extremely empowering and unapologetic and she really creates work that uplifts black and brown femmes. Keep on listening to hear us chat about Iliana's complicated family dynamic, how she decided to quit her career as a nurse aide to be an artist, struggling with imposter syndrome, and her routine to stay creative, especially during the winter season.
In this episode, I chat with Mexican & Salvadorian American illustrator Iliana Galvez. Iliana is a Latinx illustrator born and raised in the San Fernando Valley who creates bright, bold, and unapologetic art celebrating people of all sizes. Her work is extremely empowering and unapologetic and she really creates work that uplifts black and brown femmes. Keep on listening to hear us chat about Iliana's complicated family dynamic, how she decided to quit her career as a nurse aide to be an artist, struggling with imposter syndrome, and her routine to stay creative, especially during the winter season.
EPISODE LINKS
- Watch this Episode on Youtube (Premiering at 5pm ET)
- Support [Draws in Spanish] on Patreon
- Host: Follow Fabiola on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok
- Guest: Follow Iliana on Instagram, visit her website, join her patreon
AUTOMATICALLY GENERATED
00;00;10;12 - 00;00;30;27
Fabiola Lara
Hey friends, welcome back. You're listening to season two of [Draws in Spanish]. If this is your first time listening, I'm your host, Fabiola Lara. I'm a Chilean American illustrator and podcaster based in Philly on [Draws in Spanish]. I chat with Latinx visual artists and designers to discuss everything from their identity and culture to their creative process and work.
00;00;31;13 - 00;00;57;11
Fabiola Lara
Today on the show, I have Salvadorian and Mexican American illustrator Iliana Galvez. Iliana is a Latinx illustrator, born and raised in the San Fernando Valley. She creates bright and bold art, celebrating people of all sizes. Her work is extremely empowering and unapologetic, and she really creates work that uplifts black and Brown fans. Remember, you can watch Iliana I chat today by visiting my YouTube channel.
00;00;57;11 - 00;01;18;07
Fabiola Lara
Just search for [Draws in Spanish] in the YouTube app. Or click the link in the show notes. It's a fun time over on YouTube. So coming out with this if you want. Now keep on listening to hear us chat about Iliana's complicated family dynamic, why she left her career as a nurse aide to be an artist struggling with imposter syndrome and her routine to stay creative.
00;01;18;17 - 00;01;22;19
Fabiola Lara
All right. Let's get into the show. You guys.
00;01;27;06 - 00;01;34;13
Fabiola Lara
Hey, Iliana thank you so much for being here with me today. How are you doing? How are you feeling?
00;01;35;00 - 00;01;37;26
Iliana Galvez
Thank you for having me. I'm doing really good. Excited to be here.
00;01;38;07 - 00;01;52;22
Fabiola Lara
Yeah. Okay, so the first thing that I like to ask everyone, just to get more context about you is can you talk first like just a quick intro about you? For people who haven't seen your work yet?
00;01;53;21 - 00;02;09;27
Iliana Galvez
Okay. So many people and I have this I'm an illustrator based in Denver right now. I was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley. My art is really like a message of like self-love to like, not just me, but like, you know, women like me or curvier.
00;02;09;28 - 00;02;16;04
Fabiola Lara
Can you give us a little bit more color? I see your background and upbringing as a kid and where you come from.
00;02;16;26 - 00;02;33;12
Iliana Galvez
Okay. I am from the San Fernando Valley. North Hills to be specific. It was I mean, so mostly Hispanic opportunities type stuff, you know?
00;02;33;27 - 00;02;52;24
Fabiola Lara
You know, I know that you've said in other interviews that you're first generation. So what was it like growing up in your house? Being I know you you've said also before that you're Salvadorian and Mexican. So was there was a in your home how was it like to have those two cultures in the mix?
00;02;53;26 - 00;03;19;20
Iliana Galvez
So I didn't really have much of the Mexican side of my family. My biological father went to prison for life when I was very, very young for like murder or something. And my stepfather was from El Salvador, so I really only grew up with that kind of influence. I was the eldest daughter of a. So that was fun helping out with kids and stuff.
00;03;21;05 - 00;03;31;05
Iliana Galvez
And it's always kind of been my role, like the mediator type care for my siblings. And that was a lot of what my experience is and has been.
00;03;31;28 - 00;04;05;07
Fabiola Lara
Wow. Okay. Well, I'm so sorry to hear about your dad first. You know, I have to, you know, send you my love for that because I had to have been really tough. But it's kind of surprising to me to hear that that you didn't have that much Mexican culture in the home for this reason. And you mostly grew up in a Salvadoran, which, you know, I never know of to say Salvadorian or Salvadoran because of the English versus the Spanish of it.
00;04;05;07 - 00;04;09;14
Iliana Galvez
I say Dorian, but I mean, it goes either or.
00;04;09;26 - 00;04;36;24
Fabiola Lara
I'm going to say Dorian. But because every time I go to say it, I had like trips over and over again. So being that your your father wasn't there to kind of wrap the Mexican side and you had mostly just a Salvadorian culture in your house. I'm really surprised to hear that, because usually you hear the opposite. Usually Mexican culture is so widely represented in the U.S. compared to other cultures.
00;04;37;00 - 00;04;46;29
Fabiola Lara
So I'm am like surprised about that. Were you able to connect with your Mexican culture in any other way despite the absence of your father?
00;04;47;14 - 00;05;02;24
Iliana Galvez
Yeah. So my grandfather is Mexican, so, you know, I did have his influence and where I lived was mostly Mexican influence. So we kind of just grew up in that area anyways. So I did not lack for that kind of experience.
00;05;03;02 - 00;05;30;19
Fabiola Lara
Okay, great. Okay, cool. And wow, you were the eldest of eight. I don't think I've had anyone else on the show with that many siblings. I am. That's shocking. I feel like nowadays you don't really hear of that. But I also think like being a Latina, a children of just Latin parents, that's not that uncommon. And I can't believe that you were in that role.
00;05;30;19 - 00;05;43;10
Fabiola Lara
Like I mean, of course, if you're the eldest, you kind of get put in that role. How was it like for you being the eldest? How do you think that impacts like your character or always?
00;05;43;12 - 00;06;00;21
Iliana Galvez
Definitely hard. Growing up, you know, especially we lived in small government apartments. It was I never had my own room. I think the closest I did to getting my own room was one time I was able to, like, sleep in a closet for a week and I was like the funnest ever because I was like, This is my space.
00;06;01;29 - 00;06;24;18
Iliana Galvez
So I've always had like those, you know, like my siblings very close to me and stuff. And it's, it wasn't something new to me or just my family. I come from a big family. My stepfather was like the middle child of 16. My aunt had like eight kids. So we've always kind of, I guess, became accustomed to that to so many people and such a little space.
00;06;25;14 - 00;06;38;12
Iliana Galvez
And it'll be a lot. I've always been the one, the kind of person, even growing up and even in my art, to like, want to take care of people and to want to like be there for not just myself, but for other people.
00;06;39;01 - 00;07;05;14
Fabiola Lara
Oh, wow. I feel like that is the best, the best outcome for that, right? Like because some people, it can feel like a burden to have to care. Take for your kids when you're a kid yourself. You know, there is some there's I've heard that narrative a lot, but it's beautiful to hear you say like that. It also kind of just empowered you to you've really own that position as opposed to let it hold you back.
00;07;06;05 - 00;07;30;05
Iliana Galvez
Yeah, I would say growing up, being the big sister was like my entire personality. Now, you know, as an adult, there are things that I do struggle with, like putting boundaries, especially like with my siblings and stuff. I still have that need of like I see one of my siblings struggling. I just want like so, but I'm working on that to kind of just let them do their thing and let me do my thing.
00;07;30;05 - 00;07;39;06
Iliana Galvez
It's been really hard for me. I didn't even know that that was a problem until I was like, You should stop answering the phone. So like.
00;07;39;19 - 00;08;06;16
Fabiola Lara
Oh my gosh, yeah. I guess it's easy to like, I'm a little sister, so I don't I'll never know, you know, what it's like to be an older sibling. But I do know like, yeah, being able to just rely on your older sister just feels so good and like, such a advantage, you know? Like, I feel lucky to have an older sister, and I wish everyone could have one, you know, like, because you're the oldest.
00;08;06;17 - 00;08;08;16
Fabiola Lara
Where do you go for that kind of support?
00;08;09;11 - 00;08;37;10
Iliana Galvez
I did have it growing up. I've always just been like the person who has to, like, be in charge, make sure everything is going well, especially since, you know, my household was a little abusive and stuff. So I was like, all need to get together because I'm not getting a beating for anybody. Like, so I definitely have to be that sometimes mean big sister like now, like we are writing this, everything needs to be nice, calm, quiet.
00;08;37;29 - 00;09;03;09
Fabiola Lara
Right? Yeah. You're keeping everything together. Wow. There's a lot to unpack there. I feel like, you know, I'm not a therapist, so I can't. I don't want to get into topics that, you know, are just to sensitive sometimes. So I'm not going to continue on that. But I you know, I appreciate you sharing about your household experience, how your relationship with your siblings.
00;09;03;09 - 00;09;21;19
Fabiola Lara
And I think it gives a lot of listeners who maybe feel in the same place a little bit like they can feel seen and feel like they can also be artists, even if they come from these backgrounds that are just a bit more challenging. And you don't usually see like an artist going out and rapping that and talking about it.
00;09;21;20 - 00;09;41;06
Fabiola Lara
So that's why I like to ask about it being that you were the big sister, right? And you kind of had to keep keep it together for for all your siblings. How do you feel that that has impacted how you approach your art career at all? You know, like being kind of wanting to have control and all of that.
00;09;41;06 - 00;09;46;16
Fabiola Lara
Do you feel like that has any influence as to choosing like this sort of independent career?
00;09;47;15 - 00;10;09;00
Iliana Galvez
It definitely has, because I've always been very like, I don't know, like kind of like a control freak. Like it has to be up to like a certain way just because, you know, I don't know. I always feel like I have it has to be perfect or not at all type thing. And letting that go has really helped me a lot.
00;10;09;13 - 00;10;36;15
Iliana Galvez
I struggled a lot with my art. At first I didn't really have much of a voice growing up, so finding my voice and with art was really helpful for me. I've always been an artist, even from little. I would like draw all over the walls, paint everywhere. I bet back in the day I thought that I was gonna be like a graffiti artist or something, because that's the only way I saw Art represented it, where I lived and stuff.
00;10;36;15 - 00;10;40;08
Iliana Galvez
So that was my thing and I was going to do that. Wow.
00;10;40;10 - 00;11;00;11
Fabiola Lara
That is so there's so many amazing things to get into here because you're so right, like being the eldest sister kind of knowing that you have to kind of keep everyone in line. You're trying to look out for everyone, then you apply that to your own life. I'm also a control freak, even though I'm the youngest. I don't I don't know where I came from.
00;11;01;22 - 00;11;24;01
Fabiola Lara
And so I feel you like have being an artist is an uncontrollable career. You can't really control your art. It's really frustrating when like you have a vision for your art doesn't come out the way you want and you're like, That feels horrible. If you're a perfectionist, you know? And I camp and it's so adorable to me that you said you wanted to be a graffiti artist.
00;11;24;12 - 00;11;48;17
Fabiola Lara
I think that, like, that was your goal because you hadn't seen anything, anything else. I think that's that's one of the reasons I created this podcast was because I felt like I really didn't see Latin people as artists, like in school. Maybe they teach you about Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, and then that's about it in terms of having representation.
00;11;48;17 - 00;11;54;25
Fabiola Lara
And so that's great. How did you get into tell me a little bit about your graffiti career?
00;11;54;27 - 00;12;17;05
Iliana Galvez
Oh, it was short lived because I got in trouble a lot for it. I wouldn't care if it was like painting on the desk. And back then, maybe just because of the area I live, but you kind of get like spray paint or paint markers just anywhere. You had to like have a cousin come with me who was 18 to get like at least two of them.
00;12;17;05 - 00;12;30;00
Iliana Galvez
And it was like a whole thing, like a show, your I.D. They were like a lot of I would draw on people's shoes, people's backyards, anything that they would let me and not let me. I would just put my art out there.
00;12;31;01 - 00;12;48;03
Fabiola Lara
Oh, my gosh. I love that that passion, like coming through, like knowing that you're on to something, right? You're like, no, people do this and I can do it, too. It's such a fun feeling. How old are you around that time? I'm just curious if you were like six or you were like 14.
00;12;48;27 - 00;13;12;14
Iliana Galvez
Okay, so like painting on the walls and stuff that was like eight nine. And around that time I was going through something very hard and traumatic. So I did a lot of artwork that was like very dark. Ah, you know, my family didn't really understand that. So they met with like a very like religious, like Christian household, like you couldn't do like anything that wasn't, you know.
00;13;12;25 - 00;13;35;21
Fabiola Lara
Wow, that had to have been really hard to just like like I feel like when you're a kid, you just trying to get an understanding of the world. If you're just trying to figure out what's going on at all times, because I'm telling you. And so that had to have been really hard messaging, right? Like you're in a really religious household, you're doing something that's seen as like negative because graffiti isn't respected.
00;13;35;21 - 00;13;55;14
Fabiola Lara
I assume, you know, especially if you're creating dark art, but you're just trying to deal with your feelings. So it's like such a catch 22 because you're like, This is how I'm processing and no one's letting you freely do it. That meant, I'm sorry, that sounds really, really tough, but I also love that you found art. Anyway.
00;13;55;14 - 00;14;11;26
Iliana Galvez
Yeah, I've always had it in me. I know that my biological father was an artist. Like, I would find, like, his prison letters and stuff, and he would have, like, these really nice, like in drawings and stuff. So I know that it was in my family somewhere and I just always had that need.
00;14;12;25 - 00;14;27;04
Fabiola Lara
That's amazing. And when did you. So after having this era of graffiti and dying, when did you realize like, oh, this could be a career? Or did you not realize that? Because I know it can go either way.
00;14;27;18 - 00;14;49;14
Iliana Galvez
I did not realize that my family has always been like, You need to go to college. You need to do something, you need to make money because everything here is paid for. Like, you know, if you're not out there making money, you're not making career, you're worth nothing. So get to it, basically. So I just kind of like put it aside for a little bit.
00;14;49;21 - 00;15;13;27
Iliana Galvez
I would still paint, embroider, crochet, knit and like all that stuff. Like on my own time, but it would be very like kind of like left on the backburner. I thought that I would do the sensible thing and go be a nurse because I do like helping people and stuff and I'm like, Oh, I can do that. I became a nurse aide working in the Make You with premature babies and stuff for about six, seven years.
00;15;13;27 - 00;15;15;14
Iliana Galvez
And I hated it.
00;15;16;16 - 00;15;45;21
Fabiola Lara
Oh, my gosh. Okay. First not surprise you went into nursing. I feel like that's almost like a stereotype now is like Latinas really do tend to get into like caretaking professions like nursing and that kind of stuff. So I'm not shocked. But what a plot twist, right? Like if you had been an artist all your life as a kid and then you just had to pick something because you know, you need something stable, which I get.
00;15;46;17 - 00;15;57;11
Fabiola Lara
And then, wow, you did that for 6 to 7 years. That's a really, really long time. Okay, so you hated it. Tell me not to dig on nurses, but like, tell me what? You hated it.
00;15;57;22 - 00;16;23;08
Iliana Galvez
Okay. So at that time, you know, it wasn't understood to be neurodivergent and stuff. I couldn't explain why it was, like, physically painful to be under such harsh lights all the time and like the sounds and everything. It would just. I'd be so overstimulated. I love the actual, like, caring for the babies part that, you know, it's a little hard because a lot of them were really sick and not all of them made it.
00;16;23;08 - 00;16;49;17
Iliana Galvez
So that was, you know, something that really weighed heavy on me. And I don't know how to say this nicely, so I'm going to say there are some racist nurses in that. I worked at three different hospitals and I can tell you that, yes, half of them were bullies in high school or something very quickly. And the way that they would treat black and brown mothers would just upset me to my core.
00;16;49;17 - 00;17;15;28
Fabiola Lara
I am not shocked, like we've all heard about how how black and brown women aren't respected by doctors, by the health care system. And it's already a horrible health care system anyway. So literally not shocked. And of course, like, yeah, white women, right? Like they're in every profession and there's good and bad. There's good and bad ones, you know.
00;17;15;28 - 00;17;40;23
Fabiola Lara
So another, another thing that doesn't surprise me at all, but when you're working with, like, babies and it's such a kind of like intense, it can be an intense time. You don't want to be around. You don't want to have to deal with your coworkers that directly in intense crisis moments. You know, like I can't I can't imagine that I don't like my coworker when I'm just, like, slacking them and they're annoying me.
00;17;40;23 - 00;18;12;17
Fabiola Lara
Nonetheless, we're actually like in a crisis. How did you end up leaving that that industry, and did you end up going straight into a creative career like Walk Me Through Believing that and then discovering that you that you want to be an illustrator. Hey, it's me. Before we keep on going with this conversation, I need to remind you that if you want to listen to an extra 30 minutes of my chat with Iliana, then you need to come over to the patriarchy on on the drawers.
00;18;12;17 - 00;18;34;08
Fabiola Lara
In Spanish Patron, we have an exclusive discord community. Extended episodes of every single episode of season two. So if you want to be a part of all that and so much more, become a patron of drawers in Spanish by heading over to Patreon dot com slash drawers in Spanish. Now, if you don't have the means to support the show on Patreon, I understand and no pressure.
00;18;34;15 - 00;18;59;01
Fabiola Lara
Just remember that you can support the show for free by subscribe to the show on YouTube following the show on Spotify. Writing a review on Apple Podcasts or simply sharing an episode with a friend. It really does go a long way and means a lot to me so I can keep making the show for you. Thanks again for your support and let's get back into the episode.
00;18;59;01 - 00;19;26;16
Iliana Galvez
So it happened. I was around 23. I bought this secondhand refurbished little tablet. It didn't really work all that well, but you can install this little like 99 cent drawer app. What was it? But it just had a little pencil. It sucked, by the way, kept freezing. All the little images were very small pixels. Like if you wanted to go bigger, that's on you.
00;19;26;16 - 00;19;47;18
Iliana Galvez
Too bad. Yeah. And so at that time I had my little Instagram and stuff and I was just posting like my watercolor paintings, nothing serious or whatever. But then once I got that tablet and started like exploring digital art because I did not know that that was a thing at the time it was everything to me. Like it changed her life.
00;19;47;18 - 00;20;08;08
Iliana Galvez
Like my stress was just like melting away. I would bring that thing to work and like, because I work like the night shift, you know, the moment I finished my tasks, you would find me hiding in a room, just drawing away. And I would just put it out there and see what happens and stuff. And the other people were liking it and they were like, Oh, we want prints of this.
00;20;08;08 - 00;20;21;20
Iliana Galvez
And I had no idea how to do any of that. I was literally just like being how to make prints or what what does that mean by formats and pixels and all that stuff? So it was very much YouTube taught me everything.
00;20;22;11 - 00;20;40;17
Fabiola Lara
Oh my gosh, I love that. I love that like this one tool really kind of revived your interest and your passion. And it's so like, you know, imagine if you had never took the leap to buy it, you know, you just were like, Nah, I don't. I don't need it or whatever. And then you wouldn't even be here today.
00;20;40;17 - 00;21;01;16
Fabiola Lara
It's just like that to me is mind blowing. I totally feel you. I feel like a lot of artists also learn everything from YouTube. And why not? I think that's so valid. I like that. You mentioned that you didn't even know digital art was a thing, because I think a lot of people don't realize that that is a thing.
00;21;01;25 - 00;21;11;25
Fabiola Lara
So until you start doing and you start playing around with it, were you always working traditionally before you have that tablet? Like, did you not dabble in any like computer art before that?
00;21;12;03 - 00;21;37;29
Iliana Galvez
No, unless it was like Microsoft Paint. I didn't really demo it. I did mostly watercolor or like acrylic paintings. I didn't really have money for supplies and stuff, so most of it was like the little cheap Crayola ones that I could get or I don't know if I should be saying like I have cousins who would like have sticky fingers and stuff that would be like, Come what you want and go get it for your birthday.
00;21;38;11 - 00;22;13;01
Iliana Galvez
And I got the beginning of, like they said, of like combo brushes and stuff. So I would like get to explore with that and everything and that just kind of like built up. So I started doing digital and it just like blew my mind away. I loved it. I would draw like every day, like if I wasn't doing anything, I was probably just drawing like every moment that I got and I got to a point where I started getting like clients and stuff, and that was its own learning curve for me because they would ask for all these things.
00;22;13;01 - 00;22;18;25
Iliana Galvez
And I would literally like, as you're saying, just type Google it. Like, what does that mean? What is like basement, right?
00;22;18;25 - 00;22;32;21
Fabiola Lara
Right, right. Because correct me if I'm wrong, there was you didn't take any sort of art classes or anything like that before going into digital art or did you know?
00;22;32;21 - 00;22;52;24
Iliana Galvez
I knew that there was like things is art school and stuff. My high school that I had gone to didn't really have arts and stuff. So we were able to get one class though for like the whole four years. And I did really good in that one and I was like, Oh, you should go to art school. And I need to make money.
00;22;53;05 - 00;22;55;11
Iliana Galvez
I can't.
00;22;55;11 - 00;22;57;09
Fabiola Lara
Yeah, like what a nice little fantasy.
00;22;58;02 - 00;23;08;25
Iliana Galvez
Yeah, I'm thinking that, like, you know, how many siblings, like, I want to help. I can't because, like, you'd be out here. That was that mentality back then, you know? Wow.
00;23;08;25 - 00;23;16;27
Fabiola Lara
Okay. I actually wanted to talk a little bit more about that. So you went to what kind of school did you go to for to be a nurse aid? I'm not sure.
00;23;18;06 - 00;23;20;24
Iliana Galvez
It was just like a program in a community college.
00;23;21;10 - 00;23;35;23
Fabiola Lara
Okay. So you went to community college for that and you didn't at no point when you were signing up and like enrolling or whatever did you dislike even consider something creative or anything like that? Or were you just like, No, I have to do nursing.
00;23;35;29 - 00;23;56;16
Iliana Galvez
So I didn't qualify for financial aid and stuff. We had just moved to another state. And so there's like a rule about living there for two years before you could, so everything would make better when school. I had to pay for it myself and I would look at our classes and I would really want to do them. But I'm like, I can't spend that money.
00;23;57;07 - 00;24;17;07
Iliana Galvez
At that point I was working at Target and most of my check went to my mom anyways because, you know, Bills. And then at that point my mother and my stepfather had split. We moved to Texas, so it was just my mom and then it was me and then it was my youngest brother right under me. And then it was just like me and my younger brother working.
00;24;17;07 - 00;24;23;14
Iliana Galvez
So I was like, I can't afford to spend on a class, right?
00;24;23;14 - 00;24;48;02
Fabiola Lara
So you feel like you were. And now it's just that you feel you were responsible to contribute to your household. So you didn't have kind of the resources to even taken off random drawing class or a random, you know, pottery class. I'm making things up now, but because of your economic situation, am I right? Yeah, that honestly, it makes a lot of sense.
00;24;48;02 - 00;25;03;22
Fabiola Lara
I feel like people always underestimate that financial hardships and just feeling like you have to help out really can hold you back because you're kind of really focused when you're in survival. So I really respect that.
00;25;04;06 - 00;25;21;28
Iliana Galvez
And then where I grew up, I've only known survival. I know I knew that my parents were drowning. I knew that, you know, my grandparents and everyone around us were it was kind of like a secret when you either learn to make money or what do you do if you're not doing anything kind of like pipe life or that's how we grew up.
00;25;21;28 - 00;25;43;14
Iliana Galvez
Especially like, it's okay, we have two, three, four, five jobs. I'm not just my family, you know, like the whole community where I grew up and stuff. So yeah, it wasn't like I was when I grew up that you could spend money on things just to have like to do things just for experiences and stuff. It was like wilderness, help us smell.
00;25;43;14 - 00;25;45;17
Iliana Galvez
Okay, well, you have to ignore it and move on.
00;25;46;18 - 00;25;50;20
Fabiola Lara
And why did you. So I'm curious then how you.
00;25;51;25 - 00;25;52;11
Iliana Galvez
Had the.
00;25;53;17 - 00;26;12;27
Fabiola Lara
Courage essentially to go into nursing, like because that also seems like an investment, right? It's not immediate. You have to go to school for a certain amount of time and pay for it before you see any return on that. Right. So was there like a moment where you were considering other things or other careers or anything like that?
00;26;12;27 - 00;26;16;29
Fabiola Lara
Because I feel like for a lot of people when you're in survival, you need that instant like check.
00;26;17;13 - 00;26;38;04
Iliana Galvez
So, okay, so I started working at Target to kind of help me so that I can start going to school, so I can become a nurse. And then I needed to know somebody in a hospital to work in a hospital. So I started working in the cafeteria at the first hospital I started working at. And then once I got my certificate, I became a nurse's aide.
00;26;38;04 - 00;26;54;02
Iliana Galvez
I started working on that. And then I realized that I really did not like working at a hospital and stuff. And the settings, they were just I didn't even have a name for like Overstimulate patients. I just knew that I was like fried by the time I got home, I was like.
00;26;54;21 - 00;26;57;22
Fabiola Lara
And drawing was a form of relaxation.
00;26;57;27 - 00;26;58;08
Iliana Galvez
Yes.
00;26;58;28 - 00;27;20;09
Fabiola Lara
Wow. Okay. It's so crazy how all these things can act just because, like, you know, you went to nursing out of survival. Like, that's a good job. It's it's reliable, essentially, right? You can get that job anywhere, any, like state that you moved to or anything. But how did you feel when you started to realize that you didn't like it after all that hard work?
00;27;21;04 - 00;27;37;00
Iliana Galvez
I was a little ashamed by I mean, at that point all of my aunts and stuff were like, Oh yeah, she's going to be a nurse and stuff. And the pressure was just like, Okay, well, this is whether I like it or not, this is what I'm going to do. And the entire time I, I mean, I had a boyfriend.
00;27;37;18 - 00;28;00;07
Iliana Galvez
So I'm with my husband right now. We were high school sweethearts in the same area type thing. So he was like in the background when I first moved in with him and that I got him talking to another thing and everything and I was doing my art and stuff and I started like getting a little attraction and then like I did like a little print shop where you didn't like print them at home and like mail them as I go.
00;28;01;05 - 00;28;22;04
Iliana Galvez
My husband was always there, like in the background, like helping me pack and stuff. And it got to a point where I was just so tired of working. I have had a, you know, become a mother. And that in itself was like a whole nother thing. And my child has autism. And so from a very little age, he's always been very particular and stuff.
00;28;22;13 - 00;28;31;24
Iliana Galvez
So it took a lot. You know, I was like, I can't. He's going to need, you know, therapy and all this stuff. I can't let go of this job. There's nothing except to stick it out, basically.
00;28;31;29 - 00;28;32;16
Fabiola Lara
Right.
00;28;32;26 - 00;28;49;17
Iliana Galvez
And so he was like, I don't think you want to be like that miserable. Like, I work every holiday, every weekend, my first, like Mother's Day alone, like with my son and stuff. It was after I quit. So he was like maybe about five when I finally go. Cause.
00;28;51;01 - 00;29;13;05
Fabiola Lara
I mean, it makes so much sense, you know, when you have that reliable check saying no to it, especially when you have a kid, just seems like the wrong thing to do. It just seems like something you should not do, even if you're so miserable, so I totally commend you for that. I mean, you were doing what you what you know, you you know what you thought was the right thing.
00;29;13;19 - 00;29;32;03
Fabiola Lara
And it was I'm sure in many ways you have been mentioning like that you're neurodivergent and that affected how you felt working as a nurse. When did you find did you know that going into the career, did you find that when did you find that out? Because I know a lot of people find out at different parts point in their life.
00;29;32;11 - 00;30;01;22
Iliana Galvez
I always knew that I was like this. I just didn't have a name for it. And then once my son was getting diagnosed and stuff, I was like, Well, I do that too. I don't think that's weird. And they were just like, No, that's definitely you. They're like, It's not wrong. It's just different and stuff. And I'm that person that like once I find out like, something's up with my son or you know, my son needs certain things, I starting to try to look for everything and all that stuff.
00;30;01;29 - 00;30;21;04
Iliana Galvez
And so I was able to like learn the names for things and I was like, Oh, I do this. And so my son does the same thing. I know what to do so I can help him. My family wouldn't let him in circles, and I did that when I was little. I a little bit in cycles, four like minutes, hours, like that was my thing.
00;30;21;04 - 00;30;24;02
Iliana Galvez
I just really like to call me Spinderella and everything.
00;30;24;15 - 00;30;45;25
Fabiola Lara
Oh, my God. I mean, like, classic household to, like, you know, tease you for that or not, like, you know, try to get you to not do that, but I like that now you're able to embrace it and be like, No, that was just like you guys didn't pay attention, you know, to what was actually going on, which is common, especially when you're one of eight.
00;30;45;25 - 00;31;00;25
Iliana Galvez
Yeah. And you know, I've kind of always had that where I've been like alone. My mom was just overwhelmed. I mean, you have all these kids, you're struggling. We're in a tiny little three bedroom government apartment. Like sometimes things get, you know.
00;31;01;03 - 00;31;01;15
Fabiola Lara
Yeah.
00;31;01;28 - 00;31;10;26
Iliana Galvez
And I was one of those kids who just slipped through the cracks, and it was just like, yeah, she's we are. We're just going to beat it out of her. Then she does that every day. But it didn't help me.
00;31;11;27 - 00;31;27;02
Fabiola Lara
Right? Right. No, that's not the most productive way to go about it. How do you feel now that you're able to talk to your family about mental health these days, now that it's been quite some time that you've been thinking about these issues.
00;31;27;14 - 00;31;41;12
Iliana Galvez
It's getting a lot better. I one of my siblings is a schizophrenic, so that is why it kind of like helped them feel like, oh, these things are real. And I'm just like, okay, like I've been saying.
00;31;43;06 - 00;32;11;25
Fabiola Lara
Like a little late, but okay, you know, I do feel like sometimes it takes, you know, it's hard for people to see. It's easier for people to see the extremes essentially. Right. Because like, if it's subtle, subtle mental health issues, they're just like you're fragile, which is not, you know, the correct way to think about it is so mean to.
00;32;11;26 - 00;32;34;00
Fabiola Lara
Oh, it makes me it makes me sad. But now you know that you don't have to repeat it for for your kids, which is nice. Okay, now, when were you able to finally quit your job? It sounds it sounds like for me you were alluding that your husband was really supportive and probably played a major role in this.
00;32;34;02 - 00;32;42;10
Fabiola Lara
I'm curious, when were you able to finally leave and feel that, you know, it was time to let go of the nurse dream that you worked for?
00;32;42;18 - 00;33;07;12
Iliana Galvez
Yeah. Those like in 2019. At that point, I had put myself to just only work weekends and holidays because I needed somebody at home a lot and my husband was like, you know, okay, let's just do it. And would also help is where I was brought up. I knew the struggle already. I knew that everybody had to hustle to make it.
00;33;07;13 - 00;33;30;02
Iliana Galvez
Why could that not also apply to our Why can I not hustle doing art, making that my career and stuff? And he was just like, you know, we can do it. People have gone and done things and maybe it worked out, maybe didn't work out. You should just do it. And so with him kind of backing me up, I was like, All right, I'm going to do it.
00;33;30;02 - 00;33;44;02
Iliana Galvez
I like quickly was like, I gave him like two weeks notice. Like, obviously I didn't tell my family or anything. My last day was supposed to be Mother's Day, and I was like, you know, I'm going to call off. I'm never going to see these people again.
00;33;45;19 - 00;34;15;12
Fabiola Lara
I respect that. Wow. I feel like everyone needs a partner. They can kind of see what they don't see in themselves because sometimes you're like, because you don't know. And because I'm speaking for myself, because I'm a control freak. You want to know what's on the other side of that decision, but you don't. And taking that kind of risk, especially when you don't have a safety net, can feel like just like a really bad move, even though it's what you clearly what you want so much.
00;34;15;19 - 00;34;33;11
Fabiola Lara
But I think you've made such a good point about like if you know the struggle already it's like not that huge of a fear you're like, I can make it past that. Like, you know, we'll be fine if it comes to the worst. Like, we'll be okay anyway. And you, you, you kind of learn to rely on yourself a little more.
00;34;33;23 - 00;34;50;08
Iliana Galvez
Yeah. And, you know, it's worked out for me. I'm not saying that, like, you know, in my career, I've never, like, struggled or have never been like, oh my God, did I make a biggest mistake? And they're obviously they're going to be days like that from whatever their days are. Like, You know what? I'd rather be doing this.
00;34;50;18 - 00;35;03;26
Iliana Galvez
I'm happy. I'm able to work from home, able to still be there for my son. And now for this new one I'm expecting in the spring. So it was the best decision for me. It saved my life.
00;35;05;20 - 00;35;18;26
Fabiola Lara
I'm just so happy. I'm so happy that you had that encouragement to do it because who would have known how long you would have stayed? Kind of like chugging along because it's like the right the right thing to do, you know?
00;35;18;26 - 00;35;19;28
Iliana Galvez
How did you hurt?
00;35;20;17 - 00;35;39;15
Fabiola Lara
I know. And no shame to anyone who does. This is just like a hopefully inspiring to those who are feeling kind of that pull but don't want to pull the plug because it's hard. How did your family react once you told them that you had left nursing? Because they feel like with a big family there's big drama.
00;35;40;09 - 00;35;57;13
Iliana Galvez
So they had already known that I didn't want to be a nurse because they were like, when are you going to finish your schooling? You know, right now I was just a nurse aide, so I'm just like, you know, I don't want to do that but happening. And they kind of like let it go. Like, okay, so long as you're like, you have a job, you have dependable money.
00;35;58;10 - 00;36;18;28
Iliana Galvez
And then when I started getting clients and stuff, there was a project that I got to work on with Adidas where I designed a mural for them and their store and oh, my goodness, who was it? It was in L.A. and it was in a nice part, like the part where my family would get to walk around and go window shop.
00;36;19;10 - 00;36;40;12
Iliana Galvez
Obviously, you cannot touch anything, but we get to walk around there. No roads. There you go. So it was a Danish couple, Melrose. And so I told them and they were very excited for me. So they're like, Oh, maybe this is something serious. I try to explain to my dad a couple of times what I was doing, because this was it back in L.A. to fly to L.A. to like, you know, shop.
00;36;40;12 - 00;36;52;14
Iliana Galvez
And, you know, they had a little party and everything. My dad for like four months thought that I designed this shoe. And so I was like, Wow, it's just like, I'm your own stuff.
00;36;52;22 - 00;36;53;21
Fabiola Lara
It's a mural.
00;36;55;07 - 00;37;16;07
Iliana Galvez
And so I do. And I, it made me really happy because he was actually at my first ever art show that I've ever done, and it was in high school. One of my drawings got paid to be at this little, little art exhibit, and he was 15. And so he was he was there with my mom and stuff.
00;37;16;16 - 00;37;34;02
Iliana Galvez
And so for the one for Adidas, my family couldn't come because there was also like a big wedding happening in my family. That same day. My dad was able to make it and it was a very beautiful experience for me. I was like, I can do this. At that time I was still working, you know, at the hospital and stuff.
00;37;34;19 - 00;37;56;08
Fabiola Lara
It's crazy how these projects with and because I say this, because I've had it happen to me before, but like projects with clients really validate the fact that it can be a career. I feel like before that, even if people are buying your prints or buying your your products that you're making, it feels like maybe chance or luck.
00;37;57;19 - 00;38;17;18
Fabiola Lara
But when a client hires you, especially such a name brand like Adidas, it does feel like next level. So did that what did that do for you? Right. Like that moment was amazing. But what did having that big brand name kind of validate you do for you and your career after that?
00;38;17;18 - 00;38;34;25
Iliana Galvez
Okay. So coming up to the event and on the day, I was like freaking out because I was like, how I'm going to do this. Like I at that time, I was like, I don't even think I'm a real artist. So I quit having just found out that I did, like, you know, I don't know what I'm doing.
00;38;34;25 - 00;38;36;23
Fabiola Lara
That's what we're all thinking all the time.
00;38;37;14 - 00;38;52;03
Iliana Galvez
Yeah, like the imposter syndrome was, like, real for me. And so the mural showed, went gray, and the next day I just was like, okay, this is it. I think there's nothing else to go from here.
00;38;52;22 - 00;39;06;12
Fabiola Lara
After a big project like that. There are these feelings of like, okay, like what now? You know, like what could possibly come next after this? So I totally feel that. But it's funny, we can laugh about it now.
00;39;06;27 - 00;39;09;15
Iliana Galvez
Yeah. At the time I was like freaking out a bit.
00;39;09;16 - 00;39;28;29
Fabiola Lara
Would you say that the project that you did for Adidas, that first one that you felt so much kind of imposter syndrome with you did you did like quote properly like a quote, real artists. Like because I feel like sometimes we look back and we're like, oh, I are in the moment. We're like, Oh, I'm definitely not doing this like, like a real artist.
00;39;28;29 - 00;39;36;03
Fabiola Lara
But then you look back and you're like, No, that was that is how it gets made. Like, how do you feel about it? Looking back?
00;39;37;11 - 00;39;56;19
Iliana Galvez
Looking back, I am the I know what I was doing. Even at that time, I didn't know. And I was just kind of like scared because, you know, at that point in my life, I was already like thinking, like, I should probably, like, quit my job. Like, I, I'm not happy here and I do this full time. And then I had this moment.
00;39;57;09 - 00;40;19;02
Iliana Galvez
So I did feel validated, like, yes, I'm a I'm a real artist. But at the same time, you know, a part of me is just like, you can't do this. Like you've never gone to school. You don't know, like, you know, as much as like at that point in my career, I was very much like comparing stuff to like other artists and stuff.
00;40;19;02 - 00;40;40;14
Iliana Galvez
And it was, it's a scary thing when you're just like, you don't really know your place. Now I know, like, you know, if you were doing a good job, you know, your journey is not the same as everyone else and it will look totally different to everybody. And how beautiful is that? You get to be here and learn as you go at that time.
00;40;41;02 - 00;40;43;05
Iliana Galvez
Obviously, I did not know any of this.
00;40;43;17 - 00;41;03;18
Fabiola Lara
Right. And like what a huge like big, huge props to you for getting to that point and not and having taught yourself everything right. Like there are people who go to art school and still dream of getting to that point and they quote, you know, have a formal education and whatever it is, you know, and you were able to pull that off.
00;41;04;00 - 00;41;13;12
Fabiola Lara
Just doing it by yourself, teaching yourself and following your own passion like that is just I mean, to me, it's more inspiring, but I'm saying it's just as good, you know?
00;41;13;18 - 00;41;27;09
Iliana Galvez
You know, I feel bad for myself in those moments where I didn't know, you know, is how worthy I am and how you know, how much I learned my art. And I really just put it out there and yeah.
00;41;28;21 - 00;41;50;23
Fabiola Lara
Beautiful. I'm so glad that that project came through, even though it was filled with both self-doubt and validation. So once you bought both that job, you did it. You accomplished it. You were on the other side of it where you start to feel a little bit of like, What's next? Did you I'm assuming at this point you end up putting your job or I hope, but what happened?
00;41;51;01 - 00;42;03;18
Iliana Galvez
So it took me like four and a half more months before I quit my job and it was really hard for me to let go. I was like, This place has benefits, health insurance, all the things you know.
00;42;03;28 - 00;42;10;17
Fabiola Lara
And you have a child. So that's a lot more to consider. It's not something that you want to just do. Like Willy nilly, you know?
00;42;11;10 - 00;42;43;25
Iliana Galvez
Yeah. And, and it's only sustainable for me to just, like, go somewhere where I'm clearly not happy. I, you know, I was good at it. You know, I knew how to take care of babies. I knew how to draw blood and do all this stuff. But it just I don't know how to explain it. Like when you know you're not happy in a spot and you stick it out anyways, you just become, like, very bitter and resentful for like any time in my my monitor will be or like, my phone will be like someone needed help.
00;42;44;07 - 00;42;46;13
Iliana Galvez
What do you want from me? Like, I am.
00;42;47;08 - 00;42;51;23
Fabiola Lara
Just like, why are you asking me to work right now? You're lucky I showed up.
00;42;52;02 - 00;42;59;27
Iliana Galvez
Like you're asking me to work while I'm clocking in. At my time, it was just. It wasn't good for me.
00;42;59;27 - 00;43;16;21
Fabiola Lara
So do you have any recommendations or advice for people who find themselves hating their day job, dreaming of leaving it for art, but like, are are scared? What would be your recommendation? Your advice?
00;43;16;27 - 00;43;41;01
Iliana Galvez
Baby steps just kick started. You know, you don't have to, like, just completely cut it off right then and there if you're not like ready for it but you know, do little things, you know, maybe like just share your artwork first, put some prints out. You don't have to like make like this huge thing. And now they have like print on demand, kind of like things where you can just like upload your art.
00;43;41;14 - 00;44;00;21
Iliana Galvez
And that has helped me a lot, especially now that I've moved to another state and to Denver and I can't really hold a lot of physical supplies here. I do that for like my posters and stuff. That's something that could really help you if you are not ready for like, you know, just go on and just think that's it.
00;44;01;11 - 00;44;04;27
Iliana Galvez
Little way, little things get done and before you know it, like you are ready to go.
00;44;06;06 - 00;44;27;13
Fabiola Lara
That's really, really good advice because I do think that people are the way that it's that people do it on social media as they're like. And today I quit my job and I have an art career, but like we don't see the like years of, you know, slowly putting out work, slowly getting clients, slowly, like hating your job.
00;44;27;13 - 00;44;47;24
Fabiola Lara
Like we only see that moment of confidence and decision and like, you know, you're you've done it. But there is years sometimes where you're just battling like that process and trying to get yourself there. So I think Baby Steps is a really, really good, really, really good advice because when you're in it, it feels like there are no baby steps.
00;44;47;24 - 00;44;49;04
Fabiola Lara
Like it feels like it's black or white.
00;44;49;13 - 00;45;10;09
Iliana Galvez
Yeah. And it was really hard for me. I've always been very timid. And then I was thinking back on my mind like, if I'm not making, I'm not providing for my family, what am I doing? And then I was basically just holding on to this job so hard and then just slowly inching and taking it off and being like, Whatever happens, happens.
00;45;10;25 - 00;45;13;19
Iliana Galvez
And I wish I would have quit a lot sooner.
00;45;14;14 - 00;45;31;07
Fabiola Lara
Yes, that's what I like to hear. That's what I like to hear. Yeah. Once you quit your job, you were living you. Now your life as an artist, what were the things that you did to kind of start off your career once you were like, okay, I am, I am doing this.
00;45;33;06 - 00;45;56;10
Iliana Galvez
Okay? So really job and everything. And I had like a whole month of nothing. Then I was just like paralyzed. Like, what am I doing? What is my first move? So many million ideas come to you at the time and then you're just so scared that you can do anything. And so that's what I did for like a whole month of just what do I do now?
00;45;56;10 - 00;46;15;29
Iliana Galvez
What is the next move? You know, I'm obviously still making art, but I have no idea where to go from here. It was a beautiful time, actually. I freaked out a lot. But in not doing anything, you can also like if you can't figure it out, I wasn't going to know the answer. No one's going to know the answer.
00;46;16;00 - 00;46;24;16
Iliana Galvez
What to do next or what next thing you know, I'm the kind of person that I'm different. Glad about it for a little bit and then? And then I just do it.
00;46;25;13 - 00;46;44;11
Fabiola Lara
Yes. I think a lot of art making is like that, though. Like there's kind of like this period of like percolating on like an idea or like a plan and then and then getting started, I mean, literally with art making. But also just like when you have a freelance career, you kind of have to like think a little bit about what's next.
00;46;44;11 - 00;46;49;15
Fabiola Lara
You don't have someone telling you what to do, so you got to have this moment of like planning.
00;46;50;00 - 00;47;04;02
Iliana Galvez
And I felt like that was very hard, especially since my family was looking at me. So like, what are you going to do now with your little art creating? That's what they call like me, a little art thing. And I'm like, I'm figuring it out, you know, in the back of my head, I was like, I have no idea.
00;47;04;09 - 00;47;05;25
Iliana Galvez
But I wasn't going to let them know that.
00;47;06;18 - 00;47;17;02
Fabiola Lara
No, of course. Of course. So how how would you say that? You turned your like, quote, little art thing into, you know, a confident career?
00;47;17;08 - 00;47;37;13
Iliana Galvez
Okay. I was just consistently sharing my artwork, you know, like on Instagram. Then I started the patron on like, oh, if you want to see like, you know, speaking videos or see them first or have like little prints. I did like the Zodiac series at the time and just little by little, you know, nothing was big, but it was just consistent.
00;47;37;13 - 00;47;52;16
Iliana Galvez
I would just sharing and be like, Hey, is this going to be a print? If anyone wanted to print of anything, I wish I had a printer. I'll just make one little print and my materials were cheap and you know, and that's how I started. And it was great for me.
00;47;52;16 - 00;48;17;26
Fabiola Lara
Yes. I feel like you really embody the spirit of like learning as you go, you know, and don't let that hold you back. Right. Like yesterday's mistake or last month's mistake, just fix it moving forward. You don't have to start at perfect, which I feel like when we talking initially you were talking about perfectionism and stuff. I feel like that is the what you are doing is like the opposite, right?
00;48;17;26 - 00;48;21;19
Fabiola Lara
You were just like getting started and making mistakes.
00;48;21;19 - 00;48;43;10
Iliana Galvez
And so even now, right now I'm in this like weird period where I don't know where I'm going with my art. I am still doing freelance and everything and I got with an agency and work, doing work like that. And I notice that it's not everything I want to do. I've been focusing just on this, that I feel like maybe other things have been neglected.
00;48;43;22 - 00;49;00;08
Iliana Galvez
So right now I'm in this weird period of what do I want to do with my career? I have established it now and now it's like where do I want to go from here? And and that moments where it's scary because no, I don't know until I'm doing the thing and I'm like, this is what I want to do.
00;49;00;08 - 00;49;03;24
Iliana Galvez
I, I know that I will get there. And that's comforting to me.
00;49;04;19 - 00;49;13;06
Fabiola Lara
Yes. Like you trust yourself more now as a creative person, right? Like you have that confidence that like you're going to figure it out because you have been this whole time.
00;49;13;18 - 00;49;13;27
Iliana Galvez
Yeah.
00;49;14;17 - 00;49;21;06
Fabiola Lara
Why do you think you're so inspired to draw so many gorgeous black and brown fans?
00;49;21;06 - 00;49;40;18
Iliana Galvez
Because I didn't have a confidence way back when. Like I said, you know, my childhood was very traumatic. I didn't have a voice. And it was very hard for me to find that. And then when I saw it with my baby sister, where she was like, you know, she was the brownness of our siblings and she was born.
00;49;41;02 - 00;50;01;07
Iliana Galvez
And at that time, I didn't understand why they were saying it like that. And I didn't realize at that time to know what Colourism was. I knew that you're supposed to stay out of the sun and the creams that your grandma gives you to make your skin whiter are supposed to, like, help you. I thought people were for, like, pimples or sorry.
00;50;01;28 - 00;50;05;08
Fabiola Lara
Right? Because no one's telling you now. Everyone's just, like, just do it.
00;50;05;20 - 00;50;15;22
Iliana Galvez
Yeah. And so, like, I've been taking Whitening Green since I was like ten, and I just thought, oh, that's. That's what you do. I guess like I at that time, I, that's.
00;50;15;22 - 00;50;19;12
Fabiola Lara
What you see when you grow up around. I mean, why would you doubt it?
00;50;19;18 - 00;50;45;14
Iliana Galvez
And then my family, I'm blessed and lucky to know the stories down to like my great great grandma and when you see it play out, you can see why colors and figures feel so okay. Let's get into this, because a lot of people so my great great great grandma ditched her kids in the side of a mountain for a second year.
00;50;45;23 - 00;50;47;19
Iliana Galvez
That's all I know about her.
00;50;47;19 - 00;50;50;13
Fabiola Lara
Oh, my. I got goosebumps because that is so awful.
00;50;50;18 - 00;51;15;09
Iliana Galvez
Yeah, because apparently she didn't like that her kids were brown and they were like, No, those kids are ugly. Like, they'll go like so. And my great great grandma was stuck on the side of the mountain, but she knows her skin color had to do with why she was standing. And to my great grandma, who was lighter, had hazel eyes like mine because I'm like a size.
00;51;15;09 - 00;51;40;00
Iliana Galvez
And she thought people are nice in her and she's like, Oh, okay, you're lighter. That equals a better life for you. At that time, they obviously the forest like on the side of the mountain and their home was made of earth type. You know, that's when they were very remote. And so she instilled in my great grandmother that people with lighter skin get a better life, and that's what you should strive for.
00;51;40;10 - 00;52;02;01
Iliana Galvez
And then enter my grandma, who was just a beautiful brown baby girl, and they were like, That's unacceptable. At the time that my grandma was growing up, my great grandma. So there was this thing called my Grandma Banzai, where they were killing off a lot of like the indigenous people. They said it was important, but they were killing off a lot of people like the whole country.
00;52;02;01 - 00;52;25;12
Iliana Galvez
So like that. Like people. And so that is in my great grandmother's line when she has a baby that is considered to brown, you know. So my great great grandma had the idea, where are you going to put her in a hole and feed her through the air and just let her out so people won't know our shame or whatever, which is like such a wonderful way to like, rear children.
00;52;27;03 - 00;52;46;20
Iliana Galvez
So my grandmother did not learn how to walk or talk because she was like seven. She only knew the inside of that house. And my great grandma would like, feed her little. You need to get rid of that baby. That thing is ugly that somebody would talk about. And my grandma is beautiful. Not because I have a lot of her facial features, but she's beautiful.
00;52;47;21 - 00;53;12;24
Fabiola Lara
I mean, no one. And yeah. Just know, like, I am sure she's beautiful and it's just so it's so messed up how this color is. I'm just is like people like you're saying like it's in your ancestry deep, you know, for that. So it's and it's in to this day very much in the Latin American culture still exists.
00;53;12;24 - 00;53;15;29
Fabiola Lara
I don't want anyone to think I'm saying we're passing.
00;53;16;05 - 00;53;34;02
Iliana Galvez
Like it's not something we're past, but I'm able to know why. In my family it plays a big part okay. So my great grandma was like, I'm not getting rid of this child, this is my baby. And she would be beaten for it to. But you can do whatever you want to me, but you're not touching my child.
00;53;34;11 - 00;53;58;17
Iliana Galvez
Her head was busted open. They had broken her arm and she was just like, okay, you're going to do whatever you want me like, my child doesn't. And my grandma grew up seeing that like, oh, you know, it's my fault because I'm ugly and I'm brown and this is just what I get. I feel so good that, you know, my grandmother had those beliefs in her that brown is ugly.
00;53;58;25 - 00;54;31;06
Iliana Galvez
You need light skinned kids or, you know, and other kids came out brown and just, you know, nothing wrong until so my mother is a baby. I don't know how to explain it. So when my grandmother had her final son, he passed away at six months old and her husband was very abusive, beat her for type thing and so she know home she had a little affair with her boss because of her work in the field.
00;54;31;06 - 00;54;52;26
Iliana Galvez
She was also a maid for this guy who was like reaching deal with like sugar and stuff and he was lighter. And then came my mom and my mom was very white. So they called a black dog because, you know, because rabbit. Right. And so at first the man did not acknowledge my mother as his own. It wasn't till she was like about two.
00;54;53;12 - 00;55;15;02
Iliana Galvez
I guess maybe he felt guilty was like, oh, let me go see what she's you know, what this is all about. And my mother was like playing around naked with trash, living her best baby life. And he was just like, where are the clothes for this? What's going on? And I'm great. My grandmother was like, there is no we have nothing like.
00;55;16;00 - 00;55;19;06
Fabiola Lara
Okay, you know what? Bring the money.
00;55;19;06 - 00;55;42;13
Iliana Galvez
And so he was like, Oh, I feel sorry. I'm gonna give you a little bit of money, not a lot of money, but a little bit of money. And so my grandmother said, okay, you know, I struggled with all these other children, but I had this one white child and she's getting a good treatment, you know. And so this is obviously reaffirms what my mother said, that later children get better lives.
00;55;43;27 - 00;56;02;27
Iliana Galvez
And then, you know, they came to America during the Civil War type thing. I think they got like a refugee bypass. So they were able to come and that was just something that was just like instilled into my family. Me growing up, they were like, Oh, so beautiful. She's light and she has hazel eyes. And then I started going to this.
00;56;02;27 - 00;56;15;20
Iliana Galvez
I'm like, all children do. And I started growing up and they were like, Oh, no, we're not doing that. She's staying inside, not going out, and she needs to start using these creams. I thought like again, they were like pimples because it says skin brightening.
00;56;16;17 - 00;56;42;28
Fabiola Lara
Right? They don't say like, yeah, wow. I mean, it just goes so deep and goes to show like, thank you so much for sharing that story because I think it goes to show how how it is ingrained, right? Because we all know that Colourism exists. Like we all you can see it happening, but you don't know exactly how it's been affecting your life so intimately until you hear a story like that.
00;56;42;28 - 00;57;00;14
Fabiola Lara
And I'm just I think it goes wow. It just goes to show. I'm just so I'm just so thankful that you shared that story because it goes to show exactly how it affects generations. Like that's that's what I'm getting at. Like, you're still working against that today.
00;57;01;05 - 00;57;23;18
Iliana Galvez
Yes. And so like, obviously, I didn't realize what colorism was growing up. I knew that my family was like, you better not get it with no super brown person and have like brown babies. Like, you know, you you have good skin. Make sure that it stays light. And and to me, that sounded like, okay, like, I'm not sure what that means.
00;57;23;18 - 00;57;43;07
Iliana Galvez
Okay, whatever I will do. And then it wasn't till I had my son, my baby sister before and they were making those comments. She has a lot of hair. And, you know, brown should keep her. And I was just like, cool. That's what they used to said. But for some reason, seeing it, they said to my sister, like, that hurts.
00;57;43;07 - 00;57;56;27
Iliana Galvez
Like that's like that's not good. I don't think that's going to help her in the long run. And so that is kind of like I learned how to address it for me. Like I was able to give it a name at that point.
00;57;57;20 - 00;58;15;05
Fabiola Lara
Right? Like just seeing it play out for somebody else that you care for, right? And you're old enough to understand like a little bit more because that's the thing. Like when you grow up in it and you're a kid the whole time, you just accept it as like normal. You're like, Oh, this is just like how it is.
00;58;15;11 - 00;58;40;28
Fabiola Lara
And then you start growing up and you're like, Wait a minute, this is it doesn't why are we doing this? Like, why are we choosing to do this? So I'm so glad that you kind of started poking holes at that and asking yourself like, why? And I know, like I know that you really like affirmations from your different I've seen from your Twitter also from your work and that your favorite affirmation is you are worthy.
00;58;41;10 - 00;58;49;22
Fabiola Lara
So you know, do you think that this story that you just shared plays into that affirmation?
00;58;50;05 - 00;59;11;16
Iliana Galvez
It does, especially, like I said here, my childhood wasn't always very kind, so I was always told, you're trash, you're always going to be trash. You're not worth anything. And I regret that you are here. That is what I grew up with. And so when I saw things like, you know, to me, when you're growing up with those things, you don't really know how damaging they are.
00;59;11;17 - 00;59;34;16
Iliana Galvez
You just know that, okay, maybe that they're right. And so that's why I felt like, you know, I didn't have the the voice that I wanted to have growing up and stuff and it wasn't till I saw it being done to someone else that I was like, this is bullshit. Like, people are wrong, you know, they all have their opinions about you and people grown ups can be dead ass wrong.
00;59;35;21 - 00;59;40;16
Fabiola Lara
Yes. And it takes a long time to realize that, especially when it's your own family.
00;59;40;22 - 01;00;18;03
Iliana Galvez
Yeah. And my family has since grown and they like I guess I gotten caught up with the times they understand what they were doing was wrong now. And that's very great. I'm very happy for that. But I also needed that when I was little and I didn't get that. So I have to do like a bunch of work to just unlearn all of that and the affirmations and something that I'm not only tell to my baby sister, but adds stuff that I would like to hear for myself, not just for me right now, but little me growing up, you know, I would have loved hearing somebody say, Your love, you're worthy like you should get
01;00;18;03 - 01;00;42;26
Iliana Galvez
good things in life. Like, it's not like a, you know, how do I put it? Especially like in a religious household, like the shame and everything. And you are inherently bad. Everything you do is just bad, sinful. It is what it is kind of type. And it is a lot of like I'm learning with that and my art and affirmations and help me and I'm glad that it helps other people.
01;00;43;29 - 01;00;44;29
Iliana Galvez
Wow.
01;00;45;04 - 01;01;10;13
Fabiola Lara
Yes, I you are so right. And I am just so amazed that you've been able to work through that, through your art, because that does also take a lot of courage to make art that feels like you're pushing it right, that you're pushing your own beliefs essentially right. And kind of learning as you go that's so vulnerable to share.
01;01;10;13 - 01;01;26;26
Fabiola Lara
How did you get started? Like finding your voice in your art? Because I know. Because that is part of your voice in your art. Now. But how did you get there? I know when we were talking earlier, you were saying it was really hard to find that voice because you didn't feel like you had it as a child.
01;01;26;26 - 01;01;29;18
Fabiola Lara
So how did you get to that point?
01;01;29;18 - 01;01;56;25
Iliana Galvez
Okay. So like with my art and stuff, at that point, I'm very insecure. I've always been a big a bigger person since I was little and stuff. And I've never seen that in art represented especially like, you know, people like they are not white. I just wouldn't see that. And then when I thought about like, oh, what about, you know, artist and art from, you know, there are, you know, little notes or anything.
01;01;57;12 - 01;01;59;24
Iliana Galvez
I'm really I'm Frida Kahlo and she's pretty pale.
01;02;00;23 - 01;02;01;08
Fabiola Lara
I know.
01;02;02;09 - 01;02;18;06
Iliana Galvez
So it just there wasn't what what I was looking for and I was like, okay, well, I'm just going to make it. And it may not be great, but I'm going to make it. I'm going to put it out there and I see it.
01;02;18;06 - 01;02;47;11
Fabiola Lara
I love that. I feel like you really are kind of doing the service for your inner child and also for current kids who really need that. And not even kids, because I don't want to say that your art is only like for kids. That's not what it is at all. For people who just didn't see themselves. And I think that's like a huge continuous problem is just like representation and acceptance is so hard.
01;02;47;11 - 01;03;09;05
Fabiola Lara
One last thing I wanted to ask you, Iliana, was do you have a regular creative routine or sketchbook practice? It's fine if you don't. A lot of people don't. But I ask because I know you have kids and you're working with an agency, so you have clients and you have an online shop. I'm just curious what your creative routine looks like.
01;03;09;19 - 01;03;32;24
Iliana Galvez
So routines are really big for me. I don't know if it's like part of life. I know that if I don't have one, I crumble like it will just be me in stillness for days, weeks, if I'm not following some kind of like routine for myself what I like to do is I notice that I'm more creative in the morning and then really late at night.
01;03;33;10 - 01;03;52;21
Iliana Galvez
So after, you know, I do my rounds, I take my kid to school, I get home, I settle, I make sure my pads are okay. Then I'm like, I know that I'm creative right now. And instead of getting distracted because I will, I would be like, Oh, these dishes needs to be done, and I'm here anyway. So I'm like, Well, I have to work for myself.
01;03;52;21 - 01;04;17;12
Iliana Galvez
Like, be like now. Like I put a little timer for an hour and a half to 2 hours and early in the morning. That's kind of just me. If I'm not making art for myself, I find it very hard to make my art for clients. So I'll just open my sketchbook. And I've always wished I have like those beautiful, created, like curated type sketchbooks for my muse.
01;04;17;22 - 01;04;20;16
Iliana Galvez
She can scratch mostly and then like some beautiful pieces.
01;04;20;16 - 01;04;28;17
Fabiola Lara
And then that's I think, I think that's good. That's healthy. That sounds right to me versus like when it's too perfect.
01;04;28;24 - 01;04;58;12
Iliana Galvez
Yeah. So I take that moment for myself to just put it out there, see what I made. Not everything would look good and some things will be like, Oh, this, I have something here that's let me take the step further later and then I'll have that. So that is like my main routine. I get myself settled, I start, I know when I'm most creative, so I do that for myself and then I go about do the rest of my chores that I need to get done before my son gets out of school.
01;04;58;12 - 01;05;16;13
Iliana Galvez
And I have to do all that other stuff I know that I really like. I get creative in the evening, so that's the time that I do for client work. And it took me a little while to get that kind of schedule going because I kind of treated it like, Oh, you have to do a 9 to 5.
01;05;16;13 - 01;05;25;17
Iliana Galvez
So 9 to 5. I am just doing all my work, getting all my emails out of the way and it just didn't work for me. I find myself super down, out. I can't do anything the next day.
01;05;25;28 - 01;05;42;19
Fabiola Lara
You're so right to like work with your own creative flow. I am similar to you in that I feel really creative at night, but in the day I don't feel that creative. So this is like really helpful for me to just accept that sometimes I feel like I'm fighting against it for I don't know why, like, why am I trying to fight this right now?
01;05;43;13 - 01;06;13;04
Iliana Galvez
And, you know, the work that I make when I am pushing my and like now you have to sit and you have to do you have to make at least two different drawings is not really that great compared to where I'm like knowing that and you do great in short bursts. So just do what you can now and then go do what you need to do I find that if I don't have time to like go outside and just be in nature for a few minutes to kind of center myself, then I won't be able to come back and be like, okay, I'm ready.
01;06;13;04 - 01;06;31;29
Iliana Galvez
Like, I know that there's a lot of steps that I need to take to make sure that I'm like, Okay, I was at first when I was like, in my career I felt like you had to like wait for inspiration. If I wasn't inspired, I wasn't going to draw that day. And then a week would go by and was like, I should start drawing like, I'm an artist.
01;06;31;29 - 01;06;32;25
Iliana Galvez
I should do this.
01;06;33;24 - 01;07;04;13
Fabiola Lara
It's true. But now you don't even wait for that inspiration. You're just always kind of like taking short, kind of like short sessions, but consistent. I think that's really smart because sometimes I even feel like if I can't finish this painting, I may as well not even start. But that's dumb because if I just work a little bit on the painting 25 minute increments throughout the week, that's so much time that I spent creating versus, you know, saying no because I could have find three straight hours or whatever.
01;07;04;29 - 01;07;11;11
Fabiola Lara
Iliana, where can people go right now to support your work and support your your illustration career on Instagram?
01;07;12;14 - 01;07;26;09
Iliana Galvez
And mostly there I do have a website, so I'm a Patreon that’s Patreon.com slash Gro Mija, but I'm mostly on Instagram and like feel free to do me. I love talking to people.
01;07;26;10 - 01;07;43;26
Fabiola Lara
Well, Iliana, I just want to thank you again for being so open and honest with me, sharing so many amazing stories of your family and what inspires you to create your work. I really appreciate it and I think listeners are really going to connect with it. So thank you so much for for your time and energy.
01;07;44;19 - 01;07;45;17
Iliana Galvez
Thank you for having me.
01;07;46;08 - 01;08;11;28
Fabiola Lara
Okay. So that's our show for today. I hope you enjoyed my conversation with Salvadorian and Mexican-American illustrator Iliana Galvez. Please check out her Instagram at Grow Mija to keep up with all their work and patron. Now before you go, I just want to remind you to subscribe to the show. If you like this episode subscribing is free and it really helps out the show.
01;08;12;05 - 01;08;31;08
Fabiola Lara
a you want to connect with other Latinx artists in our [Draws in Spanish] community, head over to the Patreon so you can join our Discord Channel and access a ton of other perks. Just go to Patreon.com/DrawsInSpanish and if you just want to make my day show this episode with a friend shared an Instagram stories tag me.
01;08;31;14 - 01;08;50;19
Fabiola Lara
It really really does make my day to hear from you. And that's all I have for you. Hasta Proxima Amigos. Nos vemos el proximo Martes. See you next Tuesday with another amazing episode. I hope you enjoyed this conversation. I know I had a really good time chatting with Iliana so that's all. Have an amazing rest of your week.
01;08;50;24 - 01;08;54;04
Fabiola Lara
Bye. See you next time.