Meet Celeste Pascual | Visual Storyteller & Artist | Worldbuilding | Generative AI & Design

We had the good fortune of connecting with Celeste Pascual and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Celeste, what inspires you?
I’m inspired by wonder, mystery, and the contrast of light and dark. My art explores the line between the beautiful and the eerie, the familiar and the unknown—gentle giants in strange landscapes, quiet moments of magic, and stories that feel like half-remembered dreams. Music is also a huge inspiration for me; sometimes a single song can spark an entire visual world.

At the heart of it all, I believe in a world where vastly different beings can coexist—not always in harmony, but in acceptance. They may not understand one another, and they may not always get along, but they are still part of the same journey.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

Storytelling has always been at the core of my work. I aim to create images and build atmospheres, worlds, and stories that feel alive. My art lives in the space between the beautiful and the eerie, the strange and the familiar—where vastly different beings coexist in the same world. To do this, I blend generative AI, particularly Midjourney with my background in graphic design and photography to create imagery that once existed only in my imagination.

Professionally, I work as an art director and designer, but photography has been a lifelong passion. Years ago, while working at the NFL, I found myself on the field shooting Super Bowl XLVII—a surreal, once-in-a-lifetime moment. Despite having a fun and stable career, I felt the pull to step away from stability and see the world. I traveled and freelanced for nearly three years, a journey that reshaped not just my perspective, but my creative path.

As a working creative, I understand that we are often designing something to sell. Somewhere along the way, I realized I wanted to carve out time to create for the sake of art itself. I wanted to make sure I also prioritized time to explore, to experiment, and to build worlds that felt true to me.

One of the biggest challenges has been trusting myself—allowing space for experimentation without overthinking how my work will be perceived. But I’ve learned that my best work happens when I stay curious, playful, and unafraid to take creative risks. I am constantly evolving, always looking for new tools, new stories, and new ways to bring imagination to life. Having fun, staying innovative and having full command of my craft is important to me.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Coming from LAX in the west side—Venice Beach, where I lived for three years and still hold some of my best memories. I’d take them to the pier at sunrise and a bikeride along Ffiji Way /Bollona Creek. From there we’d explore other pockets of LA that feel like a world of their own. Lunch at the Original El Cholo Restauarant where I worked as a waitress while in school, and while we’re in the area, seek out some Korean-style shaved ice in K-town. Nights that we don’t stay in catching up, we’ll be calling my my dj friend in highland park, she’s a force of nature and dancing will be definitely be on the agenda.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’m incredibly grateful for my family and closest friends. I have a very small group of friends and mentors—I can count them on my fingers—but their impact on me is immeasurable. Each of them is a rockstar and insanely talented in their own world, and they’ve influenced and supported me in ways both big and small, inspiring me to keep creating and pushing boundaries. I am always so grateful for this.

Special shoutout to Tom Robbins, who passed away this year. His writing shaped how I see the world in a lot of ways, —not just creatively, but in life itself. And to the people I met during my travels—strangers in the farthest, oddest places who shared a smile and sometimes food with me despite our differences. Those small moments of kindness, those silent recognitions of humanity, stay with me always.

Website: https://celestepascual.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/celestoid.aiaio

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/celestepascual/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@celestoid

Image Credits
By Celeste Pascual / Midjourney