Meet Selena Alvarado | Illustrator

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

Hi Selena, how do you think about risk?
In general, I think taking risks are necessary. Especially when it involves something you care about. However, I’ll be one of the first to admit that taking that first step is a daunting task in itself. Whether it’s building new relationships or creative pursuits, not knowing what will happen next is scary. There have been numerous times in my life where I let opportunities slide by because of what I feared would or wouldn’t happen.

I’m a firm believer in the idea that these things take time, and I would say the same goes for learning how to take risks. It takes courage to be able to face down a challenge and even more so to overcome them.

For myself, learning how to start taking risks has been a valuable lesson in life that I’m still learning to do. I’ve almost always played it safe in regards to creating art and perusing my career, so when new opportunities arose that were outside of my comfort zone, I turned them away. I was nervous, and I often worried that I wouldn’t be able to handle the new challenges that arose. I feared that I would make something that wasn’t what a client wanted or that I wouldn’t be able capture the vision that they were looking for perfectly. Somehow, this fear had even bled into the process of creating artwork itself, and I started fearing even trying new ideas entirely.

It took time and a lot of self reflection, but I was eventually able to dig myself out of the cycle I had found myself in. Surrounding myself with people that were kind, supportive and encouraging did wonders for my confidence, so I would highly recommend finding a close knit circle of people that you can talk with about your work, career or life in general that you feel you can be open with.

I would also say that coming to terms with the idea that not everything will work out and that it’ll be okay was a big one for me. I came to the realization that the fear of failure was preventing me from taking those necessary risks and inevitably blocking new opportunities from coming my way. So, to help overcome this fear. I tried being kinder to myself and rationalize that I’m only human, and I will make mistakes sometimes. In the end, I can only do my best, and it’s okay if things don’t turn out because I’m still learning as both a person and an artist.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
To those who know me it will come as no surprise, but I adore the fantasy genre. I was raised with the classic LOTR films and the whimsy from The Dark Crystal, so from then on I was drawn to anything medieval and magical. It’s bled into my everyday life and even more so into the work I create.

I think what I enjoy the most however is creating characters with their own unique stories attached to them. I love painting fantastical scenes and placing the characters I create within them to help convey the stories I want to share. It’s what I’m the most passionate about, and it’s often the driving force behind my artwork.

As for how I got here creatively, it took a lot of time and practice improving my skills. I learned a lot from school of course, but I learned the most of what I know from private studying as well as trial and error. To keep myself motivated and fun when learning, I always try to pick studies or exercises that have interesting subject matter or color combinations/techniques that I haven’t explored as much.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
-Ella Sharp Park -Detroit Institute of Art
-Zou Zou’s Cafe
-Cascade Falls

(Mostly any lovely parks with long trails!)

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Oh goodness, there’s a whole handful of folks I would love to shoutout. My close friends in particular (you know who you are) have been beyond supportive and kind throughout my creative journey and my life. Without them, I doubt I would be as far as I am today in that aspect.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/selenaalva_illustration/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SelenaAlva_Art

Other: https://www.artstation.com/selenaalva_illustration