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

Hi Shirley, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I pursued an artistic career because it’s always felt like the only path that made sense for me. I’ve been drawing since I was about five or six, always enrolled in art or music classes, and constantly creating-whether it was designing costumes for school plays, customizing my own prom dress, or drawing just to process what I was feeling. Art has always been my way of expressing myself, especially when I couldn’t find the words to talk about things from my past. It was therapeutic, healing and empowering. Honestly, I never imagined doing anything else- I always knew I’d be creating in one form or another. Now, as a stay-at-home mom, I focus on digital art.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’ve always been influenced and inspired by Tim Burton. I feel that if you see any of my art that I’ve ever made that would be apparent. My style has changed as I’ve grown up for sure. What I describe my art now is a mix of vintage/retro comic book sprinkled with Tim Burton-esque aesthetics. That’s what it’s been for a while now. I’m always experimenting new techniques with it. One major turning point for me artistically was in summer of 2015. Me and a few college friends went for the first time to Comic Con in San Diego. Walking the floor I stumbled into a booth where vintage/retro comic books were being sold. Some as old as the 60’s! I was stuck looking at so many of them, admiring the art style. I ended up buying quite a few that day. I was so captivated by it that it changed my art style since that day. I’m also a huge Lana Del Rey fan, and her music in my head looked like pages of retro comic books ever since that day. I am proud of many things throughout my life, but I think my biggest accomplishment is graduating from college. I showed myself that if I dedicate myself to do something I could do it. No matter how long it takes. Today, my life is much different from back then. I’m a stay at home mom for now and have been dedicating whatever free time I can muster up to my art. I mainly create pieces on my Instagram paying tribute to some of my favorite artists/singers. Sometimes I get acknowledgement from those individuals which is always so cool to see. My proudest moment was when actor Jennifer Tilly reposted one of my drawings of her. As a long time fan, I was ecstatic. It’s not always easy with a 7 year old stuck at my hip but I make do with what I can. One of the major lessons I’ve learned is to always trust your gut. People will always have a input in everything you do. If there was something I could tell to my younger self is to not let people’s opinions change my true self.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If I had to make an itinerary for a friend…I would really recommend Disneyland. Food is superb, rides are nostalgic, and you can also find alcohol if you want to have some adult fun. Apart from that, taking nice hike to the Culver City stairs for a nice workout. The view at the top of the stairs on a sunset is so majestic. You get a view of our beautiful city of LA. A spot I really recommend for the sushi and ramen lovers is a small place in the heart of La Verne called Kaiba Japanese Ramen, Sushi & Grill. 10/10!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to shoutout my beautiful daughter because she gives me the strength and confidence to trust my gut. Everything I do is to make her proud one day when she’s older. I’d also like to give a huge shoutout to my best friend Jesse Becerra. I have always been able to go to him for advice and help in art related issues, not to mention anything else I need help. He’s always given me support when I would doubt myself in anything.

Website: https://shirleyalvarezdesigns.weebly.com

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

Other: https://www.redbubble.com/people/shirleydesigns/shop

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