Meet Vanessa Marquez | Creative Director & Intuitive designer

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

Hi Vanessa, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Nothing makes you understand balance better than being knocked entirely off it. Sometimes life makes you find out the hard way, and my hard way was the ad agency life. No one really preps you for what work is actually like. When you get started in your career, you’re so excited that you just want to dive right in, so you say yes to everything. But by saying yes to everything that comes your way, you spread yourself thin, and that’s exactly what I was doing. Life became 16-hour work days in front of a computer, slowly burning myself creatively because all my focus and attention was solely on the job. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was missing out on so much going on around me because my work priorities were outweighing every other aspect of what having a life is like. Then before I realized it, not only my creativity but my physical and mental health were taking a hit.

There’s a grace I believe we have to give ourselves, a kindness and a patience we have to extend, that it’s ok to redirect. It’s ok to have your wants and dreams change, and it’s ok to end up somewhere you never thought before. It’s been 7 years since I quit my agency job, and not once have I ever regretted it. And just as quietly and seamlessly as how my creativity was burning out before, everything came back when I started prioritizing the things that made me feel full and satisfied. I’m fulfilled and energetically thriving when I make the time to cook myself a nice meal, when I go on walks, spend time with my family, and allow myself the space for projects without the impending agency deadline to make it fit a certain standard at a specific time.

Understanding what work-life balance truly looked like came when I understood my needs above what’s expected.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Design and intuition go hand in hand.

I’ve been a creative since I can remember and have gravitated toward several paths of crafts and creation. As a child of the 70s and the 80s, most of my childhood entertainment came from creating paper dolls, coloring, and self-taught origami. As a teenager, my personal style developed its foundations: dreamy, surreal, minimalist, vivid, bold, and a little introspective.

As a paper artist, creative director, and intuitive designer, my purpose is to create visuals that evoke emotion with deliberate intention. The committed bond to my Andean lineage as a seer offers different creative roads for me to present a holistic approach to design that brings a brand’s message and story to life in thought-provoking new ways.

Something I find incredibly thrilling and compelling is the process of creating bespoke, intuitive portraits. The latest of my offerings, artisan energy readings are one-of-a-kind digital portraits that reveal multiple aspects and dimensions of your character and energy through the lens of Andina spiritual and cultural significance.

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?
So I actually moved states pretty recently. For the past 10 years, I’ve been living in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

It’s been home for me and my daughter and a place where we’ve both done a lot of self-discovery and growth. By far, my favorite things to do were taking morning walks in McCarren Park with a nice cup of coffee, swinging by Smorgasburg on the weekends, and exploring the exhibits at The Met.

Since coming to Raleigh, I’ve gained such an appreciation for the close distances to the rivers and mountains. Raleigh truly has some gorgeous parks, Lake Johnson being one of my favorites so far and my official introduction to kayaking.

Quick shout-out to all my favorite Brooklyn eateries that stuck it out through and have closed since the pandemic. Screamer’s Pizza, Champs Diner, and Wild Ginger! Haab and Blue Collar have also always come in clutch on lazy days and have gotten so used to us I’m sure they could recite our orders by memory.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’m grateful to have strong family support, but I’d like to shoutout my daughter Sophia! She has been the reason and motivation to lead a more authentic life and to heal. She has been a supporter of my art, a believer in my dreams, and has stood by my side during the ups and downs of our life. Thanks to her encouragement, I was able to switch career paths and take risks. We are a great team, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for her.

Website: https://www.6deoro.com/

Instagram: @vanehaus

Image Credits
Tablescape photo: @jnns.co