Today we’d like to introduce you to Nathania Guerra.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’m a graphic designer and lettering artist currently living in sunny Orlando. I was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador (a small country in South America between Colombia and Peru that tends to get bypassed very often). It’s tiny in size, but very very rich in culture, food and beautiful landscapes. After getting my major in graphic design, just like the majority of recent graduates in a third-world country, the struggles were real! My first job in the real world was in aviation because I needed money to pay for my tuition. After that, I was able to find a job as a designer for a company called “Watch World” who sold well-known brand watches such as Guess, Bulova, Casio, Citizen, etc., it wasn’t the best, but at least I had the opportunity to work with different brands. It wasn’t long until I figured it was time to take risks and make a big change in my life (like being in your twenties isn’t stressful enough already?) — that’s when I flew to the U.S. and after having ups and downs for a year, I was able to land my first big corporate job.
I worked for Marriott Vacations Worldwide for four years and recently just accepted an offer to work for a local branding agency in a more creative environment that I feel is more aligned with my skillset and my lettering work. Besides working my 9-to-5, I had my passion projects on a side, and my passion for type is what got me into lettering, which led to me drawing and practicing letterforms mostly everyday, just for fun! It’s not only on paper, I love to experiment with different objects like baseball bats, rocks, mats, globes, you name it! It challenges me and it keeps me going. I ended up adding it to my portfolio because I’ve heard it a million times, “you gotta do the work you wanna be hired for” and voila! That’s what happened 🙂 so we’ll see where this journey takes me.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. Primarily having to start from scratch in a foreign country where you know absolutely no one in your field – it’s already a big challenge. “How do I network? Where do I meet like-minded people? Did I make a mistake by coming here?” All these thoughts come to your mind, and it’s not easy.
A few other challenges for me have been a) battling with impostor syndrome: in a world where everyone shares absolutely everything on social media, and artists use these platforms to showcase their work, “how am I going to stand out? Why do I even bother if there are a million people out there who do the same and better?”; b) time: I have a job that pays the bills, and I need to find time to work on my personal stuff that will eventually get me where I want to be. It’s exhausting, it’s time-consuming, but you need to get it done and try not burn yourself out along the way; and c) finding my style: which is something I still struggle with until this day. I don’t quite believe I have found my voice or a specific letter style, and maybe it’s because I don’t want to? Part of me does, but part of me also believes I like doing different types of letter styles, using rich bold color palettes, play with sizes and materials, and adding or not illustrations/details to my letters. Why do I have to marry a style when there’s a world of options? I’m still in the process of self-discovery so nothing really is set on stone.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a graphic designer and work for a local agency called Bigeye. My main interests are branding, editorial and layout, packaging and lettering, which I think you could say I specialize in as well. If you love what you do, I think the end product will reflect the same!
During the 6+ years, I’ve been a designer, I think I’m mostly proud of overcoming the cultural barrier and cultural shock of leaving my country and building myself from the ground up. It is extra hard for me since I’m a nervous/anxious person, but I still push myself to get out of my comfort zone and take risks.
I know people usually relate success with materialistic/expensive things, but I’m the opposite. I think success varies within the ideals of each person, the fact that you can live your life doing what makes you happy and wake up everyday sharing that passion with others, that is success for me. Not everyone has the privilege of doing that, circumstances in life often take people on different paths, and I’m very grateful and humbled I can be here doing something that puts a smile on my face every day.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
My number one supporter, partner in crime, husband and life companion, Chris. He has been my rock through everything. We met in college and he’s been cheering me on ever since. I don’t think I would be here without him, I know it sounds cliché, but it’s the truth. Every time there’s a market I’m part of, he makes sure my stand is spotless, he talks to customers and would put on a show if I’d ask him. He’s also a designer, so he’s my biggest critic and I can always rely on him for an honest opinion.
I can probably name a few artists whose backgrounds and stories have really inspired me, not to say they always share tips and advice on how they’ve built their career, which I’ve found very helpful and motivating. But really seeing other fellow artists on markets who probably share your same struggles and victories is what keeps the motor going for me.
Contact Info:
- Email: guerranathania@gmail.com
- Website: www.natguerra.com
- Instagram: @letter.play
