Leaving a stable desk job always feels risky, but this week’s artist — Jackie Rivera — took the leap and never looked back! She is a Seattle-based artist who creates colorful and very graphic pieces mixing illustration, animation, and lettering.Jackie knew it was time to leave her admin job when she received an inquiry for a freelance project with a budget in the 5-figures, and even though she didn’t land the gig, she saw it as a sign to believe in herself. Just six months later she’s already taking on freelance projects with dream clients and pursuing the creative career she’s always wanted.Beyond her career trajectory, we also get into the ins and outs of growing up Mexican in Northern California, cleaning your classmates’ homes with your mom, and dealing with the guilt that comes with being a first-gen college student.Be sure to tune in to this episode for a few words of encouragement for artists who find themselves between a soul-sucking admin job and their dream creative career.In this episode, we talk all about how Jackie found graphic design, how she gets inspired to create new work, and how she expanded her identity beyond her artistic output.Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, or on your favorite podcast platform.Topics Covered:Connecting with your culture through Mexican foodUnpacking Mexican MisconceptionsValidating your immigrant parents’ strugglesDrawing Spongebob, Bratz Dolls, My Scene Dolls, and ZentaggleBreaking the starving artist stereotypeCleaning houses for your rich classmatesDiscovering graphic design at a career fairBeing inspired by the Mexican designers before her such as Marisol OrtegaWorking at a soul-sucking job for a stable incomeStruggling with feeling like “an artist”Believing in your artistic valueAdvice for artists who feel like giving upCreating for Instagram in order to attract clientsWorking with Adobe on animated lettering postsGetting started with tactile letteringBeing comfortable with being bad at somethingGuest InfoCheck out Jackie Rivera’s Instagram and Portfolio.Special OfferListeners of the podcast can get a free, undated weekly and monthly planner inspired by the show from our website here.Follow Host Fabiola Lara between episodes:InstagramYoutubeTikTok