Meet Sofi Gutierrez | Digital Illustrator & Designer

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

Hi Sofi, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Well, I actually believe that my life has happened because I took a risk, haha. Because I never considered myself to be absolutely ready to do certain things, and bringing Made by Sofi to life was one of them. When I opened @madebysofi_ and started posting my illustrations I was not good at all… but I kept doing it and practicing. When I had the opportunity to make merchandise of my art, I didn’t think I was good enough to start selling it, but I took the risk and here we are. So, I strongly believe that, even if it’s scary, we should be open to take risks that can result in growth and success, and if it doesn’t work, it will still give us knowledge and experience 🙂

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
Well, I’m not sure how to tell what my art looks like. I’ve always felt very inspired by Disney and Pixar, but I give my pieces a little more of myself, my own style, and I think that’s what identifies them. I think I’m most proud of how far I’ve come. For a long time I felt I wanted to do (draw) so many things, but I wasn’t comfortable with my skills, but a few months ago I realized that I’m actually really happy with how I’m illustrating lately. It is still not where I’d like to be, but I know I’m on the right path. And it hasn’t been that easy, there’s a lot of competition, social media hasn’t been the best for a long time now, people love to steal art and now AI art exists. It’s not easy at all. But the only thing we can do, is to keep making art, to keep practicing, to keep getting better and to keep being proud of our own progress.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well, if you’re a foreigner in Tijuana and wanna check out some very Mexican areas, I’d say the Mercado Hidalgo is a great place to start! You’ll find yourself surrounded by the most colorful piñatas, the diversity of Mexican sweets, the freshest (and most inexpensive) fruits and vegetables, and if you’re feeling it, you could even try the Antojitos offered at some of the little restaurants there or the birria! You can also check out the Revolución avenue, at Downtown, and try the craft beer at one of the many bars in there. If you’re feeling cultural, the Tijuana Cultural Center (CECUT) has museums, changing expositions, and different theatrical presentations going on. If you feel like shopping, we’ve many different shopping centers around. If you feel like chilling, you can check out the Playa’s Pier, see the wall that separates us from the U.S. and that goes all the way into the sea, sit at one the many coffee places and enjoy a beautiful sunset…. And I could keep going! So, I’ll leave it like this!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Yes! I’d love to shoutout Jessica Apolo aka Madam Pink (@madampink.art), who’s my art-event buddy and dear friend. She’s an all-around artist: a digital and traditional illustrator, she crafts acrylic jewelry, has published a couple of books! and has a lot of experience participating at big art events and I’ve learned so much from her. So, you guys should definitely check out her work!

Website: https://www.sofigutierrez.com

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sofia-gutierrez/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/madebysofi1

Other: https://beacons.ai/sofigutierrez