Andrés Palacios Constanza
B.F.A., Illustration: Savannah College of Art and Design
Area(s) of Interest: Visual Arts, Entrepreneurship, PR/Marketing
What are 1-2 of your most significant academic/extracurricular/work experiences? One of the most significant work experiences I’ve had is to work for Filgua, which is the annual national book fair in Guatemala. Working with them reinforced my love for literature and visual arts, by allowing me to get closer to my culture and its artists/authors. It was also a welcomed challenge, as the illustrations I was asked to create were in big format, something that was new to me!
What is your ideal job/role in about 10 years? When I think of my ideal job I see two different paths. One path leads me to be an art direction at an editorial publication and the other path leads me to an entrepreneurial venture, which is creating my own illustration agency in Guatemala. Both sound very exciting to me.
What led you to enroll in the MSLCE program at Northwestern? After doing my undergrad in Illustration I decided to try doing freelancing, which has proven to be both rewarding and challenging. I realized that I lacked specific knowledge on business, marketing, and finances. That’s when doing my research, I found the MSLCE program and I thought it was a great fit for me. Its approach is unique and it encourages students to follow different paths within the creative field, which I really like.
What aspect of the MSLCE program are you most excited to experience? (i.e. specific class, site visit, IDEA fund, internship, etc.) I’m looking forward to The Power of Strategic Storytelling course! I love storytelling and I’m eager to know more about how to efficiently communicate through stories.
Favorite piece of media? One of my favorite podcasts is Andy J. Pizza’s “Creative Pep Talk”. Andy is filled with so much charisma, energy, and kindness. His podcast gets my brain going with ideas and creativity, a must listen for creatives!
Where are you from? Guatemala