Curator of The Week: Nancy Huitzil

In this week's feature, we have Nancy Huitzil, Artist/Graphic Designer.

1. How did you get started in graphic design? What's been your career road map?
As a Studio Art undergrad student at Cal State Dominguez Hills in 2014, I began my graphic design journey by signing up for a few design classes. I regularly sketch, paint, and design for my art projects, so I was interested in learning to digitalize my drawings. My design classes taught me the basics of Illustrator, Photoshop, and After Effects. I had my first design opportunity at my very first job as a student worker for the Outreach and School Relations department at CSUDH. I think I was one of two student workers at the time who were art majors while most of my peers were majoring in communications, child development, business, liberal studies, etc. I mentioned this because I think this benefited me in the work environment as I was reasonably asked to reformat flyers since I had the most art background among my coworkers at the time.

I was asked to spice up some name badges for the department’s student workers. My boss loved my take on how I redesigned name tags, which then led me to work on several designs around the office. I was later asked to design for university events like the New Student Orientation. This was my first extensive graphic design experience ever, and I felt proud that I was able to help new incoming students become familiar with the CSUDH campus while also using my creative skills for school events. Since my first job as a student worker, I have worked in different types of universities (private, community, and public colleges). Some roles I worked in were Residential Assistant, front office secretary, teacher assistant, art teacher for a nonprofit, and even a part-time chapter coordinator. My work history can seem to be all over the place, but I would argue that my personality allows take on different scopes of work as I have an open mind of an artist.

I recently opened an Etsy account where I sell desktop wallpaper organizers for computers. I not only love to be organized, but I also like to decorate my workspace with monthly themes. I plan to have more products outside of digital downloads, but for now, my current schedule only allows me to put out digital downloads. Not only am I learning to navigate an online business, but I am currently being trained as a Behavior Interventionist for kids with autism. I love art; although I did not initially picture starting an online business or working with children, I think my creative mind always brings a fun perspective to any team.

2. What has been an important, perhaps the most important, lesson you’ve learned in your career so far?
The most crucial career lesson I have learned thus far is not to be afraid to seek employment opportunities outside of one’s field of expertise. For example, as a previous art student, I could have taken an internship at an art museum because it logically makes sense to get art-related work experience significantly if I invested in a whole Arts degree. However, at the time, I decided to apply for a student worker job position as an orientation leader on campus. At first, glance, having an art background with no office experience is not an initial consideration as a job opportunity for an art major. I could have talked myself from applying if I had considered myself not competitive enough for the position as I lacked work-related experience. I would have then missed my first design opportunity, as mentioned earlier.

Now I know what I am saying could sound easier said than done. Still, I can attest that I have constantly followed this mindset of exploring employment opportunities that don’t initially sound related to my college major. I have found that I have stood out positively in my previous employments for various reasons. Learning to talk about one’s strengths during interviews and work events is critical. As an Artist, one key strength I always address is my creativity because it’s a problem-solving skill. Many organizations, non-profits, small businesses, corporations, etc., need creative ways to market themselves or have exhausted themselves on particular tasks. Other times the organization may have burnt themselves out on a monthly or yearly event and in search form a different perspective who can see it from a different angle.

I am confident in my work skills because I bring a lot to the table to organizations, employers, and colleagues. I support my claims with my commitment and strive to nurture my creative skills since childhood. I have invested in a whole art degree to prove it. This creative skill must be advocated by all types of artists like graphic design, studio, animation, etc.

3. What inspires your creativity? What is your creative process like?
My artwork and designs are inspired by my Mexican Indigenous heritage and conversation. I refer to my heritage because I am proud to be a Xicana and love my culture. We are a strong community that can be celebrated across industries. My designs for partnerships and collaborations with organizations will be inspired by the company’s ne
I typically start my creative process by narrowing it down to a topic and the overall goal of any project I start. This helps me stay on track throughout the project. After all, as a creative, I can easily find re-starting a project several times because I did not cement my ideas at the beginning. I next researched photo references, read articles related to the topic, and asked questions. The general question for most projects I have can include “What has been done or seen before?”, “What does the budget look like for this project?”, “What is the overall message we are trying to get across?”, “Do the visuals reflect the project’s goals?”, “Is it easy for anyone to get the message across without knowing much about the project goals?”

4.  Out of all the projects you have worked on, which one has been your favorite? And why?
My favorite project I have worked on has been my family mural. I wanted to paint my family’s garage wall during the pandemic. I thought that if I was to paint anything on the wall, it should be images that all my family members would like since the garage is a multipurpose space for the family. I started brainstorming multiple topics and likings of all my immediate family members. I felt I was going in circles about what could be an exciting topic for my family. I landed on the idea to paint my family’s last name, Huitzil. I felt confident that all my family members would like the picture, so I started to sketch.

To further expand on this project, I felt I needed to explore different ideas and sketches to fully land on images that can resent my last name respectfully and honorably since this project is so intimate to my family. I referred to my own experiences and stories I learned from my mother’s childhood. She has always talked so highly of our ancestors and how unique our family’s last name is. However, I knew my last name was not your typical Spanish previous name, making me feel insecure that I couldn’t blend in with my peers. Coming from an immigrant family, there was a sense of blending in and not attracting much attention, especially from authoritative figures.

I often teach and correct people on how to pronounce Huitzil (Weet-See-L). I typically must inform people that the H is pronounced “Wii” like the French word; Yes. My last name is indigenous, so Spanish pronunciations don’t apply. I almost have to give a mini history lesson that Aztecs, Mayans, Incas, Mexicas, and Toltecs are all indigenous and had their developed language before the Spanish conquered. I almost got kicked out of a class because, according to my teacher, I was in the wrong classroom because on her roster, she had a “Nancy Hút-zil” and “Nancy Weet-See-L” was someone else. She quickly apologized for angrily kicking me out on the first day of class.

I am currently still working on this mural since I started. A personal project, in my experience, can take longer than projects commissioned as there are typically no hard timelines. Overall, this mural is a personal project for my family and me. For this project, the audience I want to honor and celebrate is my family members, and I say it’s been a very healing experience. I think the best compliment and emotional healing moment in my artistic career occurred after I added some paint to the portraits of my grandparents. My mom joyfully cried seeing her parents in the family’s garage mural. She said that for the first time in her time in the US, she felt closer to my grandparents. She said she felt like she finally had her parents near her since she immigrated to the US 30 years ago.

5. If you could go back in time, what would you have told your younger self?
I would tell my younger self, “I love that you’re an honest person with a big heart.” I would also add that even though others will be bold enough to tell you that being sensitive is a weakness, it is not. Your heart is strong to be able to empathize with others. Many people must remember that we are all human and have feelings. I would also warn her not to overdo it. Be reasonable in whom you give your attention. Lastly, I would reinforce to younger Nancy that she has to believe and give herself more credit. Sometimes you are too hard on yourself and ask yourself always to keep going when you need a 15 min break. Remember, no one else could do it like you even if they tried because we all have personal touches that can never be replicated by someone else. So, you do have time to give yourself those breaks as needed.

6. What’s the most interesting thing you’ve read or seen this week?
I am currently reading Kal Penn’s book; You Can’t Be Serious on audible for fun. It’s a comical, inspiring, and a closer look into his acting journey in Hollywood’s early 2000s. Pen describes his Indian culture, the immigrant journey of his parents, and the road to his acting career. I love how he can talk about deep topics and make you laugh through how he mentally processed his personal experiences. I have related to many of Pen’s experiences, like never seeing a key chain with my last name in a gift shop. I recommend this book to others interested in acting, creative fields, and with a sense of humor.

7. Any closing thoughts you want to share with the ThinkLA Members?
I want to thank ThinkLA for sharing my story on their platform. I love that I was asked to share my thoughts for Hispanic Heritage month. I appreciate this opportunity and look forward to reading other stories published on this platform.

Want to know where you can follow Nancy on social media?

Instagram: @nancyhuitzilstudios
Etsy: Nancy Huitzil Studios
TicTiok: @nancyhuitzilstudios
Pinterest: https://pin.it/6eEYIxZ
Youtube: Nancy Huitzil Studio