First Coat
First Coat
Atentamente Una Fresa on Mural Development, Inspiration, and Creative Briefs
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Atentamente Una Fresa is an artist based in Mexico City. We discuss the new normal for mural installations, how she started doing public art, how music affects her work, the benefits of art in public space, the benefits of doing art with community, and how and why she makes creative briefs for clients.
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Welcome to First Coat. Where we explore public realm art, how it's made and why it matters. I'm your host, Stephanie Eche, an artist and entrepreneur based in Brooklyn, New York. I run Distill Creative, where I curate and produce site-specific art projects for real estate developers. I focus on creating more equitable and inclusive projects and I want to get more exposure for the artists and developers doing this work. This week on First Coat, we have Atentamente Una Fresa. Atentamente Una Fresa is an artist based in Mexico City. We discuss the new normal for mural installations, how she started doing public art, how music affects her work, the benefits of art in public space, the benefits of doing art with community, and how and why she makes creative briefs for clients. When we recorded this interview, Atentamente Una Fresa was actually on site working on a mural for a company in Mexico City. So check out the Distill Creative YouTube channel to get some behind the scenes look at her install. Here's our conversation. That's so awesome!
Atentamente Una Fresa:Yes, we just started on Monday.
Stephanie Eche:Oh my gosh.
Atentamente Una Fresa:Hopefully we finish it on Friday. So I was a little bit nervous if I should start now or should get the job. Because I was at my house all these months and I didn't know if to accept it. But well, I had decided to go for it with precaution. And I'm using like, all my protection stuff. So yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So let me go over there. We have here, other workers and they might get into our noise.
Stephanie Eche:Yeah, no problem. This is awesome. Welcome to First Coat. I'm so excited to talk to you and see you on site.
Atentamente Una Fresa:Thank you very much.
Stephanie Eche:We have Atentamente Una Fresa on today as a guest from Mexico. You're in Mexico City right now, right?
Atentamente Una Fresa:Yes, yes.
Stephanie Eche:Welcome. So, what is this project you're working on right now? Where are you?
Atentamente Una Fresa:Well, Im in the top of a building, and let me show it to you, here is Mexico City, in the center of Mexico City, and right now I am working on a, it is a package delivery store. And these are going to be their new offices and they took advantage that they are closed right now. So they decided to set up the mural, so here we are working over there.
Stephanie Eche:Wow. Thats so cool. I just got off the phone with a client, they're working, I'm overseeing a project that's going up in DC, and there's all these, you know, all these little things that on top of the normal issues with installing, it's like you have to have a mask now and you have to know where to use the restroom, that's like, who used that lift, and just there's just all these other complications that you don't normally have to think about, you know?
Atentamente Una Fresa:Yeah, definitely. I am always carrying my disinfectants. Thanks so I dont touch anything and like, oh, no, I forgot this and I'm always wearing a mask and if I see some worker coming by I go like no, I cant talk to you. Well, I think this is going to be like the new type of work. Because I was doing some Canvas in my house and I did have a lot of illustration, like my computer and but I really miss doing a mural and when the offer come by, well, I didn't, I didn't know I was really doubtful, but now, I think if you follow all the security procedures that are now well, you maintain safety and with that, I think that might work.
Stephanie Eche:That's awesome. Can you tell us a little bit about the kind of work you're making right now?
Atentamente Una Fresa:Yes. Actually, I sold my mural stuff. I do realism, I develop a character which is like creepy eyes but colorful backgrounds. And that is like my main essence so I try to add fun stuff to it, like all my life I tried to do these things because I think they, they're a little bit deep. You know if you see those sides, they might be a little bit melancholic. No, no sad but more like in a deep thought. But if you see all the colors in the backgrounds are very colorful and very joyful and some add weird stuff, like this is like a cuckoo bird from like a clock. And I think I try to add those things to my work because I think life is like that, no? That you have a balance between the sad stuff and melancholy and deep feelings, but you have like, a lot of joyful and cheerful stuff, which I like, we all have backgrounds and have another. So when you, I want to inspire that in my work, that when you see my work, you can get those mixed feelings, right? You're like, you're not sure that if you are awkward with the, with the two characters like in the main set up, and they're delivering stuff, and this is going to be a ship. But right now, its nothing, right now is just white, but tomorrow will be a ship. And it's going to be like an adventure time, adventure for delivering packages, because this is the main brand that I'm right now working with that it's a delivery package. So I wanted to represent how mazing and adventurous can be a delivery.
Stephanie Eche:That's so interesting, because are they considered essential workers in Mexico right now?
Atentamente Una Fresa:Yes, that is like the main companies that are working right now. That because everything is closed, the delivery, and people are right now getting away from their phones. So in Mexico deliveries, all delivery companies are working a lot. So yeah, they are essential.
Stephanie Eche:How do you prep for this type of project? It looks like a pretty long wall. Do you project on the wall or do you grid or do you just freestyle?
Atentamente Una Fresa:I just freestyle. Well, first I make a sketch, a digital sketch, and I take a picture of the wall with my iPad, and on my iPad, I start sketching on digital and with colors, so I have the final work, but I never project in a project. Yeah, I know, and also, I don't, because I like to be a little bit, I maintain my proportions when I do my sketches, but my style is very freehand and I like that of my art that if I have an arm going very straight and when I am painting I need to twist it a little bit, I like to be free to do it. So I always start with pencil, all my murals start with pencil, so let me show you, if I like if you see all my my sketches are with pencil. So before I start to paint, I do it with pencil and I guide myself with things that are to being on the top, when you have a picture of the wall and I do my sketch with a picture, I can have all those references so I do it like oh, I think here's the main face and then I change and for example in my sketch, the boat was a little bit shorter.
Stephanie Eche:What inspires your work?
Atentamente Una Fresa:Well, mainly, I go firstly, how am I feeling right now? And how do I get to express what I I feel? So first are emotions and sometimes I am a little bit melancholic kinda a little bit, as I was saying, but also, I have many artists inspiration that through all of my life they have been a great value for me, such as Remedios Varo, I don't know if you know her, if you don't go look for her. Because Remedios Varo is a lot of, I love her work, she has a lot of details and she pictures herself in amazing worlds, she'd be very surreal with all the characters and she tries to put out of context everything and I like, I really like that, no? You break the context of things that you are using. So if you have like say then put on the face or put the nose to be different.
Stephanie Eche:I definitely see Remedios Varo in your work. That's really interesting.
Atentamente Una Fresa:Sometimes she can do the impossible. So that is a compliment, definitely. Shes a really powerful inspiration for me. And I also love the work she does on her hands and she, the way she adapts architecture on her compositions. I think, I wish I had a little bit, that actually is something I want to work on my work to put powerful backgrounds because sometimes I put too much on my characters and I get a lot of days working on every detail on the characters and sometimes I miss the backgrounds, the importance of the backgrounds. That's something I am working on right now.
Stephanie Eche:How did you first start making art in public spaces?
Atentamente Una Fresa:In the beginning, I was doing as I hope every artist did, just for fun. And I started painting when I was a teenager. At the beginning, I was doing with my friends and doing it for fun and after repeating when I was in university, well in college, I used to paint with a lot of friends in parties and that's when I met a lot of graffiti painters and I always liked graffiti, but for me being, well, a girl, it was difficult to do graffiti, because I never liked to do illegal paint on streets. Because as a girl, sometimes here in Mexico City, it's a little bit dangerous to be all by yourself and sometimes, graffiti is kind of risky. So, I started to do it on the legal stuff, so after painting on my university, college, to my old friends houses, and I think all artists know that when you do something, that work will take you to another place. So everything took me to one place and another and recommendations one from another until I was finally doing what I love. As I, I was very fortunate because I had many clients at the beginning and that allowed me to never to do illegal graffiti because I never liked illegal graffiti.
Stephanie Eche:I think that's a really good point you bring up. That's part of why I haven't done work in public. I'm so jealous of people who grow up working with a crew or doing graffiti around town with their friends. It takes a certain amount of courage for sure, but in some places it just actually is very dangerous for women and I think it's something that we don't talk about that much but there's a reason why there are a lot of men in the street art community because they kind of grow with these crews and grow up with this community that is completely different for a woman.
Atentamente Una Fresa:Exactly. Yeah, and sometimes there are more graffiti girls and from in these times, but it's always risky. You know, I've never liked to, I have done a lot of outdoor works, but I always are very, I have a lot of precautions and I try never to be, like to wear things that may attract attention to me, I try to be very discreet. And I think a lot of boys are fortunate to have that, you know a crew when you go and you, I don't know, go with your boys and that's fun, but I didn't grow with that. You know and but I like that because I never start doing bumps, like I never have my tag name like Atentamente Una Fresa bump, no, you never, I never did that, I always painted my character, I did it like that like starting finding my opportunities at my college with my friends and with the time I have met a lot of graffiti artists and I am grateful that now I have a community and I love them and we are very united and we look after each other but it was after many years of being on the field.
Stephanie Eche:Do you keep a sketchbook?
Atentamente Una Fresa:Yes, yes I do, but right now I don't, I don't got it with me, but I, it's difficult for me sometimes to have it. I have sketch papers, one for each other. Like I never could have a sketchbook because sometimes my ideas are very horrible. Oh, I need to put this down and I have like I put any number on my beautiful sketch and I'm like, oh no, I ruined it. So because I like to be very freestyling on my work. And when I have a sketch I really really like I rip it apart and I immediately put it on a frame because I know it might get ruined by another idea of mine.
Stephanie Eche:So you work on loose leaf paper and then, save the things you like and get rid of the things you don't like.
Atentamente Una Fresa:Yes, exactly. I have an amazing idea on a napkin. There's a chance to make an amazing thing because you have two hours that you dont have to do anything, just wait and then I have a guy that works with me that I have loved the way he frames. So I, I am very close to him. And he's, I have been working with him a lot. So every time I do something I like, I frame it.
Stephanie Eche:I love that.
Atentamente Una Fresa:Yes.
Stephanie Eche:This podcast is sponsored by JPG Legal. File your trademark application with an experienced trademark attorney. They have flat fee services so there are no surprises. You have no excuse not to register your trademark. Just go to jpglegal.com. Full disclosure, JPG Legal is run by my husband. When we first met, he had a solo practice and now he has five employees. Everyone's safely working from home right now, so I miss seeing them in person. If you need a trademark go to jpglegal.com. Can you explain how you started going by Atentamente Una Fresa?
Atentamente Una Fresa:Well, actually, atentamente una fresa in Spanish means sincerely a strawberry. But I've always looked at all the artists have a surname you know, like you have your real name and you have your graffiti bump name and Atentamente Una Fresa comes from well, developing a nerd but it's a little bit sarcastic, you know, cuz I always wanted to be like, I have a name that refers to something that I never wanted to be that it's a myth in Spanish and in Mexico. A fresa, that is a strawberry, it also goes for a preppy girl, you know. And my family is very conservative and we're like, my mom was always trying to teach me to be a preppy girl and a decent girl. And I always have a lot of rules of how to be and I never was like that. I always like very, not that I'm not decent, I am very decent. But I always wanted to be, I don't know, I think my beauty is different. Like my art, I like weird stuff and deformed faces and I think that's, that's where beauty is. And that's I think sometimes we confused what is beauty and Atenta Una Fresa, also, it was a fruit. I had a dream that this was this girl that had a heartache of love and she wanted to take away the heartache, so she took away her heart and put it in a strawberry, in the dream. I was dreaming about this girl that took away her heart and instead she put a strawberry on it. So I liked that really much because I imagine that I was a fruit. And when I started drawing, I never, I always paint what I was dreaming and I like to imagine that I never was the one that was painting, it was something else that put that image in my mind. So I'd really like to know that if not me the one is painting, is it that strawberry girl? So we'd go for those two things to be known to be a preppy girl inside my head. And that's it.
Stephanie Eche:That's awesome. I was wondering if you were referring to fresa like the connotation of fresa or not. Does music inspire your work?
Atentamente Una Fresa:Well, music for me is everything. I can never work without music. I really love that it really reflects what you think. For example, I love Radiohead, its one of my favorite bands. The first song I heard was I'm a creep and I was like oh my god I feel like that, I am a creep and I love that song because you can appropriate, the lyrics, the music and I just believe in myself and I am that. And it's very crazy that someone else invented that. It is very special for me when that happens with my art. Because it happens to me like the way I felt with music that we are sometimes seen as my collective of ideas and when you are similar to other feelings, that's when you some sort to feel like a relief. I don't know when you hear a really cool song that you are like, well, this is me. This is definitely me. So I love music.
Stephanie Eche:What do you listen to when you're working?
Atentamente Una Fresa:I love Cuban music. My favorite is Buena Vista Social Club. If you try to hear it, it's awesome. Because it, I love Cuban music because it is very, it's very cheerful and it is, it has a lot of instruments and it's very complex and very warm, because all their rhythms and their trumpets and the flutes and it's very, very, very complex music. But I love, what I've learned more from Cuban music is that the lyrics are very, very simple. You have all the array, instrument arrangement, very complex, but they are saying that they are going to eat chicken. I love that and I really, really love this of Cuban music, more of Buena Vista Social Club, because I love the way they talk about simple things, you know, and they just, they're just saying whatever happens to them that what everything happened, like, I went from outside and I went to a store and I found an apple and then there was a tree, you know? So simple. But when the lyrics are so simple, and the music arrangement, you hear the like, behind those hearings, it is like, outstanding, it's like, this is amazing. That is a feeling I like very much when people are, and that is something I really try to put on my art, that I try to put a lot of details and I have, a lot of complex things. But just to express a very simple idea, no? Like I'm wearing a sock. There was one day, a few days ago, I make canvases that are just two characters wearing, like a stock thing, you know, like sock puppet. And yeah, and it took me days and days and days developing that piece just to be a character with a sock. And that thing is, that really I don't know, fills my heart.
Stephanie Eche:I love that about Buena Vista Social Club. I've never thought about it that way. It's such a nice way to read.
Atentamente Una Fresa:Yes.
Stephanie Eche:Can you share a bit about how you document your work and why?
Atentamente Una Fresa:How you document as in pictures or how?
Stephanie Eche:Or if there's other ways that you document your work.
Atentamente Una Fresa:Well, I always work with my boyfriend, that was over there. I tried to make a lot of videos and time lapse and pictures of my work. Sometimes I try to develop time lapse but sometimes videos are kind of awkward for me because everyone pictures that the time of mural painting is like, oh its outstanding and amazing, but sometimes you're like, I don't know, you fail in something and then you have, I don't know, like the worst hair and you're all tired, and you look awful. Like right now my face is awful, and my hands are all dirty and sweaty and not all of the things are right, a few minutes ago I was painting and then I fell with my pencil and I didn't know, I imagined I was recording that. I like to put the process, I always try to take pictures of my sketches and the main ideas. I always, before I do a mural, I do a sketch, a pencil sketch, and I share the most important ideas where the mural was born during that time. Before there was this giant mural coming to life, there was me, there was me at my desk, just figuring out what to do, and then a pencil sketch came through and I love, I love pencil sketches. I think those are my favorite, because that time is when I am more concentrated and I am in my house, comfortable, listening to the music that I love, and everything is cool. So that is when the ideas[INDISTINGUISHABLE]. Murals are a little bit tough. And when you're on the streets, it is nice to share. I love when people come by, but sometimes it's difficult that you're painting and someone come in, what is it? Is that a dog or a mountain? That is his nose. You know, sometimes its tricky, but it's nice. When you're in the streets sharing art with people. It's crazy.
Stephanie Eche:How do you think art can create or strengthen a community? And do you have any projects that you've done in the past that have done that?
Atentamente Una Fresa:Well, I think art, it's really become, gets community together. And I have done many works for little towns here in Mexico. One that it was very special to me was I did it in on top of a mountain in the state that is called Quertaro. And it's on the top of the mountain where there's a little, little, little town where they have a community Cultural Center. And I developed a mural with the help of the children in there and it was very nice because the children came and expressed what they wanted to show in the mural. Like, they were telling me I want to put a bird and trees and the clouds and I was drawing with them and trying to, all the feelings they wanted to express. And finally we painted with all the kids in the town. And they really love my mural. I really love the way they accept my work. And they, instead of seeing my work as Atentamente Una Fresas work, they see it as their own work, you know, there was their feelings, their ideas, the way they see the world, in that mural through my work. So it was very, very special to me that all the ideas were inspiring the community. And when when you paint a wall, a grey wall, it changes the surroundings automatically. It doesn't have to be collaborative with all the people around. If it is collaborative, it is even more special, but even to be out there on the street, I like that. I like very much street art because it's different from what we are used to seeing in museums because it's art for everyone, you know? The art is for you, whoever you are. It doesn't matter what political or religious or social class are you or what's your, if go buy fruit or if you go to school in that way, and you see my mural, it is for you. So many people sometimes get to, to love their surroundings and when it is colorful, and you inspire them to be in a different way. It is very important that art exists in every corner of the world because we're very, urbanism, it is a lot of gray walls and gray walls sometimes they inspire, I don't know, divisions and when you get to put some color in their lives changes and you can change a whole community just to be there and being more colorful and changing to go to school, store, because that is what street art is supposed to be.
Stephanie Eche:Are you an artist? Submit your portfolio at distillcreative.com/artists. You'll get on our Distill Directory, our artists database and be considered for upcoming art commissions. What tips do you have for other artists who are working with the community collaboratively?
Atentamente Una Fresa:First of all, to keep doing it. I always say never stop and never die. And of course one day we will all die. When you get to work with community, you expand yourself and you expand the way you work. I was fortunately recently to work with a Jewish community. I am not Jewish, I have no religion, I am not a religious person. But it was very special to me that I can, that I could work with the Jewish community. And I was working with, for a school that there were teachers, parents, kids, and all the people that wanted to think, you know? And it was very interesting, the way everyone work. You know, sometimes, when you get to share the way other people are thinking, and when you're painting, you're like meditating, you know, because you're, you don't need to be very concentrate, like I am doing this line. No, it's not like that. You are going with a lot of things in your mind, you're talking, you're listening to music, you're remembering other things, you're watching the moment, talking to others and it is a very intimate space, when you can communicate with a lot of trust. I don't know why. I don't know why is the reason but when I was working on that project, I could talk with many other of the parents that were there, and they, they open to me, you know, with their, what's going on with their lives, with their children. And not that I care really, because sometimes, I always care for people. But I'm not a very askful person. If you want to share with me something I'm always open, but art opens a place to be very trustful with others and to open your heart and your feelings because it's a very intimate space, when you're just painting and thinking, and then it, you just pop your ideas. And those ideas are very special. Very, very special. So yeah, if you are an artist, and you love to collaborate, well art is for that, art is for sharing, art is for others, because there's no art with no hater, you know? There's, art is a dialogue between the one who's seeing it, and the one who is getting all the feelings and the one who is expressing and without two people, there's not an expression of art.
Stephanie Eche:How do you balance your fine art practice with your public art practice? Or do you see them as different things?
Atentamente Una Fresa:Some, I wish, I wish it was the same thing, of course. You know, because sometimes the limits are the ones that you in public spaces, sometimes you don't have your, your intimate space. You know, sometimes, when you are in your house, as I was telling you before, when you're in your house, very comfortable, and no one is disturbing you and you're in your safe, comfortable place, ideas grow there, you know, and it's very inspirational when you, when you do that. And when you're outside, well, sometimes you're not comfortable at all, you're tired and sometimes you have the sun. I used to live in Playa Del Carmen and I painted in a few murals in Tulum and I remember I was sweating a lot and I was really hot and I was all burned in my skin and I was like, but that is why I always try to develop my digital sketches at home. You know, so when I have, I have all my concentration and all my power and all my heart doing that, the planification and when I am painting the mural, well, now is not the time to feel or express, its the time to work. You know, so I tried, I always try to do the best of me and if I'm doing some graffiti thing to a tortillaria, I try to do my best.
Stephanie Eche:Do you show work in art galleries?
Atentamente Una Fresa:Yes, I do. Because as an artist, you have to explore all areas. I like galleries, because the opportunity they offer. It is also very classic stuff when you put your work and everyone goes and chat with you and it is very special and you have cocktails going on. Well, who wouldn't like cocktails and appetizers. But I always, I don't know, I don't like the preppy stuff, you know, I don't like really, I love more going on the streets and going with people and I usually don't, don't really like the silent art show. You know, you go into a museum room and you cannot touch, you cant touch anything and you must be silent. And I think street art and graffiti contradicts a little bit that idea. We go for more touch everything, be as loud as you can. But every choice is, is good. So I, I am never closed to anything. In fact, if you offer me to go in a taqueria and put my art with tacos, I will do it.
Stephanie Eche:That'd be awesome. I want to see that. How do clients find you?
Atentamente Una Fresa:I think I am a very reachable person. Most of my clients come from social media, that is something that artists should know. That social media sometimes is horrible, or the most amazing thing there is. It has those two faces, because I've seen that you can go into the marketing thing, instead of the art thing and you should never go on that, because sometimes that is very, very tricky. You know, I have worked with many brands and sometimes it's hard, because you always want to, well, myself, I always want to, to represent the real art thing, the real concept of my art, and not just some marketing, going thing. But it's always a balance, you know, if, I have myself very clear that that is something that is very fortunate for me, and I never, I said something that it doesn't go with my style, or it doesn't go with my flow, because then it's not since I, I've done it before, many years, because well before, I didn't have that much work chances when I started, when I was a beginner, well I needed to eat and pay my lunch, so I accepted all kind of works, but with plans I always try to put, to express, I try to always make like a brief now. What do you want to show in the mural, what do you want to express, what are the values of the brand, what the brand wants to get into the clients and we do a briefing, everything is written and after we have everything written with clients and me, we read them, and then I do a sketch with my art, with my style, representing all of the ideas. So if we have like logistics, now we have, we have a client that wants to express logistics, I try to put like a weird, a character with a lot of things of logistics. Then I try to explain every point of my art to a client. And I will like look, these express logistics, these express the valuable with our clients, these express, so they, the client knows that everything he or she told me in the brief is expressed. And now then we can arrange things so we can change the details. So now instead of putting the phone, put I don't know, you know, but it is very important that clients do a guideline, but not to change the art concept and not and never to get into what is marketing and maintain what it's art. Because these have nowadays is more, it's almost invisible. What is marketing and what is lying, and I don't like that.
Stephanie Eche:Yeah, for sure. You talked about a creative brief. Is that something that the client provides you or that you, or do you ask questions to the client?
Atentamente Una Fresa:That's something I always does. It really doesn't matter if it's a brand or a person, I always do a brief because I like the art to express exactly what the client wants. You know, sometimes, for example, if, and I make some questions, and it's, it depends if it's a person or if it's a company. You know, because sometimes when it is a company, I base all my questions to have with the client, and what does the brand want to express to the client, you know, but to understand who is the final customer, what does the final customer want from the brand and what does the brand is different offering that to the customer? Right? So that is one brief and for the brief for the people is different, I try to vary, I go to very deep questions like, what are their hobbies? What are they passionate about? What they don't like, what they are afraid of? Or if they have any goals? And I always had a tricky question like, why are you here in life? Just to be like, I don't know, to be a little bit tricky, and to try to have those deep feelings of people and to express them. And also I touch the topics of what is the things they don't like or what they are afraid of to understand what are their contrary things they're seeing. So, I always make a brief no matter what, because before making any sketch, I make concepts of idea, I develop a mental map, and I put concepts first. Because first I have my words, so you imagine Im, before making the art Im saying like, okay, I want to express architecture, but family, but mindfulness, and that client doesn't like extravagance, so you know, then you can mix the concepts and then appears into figures. So that is always my structure of work.
Stephanie Eche:Thank you for sharing your process, that's really interesting.
Atentamente Una Fresa:Thank you.
Stephanie Eche:Do you do that over a period of time? Or do you start on the concept and then go directly into drawing in one day? Or does it depend?
Atentamente Una Fresa:Well, in the beginning, when I was painting, not to clients, but just for myself, I started, first I started with no concepts at all. I was just like, what do I feel, this, go ahead. And then I was always freestyling you know, like I have a round ball and then it's going to be a head and now it's going to carry an ice cream, I mean, the top of ice cream is going to be a mermaid with a house and with a gnome. And it developed a lot of ideas, and I still do that but not for clients. You know, when, I always try to make work for me because sometimes you as an artist need that, you need to express what you feel without knowing if it's going to sell or is not or if it's going to be for someone or not because the art that is for ourselves is more special and you can take weeks in developing that and you don't have the pressure of time and the results of that are, the work for me are my favorite pieces because they express what actually I am feeling. That is very important for me to make and I always try to make art for me because that is why I started, I started making that to express myself and to understand my ideas and the way I am feeling and to have a balance on my life. But after a few years when I started to be a little bit more known, I had often projects and often work projects with clients and sometimes there is not too much time for me, but I always have to have the time.
Stephanie Eche:What's one thing you wish you had known before you started your career as an artist?
Atentamente Una Fresa:First of all, to have a good exercise condition. I have, I have had a lot of injuries in my hands and on my back because of too much painting. And then that there should be always security procedures, you know? I hurt my hand after one mural that it was very, very tall and I didn't follow the security procedures that I needed and I fell. But not too high. Not too high. But if I was, if I was using my rope and my helmet and all the security procedures. After, I always have my like an insurance and now I hire all those services that are essential for doing a job, because you can, it is risky, you know, sometimes doing high murals, it is a sport and it has to have the safety patterns to develop something that is safe and I didn't know that at the moment. And I was young and really like nothing is going to happen to me because I am strong and young. And now things happen, you know, and there's, you always have to be cautious and always have safety first, that is what I should have. I wish I knew that before because now I sometimes I get my hand pains when I paint too much, and that is something I could avoid it if I did it in the beginning.
Stephanie Eche:Hmm. That's a really good thing to keep in mind because I think, like you were saying earlier sometimes if you're looking at street art online, it looks really glamorous. Because you're seeing the final project or the work in progress on a time lapse video of someone doing it but it actually is a lot of hard work and it's physically hard. It's physically strenuous on your body, it takes a lot out of you.
Atentamente Una Fresa:Yes, yes. You need to have very good a exercise condition to develop higher murals, because if not, you die. Once, many, many years ago, I painted hungover, it was the worst thing I ever did in my life, I would never, never go hungover again to work. Because, yeah, you need to be good, you need to be strong and you're going, like you're back at the end of the day is in pain and your everything is in pain. So, you need to be strong.
Stephanie Eche:Are you a real estate developer looking for a unique amenity for your site? Get our free guide: 10 Tips for Commissioning a Site-Specific Artwork at our website distillcreative.com. Is there anything you're reading or listening to that's inspiring you right now?
Atentamente Una Fresa:Actually, I really like Mafalda, I don't know if you know the comics of Mafalda. One of my favorite authors is Quino, which is Argentine, Argentina. He's from Argentina. And I really like Mafalda because talks about politics and social movements and it criticize the way social models or social roles are played, like the way girls need to be, to form a family and not 30 and take care of their homes and Mafalda is always, I don't know, arguing with the entire world about that. But it is a very childish point, you know, well not childish, but like very, very young, and it is the world seeing through a child's eyes. So I love the way he works. And I love comics. I've always read novels and that but sometimes it's hard for me to read a lot of stuff because I am more, I like to watch pictures and I always have books with pictures. And well Quino, he's my favorite. He has done a lot of criticism and social criticism but in a very original way. I totally recommend Mafalda.
Stephanie Eche:Awesome. I'll link to it in the show notes.
Atentamente Una Fresa:Yes.
Stephanie Eche:What are the best resources that have helped you in your career?
Atentamente Una Fresa:I really like Marx. I am very socialist, well not socialist like that. But I'm really into social movements. I'm also a big fan of Malala. Malala is a big inspiration of mine. I have done art company, an art company for her with other girlfriends. It's really inspiring for me. I will choose Malala as my first resource inspiration. Because, as we were saying before, being a girl sometimes is not easy for, well in graffiti, and I have been challenging a lot with that. A few years ago I went to a Meeting of Styles which is a festival that, it's in a lot of parts of the world. And I went to Brazil and we were, I think 40 artists, and I was the only girl. The only woman between 40 artists. And it was very challenging and it was very weird for me. I traveled all the way to Mexico, expecting, I don't know, other company, and none of the boys were disrespectful to me or anything like that, all of them were great, but it was weird that there was no other girls. And sometimes it's difficult to, to express your opinion, as a woman and in society and to be strong and powerful. And I think that the ones as Malala and myself, not that I'm comparing to Malala because Malala is way tougher than me, I love her. She's the best. But I think we need to be strong in those cases, you know, when you are representing your, well, your girl gang, you need to be strong, and you need to be clever, and very, very loveful, very full of love. I don't know, I think that's it, the strength of us. Like, as women, we're not tough at all. Well, not me, but our toughness is our love, you know, like to be passionate to be caring for others to be unlike, I don't know, that's our mother nature to love the ones that surround us, to care about the people, to look after them, to be loveful, and that is our toughness, you know, so that, that's why I also mentioned Marx, because he talks about a production, change of production. And I really like the bee, bee working thing. Like be the bee, because teamwork is the key to success, as I see it. And all of us are teamwork, as a society its a teamwork, and we should help the ones that have less, and we should create opportunities for them and art should inspire that. So I always try to put like a little discreet social message in my art, but it's very discreet, because I don't want to be like, I think Atentamente Una Fresa is a social artist now. But I want to make people conscious about that. They should be respectful to others, to other kind, also, not to humankind only but to animals, to plants, and to everything. So yeah, I think Malala is the toughest resource of everything.
Stephanie Eche:Yeah, for sure. What's something you wish I had asked you?
Atentamente Una Fresa:Maybe I would like to ask me just to say a message to other artists, and that is just to keep going. Well, for first artists that are not like out of the closet yet, that I wish to talk to them. And to say that all of us have been like inside the closet artists and it's difficult sometimes to have criticism, and to go out and share your work, but criticism is awesome. You know, when you learn how to take it and how to grow with it and how to share it and when, sometimes when some bad comment comes to you and you're like, I hate that comment, but that is a very interesting part when someone says a hurtful comment and you're like, no, this is my art, I don't want to be hurt because it is very intimate. But no, you know, when you go out you're, out of your comfort zone and share and get criticism, it is very powerful. I don't know, I love that and I think that beginner artists are always tricky with that part in their lives. But if I could tell something to them its go for it and never go, never look back and just keep going and believe in yourself, believe in your art and that will take you to the most amazing places. So yeah, I think that's it.
Stephanie Eche:Where can our listeners connect with you online?
Atentamente Una Fresa:Well, I am on Instagram, on Facebook as Atentamente Una Fresa. And there you can talk to me and I love weird comments and I love deep comments, also. So you can talk to me and say anything that's going on your mind that is tricky or weird. I love weird thoughts. Yeah, I'm very open to talk to anyone. I love to talk.
Stephanie Eche:Well, this has been really awesome. Thank you so much for sharing. It's really nice. I mean, I just messaged you on the internet and we're talking now.
Atentamente Una Fresa:Yes. Thank you, Stephanie, for the opportunity and for believing in this and making your program and to listen to what I'm saying and to share with me. This is awesome.
Stephanie Eche:Thank you. And good luck with your project. I can't wait to see when it's done.
Atentamente Una Fresa:Yes. Thank you, Stephanie.
Stephanie Eche:And take care.
Atentamente Una Fresa:Thank you. You too, take care.
Stephanie Eche:Alright. Bye.
Atentamente Una Fresa:Bye bye.
Stephanie Eche:Thanks for listening to this episode of First Coat. If you liked this podcast, please leave a review. Make sure to subscribe to the First Coat podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, and follow us on Instagram@firstcoatpodcast or@distillcreative. First Coat is a production of my company, Distill Creative. Check us out at distillcreative.com.