Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrea Silva.
Andrea, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Art has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. If you would have asked my childhood self what I wanted to be when I grew up, my answer would have been “artist.” That love of art grew to include an interest and an added love of graphic design which I pursued as a major in college. Now suddenly, more opportunities lay ahead of me for how I could take my passions and find a job I loved. It was a bit of a surprise then when halfway through my college career, I was applying for summer jobs and found one that looked interesting at a radio station in my hometown in Kansas. I was amazed when they hired me because they were looking for an applicant who would stay longer than just for the summer, and I had made it clear that I would be returning to college to begin my Junior year in the fall. I jumped into this summer job, and over the next few months, I discovered a newfound passion: radio. Somehow what was only supposed to be a summer job turned into a career in radio spanning over a decade with time in Kansas and South Texas. I hadn’t completely stopped creating art or working in the field of design, though. Along with the work of radio (on-air, sound, and production) I was able to be in-house graphic designer at both radio stations I worked full time at over the span of my ten plus years in radio. And even though life and life changes filled my time, I also continued creating art in the niches and quiet spaces as inspiration would come.
Fast forward to the summer of 2019. I had been feeling a pull back to my art and design roots for quite a while now. With the birth of my son and reevaluating my priorities, I decided to leave the radio world full time and stay home with my son while pursuing my work as a graphic designer, artist, and illustrator. My husband and I had been contemplating a move as well from our South Texas home, and Nashville was an area that had long been on our hearts and minds. We made the move in March of 2020, not knowing that the week we had set as our moving week would be the week that our country would begin going into lockdown and shortages across the states would make resettling in a new area uncertain. It has certainly been an adventure, and I have loved learning about the Nashville area and letting its beauty and diversity influence my work.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Overall, I would say it has been a smooth road. God has greatly blessed me, and the support of my husband, family, and friends has been invaluable. I would not say the journey has been without its struggles, though. Trying to be a creative while working a full-time (and in parts of my journey, a full-time plus a part-time) job can be exhausting. Add onto that the challenges of being a full-time mom while trying to make time for work and creativity and running a creative business, and life can get pretty crazy sometimes. Being a creative entrepreneur is a lot of work and requires so much dedication, but it’s so rewarding too.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am an illustrator, artist, and graphic designer. I create custom artwork to help people tell a story, whether that story recalls a favorite memory, is a celebration of life and love or is an invitation to join. I specialize in watercolor paintings as portraits or illustrations for wedding, birthday and event invitations, special gifts, and more. Because of my skills in digital media as well as traditional art forms, I have a versatility that enables me to fulfill the needs of a variety of different projects.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
Art and words are inextricably linked in my opinion. As a graphic designer and illustrator, I am passionate about stories and putting images to words. As I continue in my journey as a creative entrepreneur, I’m constantly dreaming of the many stories I’ll tell in the future, maybe even moving into the field of children’s book illustration, or maybe YOU have a story that needs told!
Contact Info:
- Email: andreasilva.design@outlook.com
- Website: https://andreasilva.design/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreasilva.design/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andreasilva.design
