Meet Julia Valdes | Artist & Designer

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

Hi Julia, 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?
I love to learn. I always want to try new techniques, new materials, new styles. One of the most exciting things about creating is that the possibilities are endless! I would not be where I am today or doing the work I’m doing now if I just sat stagnant and wondered “What if…” I think a big lesson that comes with creating in this way (and something I am constantly reminded of) is the value of patience! The flip side of always wanting to try new things in my work is the very real possibility that the outcome will not be exactly what I originally planned. In that case? I learn something new and get to try again with some adjustments. I wouldn’t have known to make those changes if I never tried in the first place. Practice makes progress. If you take away anything from this, I hope it’s the motto “If at first you don’t succeed, find out why.”

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live in Atlanta, so of course I’m going to say the High Museum of Art and the Georgia Aquarium! Catching up while being able to walk around and admire the exhibits is a good way to start a trip. Plus, we’d get all the tourist-y stuff out of the way early! There’s always some event going on in the city, so we’d probably want to check out a festival or market!

I’m a big coffee nerd, so I’d probably take them to one of my favorite cafes in town (Brash in Midtown, Perc in East Lake, Ash in Virginia Highlands). For food close to the city, I would take them to Momonoki for Japanese food, Los Niños in Decatur for tacos, or Zunzi’s for South African-inspired food! A lot of amazing food is found outside of the city, so I’d also pitch anything in the Doraville/Buford Highway area for Asian food (some of my favorites are Kamayan for Filipino food and Dan Moo Ji in Duluth for Korean food!)

Another thing I love doing is going to Your Dekalb Farmer’s Market and grabbing a few items for a picnic! They seriously have anything you could imagine from the best charcuterie ingredients to the most lovely selection of fresh cut flowers. From there, we’d go to one of the many parks in the city and have a sunset picnic.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to shout out my family! I am so blessed to say that I have had people my whole life who believe in me and highly encourage creativity and pursuing the arts; I am forever thankful for that. I also want to shout out my high school art teacher, Mrs. McCarty. She taught me all the art rules, and then she taught me how to break them! Last, but definitely not least, I want to thank my loving partner for cheering me on and being there for me every step of the way.

Website: www.juliavaldes-design.com

Instagram: @jaysketchbook

Other: My latest project: a children’s book I illustrated titled “The Misadventures of Wilhelmina” written by Jessica May G. Velasquez! Now available on amazon.com You can also find me on TikTok @jaysketchbook