Meet Alyssa Gonzalez | Illustrator & Designer

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

Hi Alyssa, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
I think about risk as something that is necessary for change, both in your personal life and when it comes to making career decisions.

Over 7 years ago I made the decision to move from my comfy and vibrant hometown of Miami, Florida, to the icy unknowns (to me) of Kansas City. Yes, I really made that move! I still get asked to this day why on earth would I have moved from a town so warm and so flavorful to a city quite literally in the middle of the map that I had never visited before. And though I am still getting used to the harsh winters years later, I am very thankful I took that leap.

I made the move because I followed an internship right out of college to Hallmark Cards. That internship wasn’t guaranteed to turn into a full time job, but boy did I meet so many amazing people and learn so many things. It was like a crash course in life *and* design.

My risk ended up bearing fruit when the internship turned into a job I am still thriving in years later. I like to say that I went to college for Illustration, but I learned Design at Hallmark. My right-out-of-college-chance has provided me with a steady flow of opportunities for growth that inform how I operate in the freelance illustration world every day.

So now I do both; I design by day, then take what I learned and continue my side hustle by the moonlight. I don’t know where I would have been had I not taken the chance to interview with Hallmark at my senior year career fair, but I know I’m more well-rounded because of it!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I consider myself an illustrator first and a designer by necessity. I’m proudest of the children’s books I’ve illustrated over the years; since starting to freelance in 2017, I’ve illustrated over 10 picture books including the most recent, We Are Immigrants, which just published today at the time of writing this! I’m proud that I’ve been able to use my craft to illustrate stories that amplify the voices of others, often minorities, making sure their messages reach audiences of all kinds. I also love using my heritage having grown up in Miami to infuse my art with vibrant colors and rich textures and pattern play reminiscent of the scenes I saw growing up.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I know I’d might need to twist your arm to visit me in KC instead of Miami, but I promise we’d have a good time. It’s nice here! We’d probably start the day with my favorite café. I love grabbing a latte and an empanada from Café Corazon, a locally-owned coffee shop bursting with Latinx flavors and local artists’ crafts. Then we’d take a long stroll through the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art and check out their huge collection, sculpture garden, and the current special exhibit they have on display. If it’s still open by the time we’re done I’d take you to Rainy Day Books, my favorite local bookstore in the city, and stack up our baskets with books for our TBR pile. Finally, I’d end with a cozy dinner at Conroy’s, my favorite local eatery for a drink and a meal that tastes homemade!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to shout out the people who have supported me in my journey along the sidelines all these years: my agent Mohamed, my mom Zoila, my husband Ro, and my many mentors at Hallmark that have guided me whether they did so intentionally or not. In every situation, I’ve been able to turn to any of them for new opportunities, support, and advice. I’d also like to shout out the friends I have made by participating in art challenges on Instagram. They have been such a light in my life over the last year and have brought me joy and a new perspective on art during a time that has often been too busy with tedious work. It’s true what they say, that it takes a village. I wouldn’t be as far in my career without any of these folks!

Website: https://alyssamariag.com

Instagram: @alyssamariag

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssa-maria-gonzalez-580622295

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alyssaillustrate/about/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@alyssamariag