We had the good fortune of connecting with María Centeno and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi María, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
My balance has changed over time, definitely and almost necessarily. At the beginning of my practice I dedicated about 10 or 12 hours a day to work, and on weekends about 5 more hours, since it was difficult to support myself 100% from design and illustration. Over time, and not so long ago, I began to make room for enjoyment and leisure, prioritizing meetings and rest. The balance is very present in my head today because working and sacrificing so much led me to get sick, both mentally and physically. It stops being healthy and even less enjoyable.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Right now, I’m excited about starting a postgraduate degree in landscaping, which I think will bring another perspective to my work.
My process of growth as a professional was beautiful and challenging at the same time. Especially in economic matters. Getting started is never easy. They don’t teach us how to manage our finances, how to get paid. I think that is a problem and a need to be covered especially in my country, Argentina.
The greatest learning, beyond money, is to encourage yourself to produce and show everything you do. In this process you not only remove layers of insecurities but you open a dialogue with those who see your practice. The more feedback you receive, the more you learn and the more you eliminate your fears. Our profession has a 50% of self confidence. If you can’t deal with that, it’s difficult to move forward. At some point, I started to say: I’m just learning. Everything I do, explore and show is not final. I’m just learning. And with that, I took a very big burden off the idea of perfectionism and success.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
The itinerary would be to spend the week in the Sierras de Córdoba. Rent a cabin and cook over a direct fire, spend the day on the river in the sun and then gather firewood to light the fireplace at night. And repeat!
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Yes of course! We grow in community, always. This shoutout will be for my brothers, who always listened without prejudice to my personal search. They are not designers but being surrounded by people that support you is really important.
Website: https://mericenteno.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariacenteno___/
Other: https://www.behance.net/MeriCenteno
Image Credits
Martino Dominguez Juan B. Arnaudo