Meet Micaela Barrero | Graphic Designer, Illustrator and Photographer

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

Hi Micaela, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking

“Take the risk: If you win, you will be happy; If you lose, you will be wise” This statement is always in the back of my mind. After college, stepping in an industry with very talented people was very intimidating, but over time I was able to channel my energy to push harder and become a better professional. I kept my focus to become better than the day before and I was always ready for what came next.

I have learned the importance of taking risks, especially over the past few years. I try to go outside my comfort zone to challenge myself because that is where I find the most exciting work experiences.

The risk you take in your professional life can yield amazing rewards, but if it doesn’t turn out the way you expected, take the learnings with gratitude because it will help you grow and will give you the strength you need to keep moving forward.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m a passionate Graphic Designer, Photographer and Illustrator. While in college, I had the opportunity to work in a corporate environment for some time, and like many, I always had in mind the idea of creating my own business. After graduating from university, I had the blessing to welcome my first baby girl and it made perfect sense at the time to find the right balance between my personal and professional life, so I decided to give it a try. Luckily, I was able to start working for myself since 2010 and it’s been working great since then, even though the road was not always easy. I would say the key factors behind my success are being a reliable, trustworthy, resourceful person that thinks outside of the box and explores different areas of designs in every project. I am constantly reinventing myself. I tend to establish strong relationships with clients and coworkers which leads to a positive impact in my brand and my work environment.

In my professional career I have to learn some lessons. As you may know, projects are not always easy, but I push myself to remain consistent with my work, focus on developing the highest quality product, and staying humble along the process. This is especially true when things might not work as planned. In these circumstances, I like to learn from the experience and move forward to continue professional growth.

Something that I have learned as a creative person is that I couldn’t stick with just one area. I love to explore all my creative sides. I try to get the most by combining all my strengths together, and the mix of those components is what makes my work more interesting and compelling. The more skills you have, the better professional you become. For my clients, having a designer with a broad range of expertise is useful since I was able to take on multiple tasks.

I’m proud of what I’ve become, what I built in my life, and this is just the beginning. Trying to maintain the right and healthy balance between my personal and professional life is a big achievement. I had the strength to become resilient, believing in myself, having perseverance during hard times, and especially patience. I always pushed to reinvent myself by taking on different challenges, accepting change and understanding that different circumstances are not always ideal, but I can do it and I will accomplish it.

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.
Miami is an amazing city with a vibrant community and a mix of many cultures. So I definitely have my own “must-see” and “must-do” list. First, we would spend a lot of time outdoors. I enjoy taking visitors to the beach for a swim, for some yoga and meditation, or for a bike along the coast. I love paddle boarding
and kayaking during the day, and probably hang around a beachside patio to simply enjoy a good amount of quality time with my loved ones while see the spectacular sunset on the beach.

Miami also has an amazing food scene, there are tons of great places to go but so far probably we will go to have dinner at La Mar to enjoy a delicious dinner with a spectacular view of the city. Lucali or ‘O Munaciello for great pizzas. Leku, which is located at Rubell’s Museum after a visit to the Rubell to enjoy some art exhibitions. A visit to Wynwood is a “must to look” at the vibrant murals and the street artists. I would also take them to the Vizcaya Museum to enjoy the beauty of the gardens. Finally, for a night out, I would take them to Chica Miami or Sugar for a nice view of the city, followed by some salsa dancing probably at Ball & Chain in Calle Ocho.

And of course, last but not least, we would also hang out at my house where I like to make my friends feel at home, and enjoy a good afternoon at the pool, simply perfect.

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?
Definitely this credit would go to my family. They are simply my perfect team and each of them have different roles on this exciting journey. My parents are always by my side. Ever since I was a little girl, my memories bring so much peace and joy. I remember both of my parents being my biggest cheerleaders who besides their love, they gave me the knowledge and tools to believe in myself and be proud of my work and accomplishments. They taught me to have courage and pursuit what makes me happy by being resilient, and a trustworthy person. I am also grateful to my husband. He supports me ever since the beginning of our story together. He was always there for me, believing in my work, always reminding me how proud he is for my accomplishments, and truly showing me how to work as a team, which was a key to both being able to do what we want to be, encouraging our dreams. Of course, my motivation for keep moving forward are my daughters. I am a tremendously proud mother of two wonderful, amazing and powerful girls, whose creativity, encouragement, curiosity and great spirits teaches me something new every day. Their huge interest in learning and their happiness is my daily inspiration. It is a pleasure and blessing to have the opportunity to see them grow in such a beautiful way and the way they support my dreams just made me feel complete.

So definitely this recognition is also for all of my family for being by my side, for their constant support and so much cheers. They really helped me during the times I felt like giving up. They are my daily reminder on who I am and the value of my work.

Website: www.micaelabarrero.com

Instagram: @micaela_barrero & @studiomicaelabarrero

Other: Pinterest: @micaelabarrerov Behance: micaelabarrero

Image Credits
Cecilia Villagomez