Meet Sophia Valdes | Art Director & Designer

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

Hi Sophia, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
For me, to risk is to explore. An exploration of any kind is a risk, whether its a positive or a negative experience – you’ve now explored something new because of this risk you have taken. One of the most important risk taking events in my career was taking the risk of ‘having no fear’. If you consider yourself to be an artist or just haven’t discovered that you are yet, you know that self doubt is a huge contributor to fear. Now I can’t say that I alone allowed myself to truly believe in this ‘no fear’ idea, I have to give credit to a lot of friends and family who encouraged this idea. Thank you, mean it. Two years ago I challenged myself to take on this ‘risk’, the chance to believe I could achieve more as an artist. For so long I had doubted my abilities. Even though I had made some great milestones in my career and discovered new ways to transform my skills, I felt a stagnant weight. I knew I was ready for more. I wanted the chance to prove to myself that I could conquer a new quest, for my skills to evolve and for my personal growth overall to bloom. At the time I was living in Miami, FL working as a Senior Graphic Designer at an Ad Agency and also part-time hosting a Speak Easy, life was good! After about 5 years in the design world I did what most designers do, I looked for a higher role. I saw a posting for an Art Director in San Francisco at SF Weekly, I applied. Who was I kidding? Or so I thought. I didn’t have a concrete plan as to how I would move or if I would even get the job, but this risk was ‘no fear’ so I went for it. To my surprise I landed the position and never looked back. I am very happy I took that risk, life is great!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
One of the reasons why I love design in any aspect is its ability to solve problems and communicate effectively. My most recent position as Art Director for SF Weekly, I had the opportunity to work alongside local journalist. The visual component here played a major role, especially when its the front cover of newsprint. I pushed my design boundaries like never before in a field that was so used to “the same old thing”. Coming from a digital design background I wanted to use the skills I had learn there and bring them to the print world. It wasn’t always as easy as I hoped it would but the learning game allowed me to get there. The best part about design is experimentation for me. I love to push boundaries for the unconventional. Now, if you’re a designer reading this you know, they aren’t always going to go for it but my advice is, do it anyway!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
If I ever win an Academy Award let’s just skip the speech part because they will play the music to cut me off from rambling. I would like to thank everyone and anyone who has been a part of my life. But most importantly to these few: Andrea Marquez Bad-ass designer, animator and dear friend. Thank you for always pushing me to strive for more as a designer and for continuing to be an inspiration that anything is possible. Danubio Valdes Entrepreneur, Brother, and newly a Dad. Thank you for always believing in the dream! We’ve come a long way from summer doodles and Microsoft Paint. This is the way. Marget Harris Professor, Designer and Island Gal. Thank you for telling me never to give up!

Website: www.behance.net/elavondes
Instagram: elavondes