Claudia Guariglia, a passionate artist from a young age, has always found joy in drawing. Like many children, she was captivated by the enchanting character designs of the anime she watched on television. Sailor Moon, in particular, served as a significant inspiration during her early years. Armed with inexpensive pencils and markers, Claudia would fervently attempt to recreate these captivating characters herself.
As she grew older, her artistic fervor remained unwavering. Her obsession with drawing women intensified, and she delved into conceptualizing various clothing styles and hairstyles. Although one might assume she would venture into the world of fashion, Claudia's love for manga and anime held a firm grip on her heart, briefly leading her to contemplate pursuing comics. However, she soon realized that her patience would not align with the demands of that medium. Consequently, she enrolled in university to study Fine Arts, with a specific focus on traditional printing techniques that involved experimenting with antiquated machinery and hazardous chemicals. Though this path wasn't precisely what she had envisioned, it proved to be a captivating and intriguing journey. Nonetheless, Claudia's relationship with drawing began to face challenges.
As the seriousness of her artistic endeavors escalated, Claudia found herself burdened by immense pressure to produce exceptional work. This mounting stress took its toll, causing her to gradually reduce her drawing output. By the time she completed her university education, she had all but abandoned drawing. Reflecting on that period, Claudia now feels a twinge of remorse, although she believes that the hiatus might have been necessary. Fortunately, she managed to maintain her creativity through another artistic passion: photography. Over the years, she had developed a deep affinity for capturing moments with her camera, inadvertently acquiring valuable insights into color, composition, and the subjects she preferred to focus on in her artwork. When viewing her photography and illustrations side by side, one can discern a striking similarity between the two.
Time passed, and Claudia slowly but surely found her way back to drawing. In a roundabout manner, she embarked on a journey to learn calligraphy, which eventually led her to explore decorative elements, such as florals and plants. And now, she has finally returned to her artistic roots. This time, her attitude toward drawing has undergone a remarkable transformation, for which she is immensely grateful. Claudia now allows herself the freedom to play, experiment, and explore different tools and subjects. While people continue to be her favorite subjects to draw, her creative process has expanded to encompass so much more. Color holds a profound significance in her work, whether it be digital or traditional illustrations. Crafting color palettes has become one of her most cherished aspects of the artistic process. Today, she finds herself having much more fun with her art. However, this isn't to say that the pressure has completely dissipated; Claudia Guariglia still grapples with it on a daily basis. Nevertheless, something has shifted within her, and she feels blessed to be in the artistic space she occupies today.
Tips to fellow Artists:
I wish I allowed myself to play more. In hindsight, I feel like I put myself in a box very early on. I used to draw the same things over and over and over again. I enjoyed it, sure, but I very soon started feeling the pressure to get good at it. By the time I was 20 I pretty much had a full on breakdown. Creativity is about fun. Whether you do it for work or not, you still need an element of fun. Take time to do things just for yourself, to play with your favourite colours, to create things not because they have to look good but because you enjoy the process! Make mistakes. You need to leave room for mistakes! Lock your inner critique out every now and then and just have a play with your favourite tools and make stuff. You learn a lot this way, about yourself and what you love.
