Today we’d like to introduce you to Maya Moreno.
Hi Maya, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, let’s briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
It feels silly to say I’ve been writing since middle school, but honestly, one of the first times I was ever praised for something I wrote was in sixth grade. Perhaps through a self-fulfilling prophecy, I was asked to attend the “Young Author’s Conference,” Now, about fifteen years later, I’m trying to start my career as a writer. Over those fifteen years, I’ve helped edit O’Connor Highs’ literary magazine my junior and senior years, been published in Northwest Vista, and completed my Bachelor’s degree in English and Creative Writing. I only really branched out to art in my last few semesters in college, where I became enamored with stippling while trying to learn how to give myself stick and poke tattoos. While I’ve only given myself three tattoos, I’ve kept stippling and developed a penchant for drawing trees. My latest endeavor has been in social media, where I now post much of my art and writing as a growing portfolio.
It wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Not really. Things were slightly easier in college. The main issues I’ve faced are financial and mental. I have depression and anxiety, so finding the motivation to do creative things is hard. In college, there was that pressure to get it done. And as silly as it sounds, money is not a huge motivator for me. A good grade and positive or constructive feedback motivate me far more than a paycheck ever has. In college, I had scholarships, grants, and solid motivation to be creative. But now, the job market is harsh; I love my bed more than life sometimes, and jobs that pay the bills are unfulfilling. Despite my complaints, I’m hopeful for the future of my writing career. I have the skill to make it happen and (generally) the motivation.
Thanks for sharing that. So, you could tell us a bit more about your work.
It’s hard for me to pick a specialty because I love to write all kinds of things. Right now, I’m focusing on poetry and novel writing primarily. I’ve also dabbled in creative non-fiction and would like to explore that genre more thoroughly. On the other hand, my art is significantly more specialized because I am very new to drawing as a hobby/art form. My best work usually is of trees stippled in ink and watercolors, and I have trouble drawing most anything else. I also enjoy drawing things right on top of existing notes/scribbles. It is a cathartic way to cover up old things in my journal that I no longer need. If there’s one through-line across all of my artistic projects, written or drawn, it’s my tendency to make things dream-like. Throughout my years of participation in writing workshops, someone without fail always ascribed a dreaminess to my work. I received this feedback enough times to lean into it and make it part of my unique style. While it didn’t start intentionally, it has quickly become one of my favorite things about my writing and drawing. So now I can hardly help myself from creating something that feels like it’s taking place in a dream, nightmare, fever dream, or fugue state.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting?
Build your Portfolio! Anything you’ve ever written, drawn, or created, edit it and put it in your portfolio. Especially if you’re planning on entering the workforce as a professional writer, it doesn’t matter if it was a warm-up from class, a professional letter you edited for your parents, or a scribble in your notebook; it is all fair game. Put time and effort into building as strong a portfolio as possible.
Contact Info:
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/ maya-moreno-646554263
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@the_Mayasaur/featured
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@the_mayasaur?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
