Esmeralda has been obsessed with art for as long as she can remember, with drawing and illustration being her main passions. Her teachers used to encourage her to doodle on her homework because they noticed she remembered lessons better if she could create a visual association. She knew she wanted to do something creative as a career but had to change her major many times (English & creative writing → teaching → architecture → interior design → fine arts: 2D → communication design) before she realized graphic design was her sweet spot. Her favorite projects to work on are illustration and package design. Unsurprisingly, Esmeralda loves to learn. She is constantly working on challenging herself and expanding her skillset. Right now, she’s learning motion graphics and 3D modeling. She started her career as a freelancer for a beauty boutique and went on to be their creative director, managing all things visual. After five years, she moved into the restaurant industry, designing for five different restaurants—her biggest project being the rebranding and interior design of Chicago’s famously sassy, retro diner, Ed Debevic’s. Esmeralda is an Illinois native, growing up in Chicago, then Springfield, and spending her college years at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. When she’s not drawing, she can be found playing outside (Chicago weather-permitting) with her son and her dog Milo, watching anime, playing DND with friends or listening to true crime. She’s also always up for chatting documentaries, ghost stories, mythology or cryptids.