Today we’d like to introduce you to Claude Castaneda.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Born and raised in San Diego, I was taken to craft programs at my local library to keep me busy. I had a lot of fun at craft nights, where before I had used crayons and markers to make simple shapes and lines, I started drawing pictures more seriously and creating stories. I started drawing more and more, which culminated in me getting recognition from my art teacher in middle school.
Looking back at the art I was making at the time, there wasn’t anything special about it, but I think she could tell that this was something that made me happy, so I’m very thankful she supported me at such an early age. She was always so excited and kind. Similarly, my high school art teacher encouraged me non-stop all four years. They both pushed me in ways I wouldn’t have otherwise, and I’m very thankful to have had two wonderful teachers believe in me.
After graduating High School, I studied Animation and Illustration in college. It was fun to be in an environment with people who were also very passionate about art, especially as we started learning how to convey what we wanted to say through our art and forging our own artistic identities. However, due to a variety of reasons I dropped out of college, and making art after that was difficult. I stopped believing in myself. I stopped creating for myself.
It’s been an ongoing journey to figure out how I want my art to continue to grow, but once I started making more art that is self-indulgent and fun, I’ve had a lot more people resonate with it. And with that, I started getting more opportunities. I’m very thankful for all the different projects I’ve been able to work on since then. Indie games, comics, books, etc. I’m very lucky to have people enjoy my work and continue to support me.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Like I mentioned above, I had to drop out of college, and one of the biggest reasons was the struggle with my mental health. I didn’t understand why I was struggling so much and my instincts at the time were to hide and keep pushing myself past my limits. I was in a really bad place. It affected my art and self-esteem, and every rejection felt so extreme and personal. I felt like I was a glass cup that was going to break any second. For the longest time, that was the only thing I could focus on, and even my day to day was extremely difficult. It’s taken a long time to get to this point.
Because I finally have the resources, I’m able to focus on art again, and that’s a wonderful thing! But most importantly, I’m happy existing as myself, and I’m very proud of my queer identity and where I come from.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m predominantly an Illustrator but I also have experience with video editing, photography, graphic design, animation, and more!
I have an eye for color, expressive works, and creating pieces with a sense of warmth and whimsy. I tend to include my Mexican and Queer identity in my art, which in turn has created unique and personal work that stands out against the crowd.
I sell prints and charms in my online shop, though sometimes you’ll catch me around at local markets as well!
Speaking of local, I’m known for creating the San Diego Public Library Pride card for 2023 🙂 I’m still very proud of that! It’s something that people continue to let me know they really liked. If you made it all the way to here, make sure to support our local libraries!
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I was always a quiet kid who followed the rules and had a big interest in animals. I think the first career I ever told my mom I was interested in was being a veterinarian. I loved going to the park and beaches and staying there all day, looking for little critters and bugs. One of my favorite thing to do was look for lady bugs.
Besides art, I was a big reader (and still am!) and read hundreds of books. I was also really into dance and wish it was easier to pick up again as an adult.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.claudecastaneda.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cloudcastor/
