Meet Alyssa Guerrero, San Fran Artist + Designer

By Natalia Pérez

Alyssa Guerrero loves to create, and is the one-woman show behind her petite, creative studio in San Francisco. She loves color and texture, and creates original fine art, surface patterns, and products like silk screened t-shirts and silk scarves (among many others). She specializes in hand lettering, patterns, and illustration. She’s inspired by nature, and adores the variety and color on display in the world. 

What is the best part about what you create? 

It makes my soul happy. I’m such a nerd by saying this, but sometimes there’s nothing better than the feel of sweeping a brush loaded with paint across a surface, and nothing more magical than discovering a great color palette or happening upon amazing textures.

How do you stay inspired + avoid creative ruts? 

Switch it up! I find that it’s so good for me to explore other ways of creating, whether it’s learning something completely new or doing something as simple as switching between working digitally and working with traditional tools like paints, markers, pencils, etc.

Favorite song(s) for boosting creativity? 

It really depends on the mood, but lately I’ve been enjoying anything by Lake Street Dive!

How does creativity bring goodness to your life? 

I experienced this in such a raw way a few years ago. I went through a period of depression where all I could do was stay in bed and draw. The ability to be creative in my sketchbook took my focus off what I was going through and helped me find joy in little things like the beauty of a line, the magic of color, the tactile quality of pencil scratching across paper.

What did you want to be when you grew up? 

An artist! I was always drawing and making toys out of anything when I was a kid. I’ve always worked with my hands.

What do people NOT know about what you do?  

My work hours are truly all over the place. I like that I can follow the flow of creative juices into the early hours of the morning or take a moment to draw on a lazy saturday if my husband and I are just hanging out.

What made you decide to start (doing what you do)? 

It’s weird, I was always creative as a child, but when I grew older, I started to think more practically and didn’t think I’d actually make art as a career. At university, I studied graphic design without fully understanding what it was. But my program was so thorough, and I took classes in calligraphy, drawing, printmaking, oil painting, and I just fell in love with art all over again.

Where do you go when you need a break? 

Outside! I’ll go to the park, gardens or other parts of the city that inspire me

Let’s be real, what’s the hardest/most frustrating thing about what you do? 

Selling myself! Pitching my work is so not a strength of mine; it’d be a dream to have someone do that for me someday!

Have you ever considered throwing in the towel? What stopped you? 

All the time. I think it’s common for people in a creative field to experience self doubt/imposter syndrome, and I’m no anomaly. As a person who tends to feel all her feelings, it’s important for me to see them as just that. Those doubts are just feelings, not necessarily fact. I’ve realized that doubt is something I’ll experience again and again as a creative person. Whether or not we feel like it, we are strong enough to push through those doubts and keep creating.

Favorite way to celebrate a job well done?  

Have a glass of bubbles with my faves!

Alyssa loves to partner with cool people doing cool things! Check out her work on @alyssamarieguerrero + her website alyssaguerrero.com to collab!