From The Desk Of: Beatrice Valenzuela

Sep 09, 2015

Designer Beatrice Valenzuela is known for quite a few things: her collection of shoes and jewelry, her former flagship store here in LA, and her role as co-founder and director of the Echo Park Craft Fair. The Mexico-born mother of two is one of our creative inspirations, and gave us a peek into her creative workspace and what inspires her everyday.

How do you start or end your day?

I start my day by opening all my doors and windows, I feed Chartruse, my canary and then I drink a big sometimes 2 cups of coffee and make breakfast with my family. My day usually ends when I put Astrid and Dimitri, my two children, to sleep. Astrid likes me to tell her a story which I make up every time. Dimitri likes me to sing him the same song every night, in a loop. It's an old Mexican lullaby I've adjusted by adding both their names in it.

How do you get your creative juices flowing?

When I want to be inspired I look at images. I specially like to go to a magazine stand and buy a bunch and then look at them very carefully. I love studying images. It's so interesting and very stimulating for my mind.

Describe your personal aesthetic in 3 words:

Colorful, vibrant, interactive.

What career move got you to own your own business?

I think that starting the Echo Park Craft Fair was the beginning of many things for me. Deciding to stick with it was very difficult. I never thought it would become what it has.

What are the most exciting developments in your industry?

Our community of designers has created a wave of inspiration not only locally but globally. That is something to be excited about. There is massive exchange of consciousness happening. This is positive and oh so good!

The vice you'd never give up:

I'll never give up drinking perfectly cold bubbly.

In my purse you will find:

Lipstick, sunglasses, postage stamps, credit cards, matches, bobby pins, my Square reader, hand cream, phone and 2 shells Astrid found in the Kern River.

What would you encourage designers to print?

Beautiful personal stationery. Write thank you cards. Write notes and put a stamp on and in the mail. It's so romantic.

Describe the creative pace at your home:

My husband Ramsey and I both design and create. We are in a constant search for new projects. I think that we both feed off of each other and our children creatively. We are all very curious and search for inspiration all around us incessantly.

What are your design inspirations?

I love functional and primitive design. The things that were made first not developed or derived from anything else. That is what I find most inspiring in the world.

Share an insight to your life or your life that you’ve discovered:

I've discovered that my instincts are always right. There's always that very primal gut reaction to situations that I don't always follow. When I do, my decisions lead me to a successful result. When I don't then I struggle until I finally choose to listen to that internal compass.

When do you think you're at your best?

I'm at my best while traveling and discovering new lands. I feel electric and most alive. All my senses are awake and I love that feeling of being constantly fueled by new information. I find so much inspiration in seeing the way other people and cultures live and experience life.

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