Master of geometric surrealism Daniel Aristizábal talks budgets and work-life balance at OFFF 2016.
Daniel Aristizábal: Cósmica y sus huevos
If you were to look at the colourful pop surrealist portfolio of Columbian artist, illustrator and graphic designer Daniel Aristizábal, you might assume he doesn't battle with the typical challenges of being a freelancer, such as staying motivated while working from home, or mastering the art of networking.
Specialising in bold 3D geometric shapes with a retro feel, Aristizábal's clients include Wired and Primark, and his first-ever 3D project, Cósmica y sus huevos for La Monda magazine [above], was picked up by the global design press.
Nevertheless, when we catch up with him at Barcelona's annual three-day creative fiesta OFFF 2016, he highlights financial security as his biggest challenge.
Daniel Aristizábal: The Innocent
"Finding financial stability as a freelancer is one the aspects that worries me the most," he says. "Being super-active with clients and creating a budget are things that I'm currently doing to overcome this aspect."
However, with this comes the risk of tipping the work-life balance. Aristizábal has talked before about being a workaholic – does he have any tips for avoiding burn out while trying to achieve financial security?
"It's a double-edged sword," he reflects. "On one side, practice makes you better at anything, but if you don't take the proper precautions you'll burn out. Going out to the countryside, spending time with your loved ones and taking an outside hobby are things that I do to keep myself motivated and productive."
Pushing creative boundaries
Daniel Aristizábal: a selection of letters from 36 Days of Type
Another typical challenge, Aristizábal adds, is finding time to do experimental work. This year he intends to dedicate more time to trying new tools and mediums – and has already implemented this strategy through 36 Days of Type.
The project saw creatives around the world working through the alphabet to produce an illustrated letter every day. Aristizábal's results are striking, showing drastically different styles for each character.
"The hardest thing was being on time with the deadlines," he smiles. "I used Illustrator, Photoshop and a little bit of Cinema 4D."
Daniel Aristizábal: The D
His biggest message during his talk at OFFF 2016 was to "find your inner voice". As he explained afterwards: "Then everything will make sense in your career. Having a passion gives you that zen moment when things seem to go bad. Once you find that, nobody can take it away from you."
He also had advice for young illustrators and art directors: "Don't worry about failure that much. Being bad at something and accepting it is the best way to become better later on."
A visual for the Toy Nail Polish website by Daniel Aristizábal
Another bold image by Daniel Aristizábal
Clash of Opposites for the Fendi SS16 men's collection for Port Magazine
Daniel Aristizábal spoke on the first day of OFFF 2016. We're reporting from Barcelona throughout the three-day creative conference.
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Julia is editor-in-chief, retail at Future Ltd, where she works in e-commerce across a number of consumer lifestyle brands. A former editor of design website Creative Bloq, she’s also worked on a variety of print titles, and was part of the team that launched consumer tech website TechRadar. She's been writing about art, design and technology for over 15 years.
