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“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.” — Albert Einstein.

Hello, I am Lorena González. I was born in Guatemala on October 21 and have always been a tireless seeker of creative expression. From an early age, my notebooks, school books, and some walls and furniture at home became improvised canvases. My life has been characterized by my search for art and the exploration of different forms of expression.

As I grew up, I considered various professional options. I am fascinated by History and Archaeology, a passion I shared with my best friend in school, as well as languages and travel. I even considered a career related to foreign languages or travel, but unfortunately, those were not careers I could study in Guatemala.

However, this did not discourage me; it drove me to explore my creativity even further. I started taking English and literature classes to exploit my creativity further and, at some point, put it into practice by traveling.

Over the years, despite the multiple options that presented themselves, I remained true to my passion for creativity, and this time, I became more focused on technology.

When it came time to choose a professional career, the closest option to what I was looking for was a degree in Graphic Design and Advertising. At that time, there were no specializations in interface design or web design yet, but a class in web design was included in the curriculum.

Undoubtedly, it was one of the classes that caught my attention the most—having the ability to create customized websites and being at the forefront of creative innovation. However, my creativity was never limited to the digital world; art is subjective in the eyes of the beholder and can manifest in different ways.

When we think of art and design, the first things that usually come to mind are paintings hanging in museums, advertising guidelines, or the illustrations and animations we see in movies or series. For me, it has always been more than that.

I also enjoy remodeling spaces, photographing, and traveling to new places to learn about their culture. My love for cooking, whether savory or sweet, is another essential aspect of how I express my creativity. Cooking is a relaxing hobby and a form of culinary expression that reflects another kind of art and experimentation through creation.

Although I did not pursue a career dedicated to art, I still enjoy the moments when I can take some time to explore my creativity through flavors.

“It is better to be high-spirited even though one makes more mistakes than to be narrow-minded and all too prudent.” — Vincent van Gogh.

After graduating, I started working remotely as a freelancer for a Real Estate company in Pennsylvania, United States, and other companies. Having a remote job seemed quite interesting to me, as it gave me the freedom to manage my time and seek more work to gain the experience desired by most companies.

Then, I worked remotely for a company that restored antique furniture in Los Angeles. No, I was not in charge of upholstery or varnishing: during my time with them, I focused on redesigning their website from a perspective closer to a UI/UX position.

I was also responsible for the information displayed on the website, from simple CTAs to creating texts, product descriptions, and designer biographies.

After three years with them, I was looking for new challenges. I updated my LinkedIn profile, polishing it and adding the new experience I had gained in previous positions. This led to an offer for a position at a Salvadoran Start-Up, where I learned a lot about UI.

However, I must admit that not all my jobs were related to design. I did some jobs and volunteer work related to translation from English to Spanish and vice versa; although these jobs were not my first choice or favorites, I believe they helped me by pushing me out of my comfort zone.

I have an introverted personality, which means that I could usually stay home with my dog and read a book or catch up on my favorite series on some streaming service. In a way, accepting these jobs forced me to try something new and to put my skills, like leadership and the confidence to share more of who I am, at the forefront.

My humanist ideology has been a constant compass on my creative journey. I firmly believe in every individual’s inherent value and dignity and that we deserve the opportunity to develop and express our unique potential.

We all deserve to be treated with respect, empathy, and compassion.

In summary, my life has been a journey of constant exploration, a testament that there are no limits to what one can achieve when one sets one’s mind to it, setting aside impostor syndrome, which can cause insecurity and the feeling that the success obtained is undeserved. In a world where the norm is to conform, we must take the reins and inspire each other to follow our dreams and embrace the uniqueness and peculiarity of each person and professional we encounter.