KAREN PANCHO
ART DIRECTOR + Designer
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK
Contact: kspancho@icloud.com
Check out her personal + business Instagram pages, along with her BEAUTIFUL portfolio for more of her work!
“Stay humble, keep learning. ”
5 favorite musical artists of all time?
Quincy Jones
Michael Jackson
Sade
Alice Smith
Amy Winehouse
What inspires you?
I am inspired by dreams, memories, and daily moments of life that we don’t always appreciate.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Nothing is ever as you imagine, enjoy every moment.
What industry blogs/websites/podcasts do you enjoy?
Tote + Pears and Design Matters podcasts.
What do you think the future holds for people of color in creative industries?
We are just getting started. There are so many other stories we have to tell, the more we create, the more the world will have to listen, and hopefully I will change some hearts and minds in our industry.
What is your dream job?
Being an art director of photography and film in fashion, beauty, and lifestyle centering BIPOC stories.
What skill(s) would you develop if you had more time?
Videography and use of tools such as After Effects and Premier Pro.
What is the last thing you learned?
You don’t need pro tools to do pro work!
I was working on some content and was being a stickler about using Premier Pro, when it was actually way more efficient for me to just use Capcut. Yes, Premier Pro is industry standard, but for certain projects, it just isn’t necessary.
What are you working on right now?
My business, Creation X Progress. It is an agency that offers creative solutions centering BIPOC and Queer owned businesses. Currently, I am managing a couple brands doing a wide range of projects - art direction, brand identity development, web design, graphic design, production design, and content creation.
If you could talk to your favorite creative for an hour, who would it be? Why?
Veejay Villafranca - I love his work and how it borders between street and documentary photography, but it also has composition that feels editorial. I would be interested to know about how he got into photography, what inspires him, and what his process is like on a daily basis.
What advice would you give to creatives of color looking to pursue their passion full-time?
Stay humble, keep learning.
How do you keep your creative drip going?
I stay creative because I love learning. By exposing myself to new tools, mediums, or artists I am able to bring new layers of life to my work. It also helps to have good music in the background, a cup of coffee, and sunshine! :)
Contact: kspancho@icloud.com
Check out her personal + business Instagram pages, along with her BEAUTIFUL portfolio for more of her work!