I’m a second generation mixed race Latina with that stubborn love for robots, hamsters, and hedgehogs. I’ve gone through the motions (school, college, work) but creative endeavors have always accompanied me through it all.

In 2017 I had the opportunity to attend my first convention, which definitely changed me forever. I found myself absorbed in… cosplay! (Trust me, this is very relevant). Going to cons to cosplay with friends became the highlights of my year, and my favorite thing to check out at these cons…? The artist alley.

Despite providing merch artwork for conventions since 2018, I never felt like I was worthy enough to even try to vend at conventions. Cosplaying felt so fun, and the art world felt like this impenetrable culture of “true artists” whom I could never even compare to. Then came 2022, and something changed. One of my oldest friends had found success selling art online and (lovingly) dragged me in with them.

Yes, this is really what my first booth looked like (right side)

Then my first con opportunity came, and I… did terrible! (I think I made $34 total…) Putting myself out there was really scary, but I kept going, desperate to improve. And thankfully, things did get better! I was still working my customer service job, but my online shop kept growing. Cut to 2024, where I decided to take another leap of faith and start a Kickstarter for the TF-verse, and received more support than I ever could have imagined.

Here’s what my booth looks like now!

The intention behind YourGuidingX has always been to embrace your interests and live authentically- even if it means wearing pins of silly robots and hedgehogs in public. I’ve grown to accept even my most “cringe” interests, and I hope I can inspire others to do the same. Life is short, and we deserve to live and love freely!

~EV 💙