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#ItsPersonal Podcast IV 103. Derek Desierto on moving, creative process and family support
7 Plays3 years ago
Derek Desierto is a Vancouver-based illustrator whose books with Eva Chen include the New York Times bestseller Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes. Currently, he is living the dream as a freelance artist for animated TV shows and picture books. His ultimate goal in life is to meet Oprah and become one of her Favorite Things.
On this podcast, Derek chats about his move from the Philippines to Canada, his creative process, the idea of "writer's block", family support during his artist journey, and "if not art, then what".
Website: https://www.derekdesierto.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/derekdesierto
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/derekdesierto/
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Transcript
Author Introductions
00:00:08
Speaker
I'm Deesha Filia, and I'm the author of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, a collection of nine stories about black women, sex, and the black church. Hello, my name is Jerry Kraft. I'm the author and the illustrator of the graphic novels New Kid and Class Act. My name is Anne Winter, and I am an author of children's books. I live in Austin, Texas.
00:00:34
Speaker
Hi, everyone. Thank you, Gary, so much for having me on. This is a huge pleasure. My name is Andre Fenton. I'm a young adult, author, and poet, spoken word artist from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Hi, Gary. Thank you so much. I am Andrea Wang. I write books for kids and most recently my picture book, Watercress, and my debut middle grade novel, The Many Minutes of Love.
Welcome Back & Interview Introduction
00:01:05
Speaker
It's personal. Welcome back, everyone, to another episode of It's Personal. I'm super excited, and I know I always say this, but I'm super excited for my guest today, not only because he is an illustrator and author, but he's also in Canada right now.
Life in Vancouver
00:01:26
Speaker
And I don't normally speak to those who are living in Canada. So can you introduce yourself? Hey, my name is Derek.
00:01:33
Speaker
and I am a designer and illustrator for children's picture books. Awesome. And you are currently in Canada right now? Yeah. So I live in Vancouver, Canada. Okay. And what's the, I know the answer to this, but I always find it so funny, but I'm in the Philippines and the weather is, it's very, very hot right now. What's the weather like in Vancouver right now?
00:01:58
Speaker
It's you know, Vancouver gets to experience really temperate weather. So compared to Toronto, where it's probably snowing, if anything, it's just like rainy, especially for winter. So it is probably like four degrees. I don't know what the equivalent is for American. It's probably four degrees. And then in this weekend, it'll be very sunny. So I'm really looking forward to that.
00:02:27
Speaker
I love that. That's one of the things I love about Vancouver. I've only been once when I was in your first sport, but I just, depending on where you, I don't want to say depending on where you are, but the areas that I spent the most time, it's just so beautiful. I love like the campuses, like the university campuses were beautiful. I enjoyed like just like the shopping and just like the scenery in general, but I really enjoyed Vancouver a lot. Yeah, I think
00:02:57
Speaker
I went to school in Toronto, in a suburb of Toronto, so having moved away for so long really made me grateful to come back and live in Vancouver because it is such a beautiful city where you're situated in the middle of a mountain range and at the same time you have a Pacific Ocean right there.
Cultural Transition and Education Differences
00:03:22
Speaker
So it's very...
00:03:25
Speaker
rare, I think, to live in such a beautiful city where you kind of have everything. I guess the only things that are lacking are like swimmable beaches like in the Philippines. Yeah, Philippines is so different. But I actually love the Philippines. We've only been here for three years, moving next year. But we love the people, we love the culture, we love the environment. And obviously the food is
00:03:54
Speaker
amazing as well. So yeah, it's a good salad, but it's great. That's so true. That is a good loss there. But that's so true. And you mentioned before we came on that you, um, I want to say you, you said you moved when you were eight years old. Is that correct? Yeah. So I was born in Quezon city. And then I moved when I was eight with my family.
00:04:20
Speaker
um to northern BC which is actually very close to Alaska and and I've never been back at times at the time but the last time I was back was in 2020 right before COVID hit so I was really lucky to go back and it was quite a culture shock I haven't I don't think I think before then I was back like when I was in high school so it was a really long time since I was last there and
00:04:45
Speaker
You know, at one time, on one hand, it feels like a homecoming and the other hand, it feels like you're going to like a foreign place. So yeah, it was fantastic. I would love to visit again. Yeah. What was your transition like? Do you remember your transition as an eight
Derek's Creative Process and Philosophy
00:05:03
Speaker
year old? Like, you know, in my head, I kind of just felt like, oh, I'm going to like the land of Archie, like this plot. And so I remember, oh, I'll get to have soda for the first time, even if you had
00:05:15
Speaker
like in the Philippines, it's like in my head, it's a bit of soda. So things like that. I just remember reading about things or watching things on TV and then thinking, oh, I get to experience it fine. Like I remember reading about jelly beans and I was like, I don't get jelly beans. And then I finally got to have it when I was in Canada. I'm like, oh, okay, that's okay.
00:05:40
Speaker
That was so funny. And then what about like schooling in regards to like the transition for you going from school in the Philippines to your school in Canada? What were some of the big differences there? I just remember school and I think for the most part, all my friends that went to school in Asia, school is so much harder there. I remember moving very early, even as an eight-year-old or like going to Kaner or Griguan or whatever, you go wake up early to go to school.
00:06:08
Speaker
And then you're at school for very long hours. Like it's not just, I think here people go home at 12 by the time, like for some early grades, but then it's like a full day. And even with the reading, like textbooks, I remember having to, you know, like a small carry on luggage for kids. I remember that for books at eight. So I think in regards to school, I just remember it felt easier here.
00:06:36
Speaker
I did also go to a school where we had to speak English in the Philippines. So the language thing wasn't, to me, that big a deal, but my sister did remind me recently, she said, you used to say that you would get Tagalog and English mixed up when you're talking to your new friends. So they're like, what are you saying? I'm like, I don't know what people get left saying. I don't know if you have memory, but yeah, to me it felt, I didn't feel, I was more excited about
00:07:06
Speaker
the idea of going to school or living in Canada. Yeah and it's interesting because I think as a teacher who's taught kids literally in that like age range like eight, nine, seven, oftentimes without even knowing they are so flexible and the idea of knowing about something being a new experience, a new experience, it almost overrides all the
00:07:34
Speaker
the scary thing sometimes, right? So I can only imagine that feeling. I feel like you don't really know what to be scared of. Also, generally, I'm somebody that gets along very well with people and I'm easy to get along with and I'm easy to talk to. So it was never hard for me to make new friends. So I think that helped me a lot in my life. So yeah, to me, it was just an exciting adventure.
00:08:03
Speaker
That's cool. That's cool. I wanted to ask you more about like, just your, I guess, creative journey, because knowing you as an illustrator, someone who understands fashion, who has done a lot of work in fashion, now animation, like you are a creator, like through the group, like that's exactly what you, what you are. So I want to talk about like your creative process and how do you, how do you get inspired about a piece, whether it's an illustration
00:08:34
Speaker
or a fashion piece, like how do you get inspired? I think for me it's like I kind of just go back to the things that I've always loved. So whether it's like an era in fashion or where it's an art era or music genre or art kind of literature that I always enjoy, time period,
00:09:00
Speaker
I kind of just go back to the things that I love, but also I, it's, you know, it's hard to say what always inspires you. Like I could just walk and see something and feel like, Oh my goodness, what is that? And be super curious about it and interested. And so that kind of, that also happens too. I think for me, I'm always, it's like my kind of is always up in reverse inspiration. So, uh, I'll take it from anywhere, you know, whether it's like, like today, I just,
00:09:28
Speaker
I open a new box of cereal, it was Cheerios, and then they have toys in there now. I'm like, oh, this is really cool. People buy something like that inspiring at the same time. We'll go to a museum and find art interesting as well. I'll take it anywhere. I'll take it anywhere. That kind of thing. Yeah. Yeah. That's such a creator's answer. It's like you're constantly
00:09:50
Speaker
seeing things in a different way. And I love hearing that because that's what we often try to talk to kids about in the classroom. Like you can find inspiration.
00:09:58
Speaker
in anything when it comes to specifically just storytelling in general. Like you can look at something that we see with the naked eye is very dull or simple, but when you turn it into a piece of writing or a piece of art or literature or music or whatever the case may be, you can really transform whatever the naked eye thinks that object or thing could be. So I can hear all of that in your voice and it makes me
00:10:24
Speaker
I'm very excited to hear that because those are the messages that we want to tell kids as well.
00:10:43
Speaker
and exciting as somebody, you know, for whoever, whoever out there that thinks of themselves or as an artist or creative person, it's like you can look at, everyone can look at the exact same thing and then take something different out of it, you know? So I always, you know, people say, oh, but it's been done. It's like, yeah, but you didn't do it. So I love thinking about that all the time because, you know, no one has ever seen it through your filter.
00:11:09
Speaker
Right. And so I, and that to me, as I get older, I kind of realized, Oh, so the game is only against yourself. It's like, there's no, you're not against anybody that like, Oh, but I have to do better than them or it has to look better than them. That's like not irrelevant. It's really about you and your art and.
00:11:31
Speaker
in your eyes, you feel like you're getting better or you're, you're, you're, um, continuing to love kind of what you create. I think for me, that's really ultimately what it's about. Wow. There are that is that I love hearing that from you because as a new writer who hasn't published anything yet, but it's coming obviously, but that is so good to hear because oftentimes and not just myself, but other authors, creators, kids will often compare
00:12:00
Speaker
or think about the things that they can't control. Like, I can't control what you do. I can't control what other offices do or those things do. How it's perceived, or how people. 100%. 100%. I guess my question for you is, how did that mindset happen for you? Is that something that you kind of have been taught through the family, your experiences? Like, how did you get there to that point? To the point where it's just for me? Yeah.
00:12:30
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. I feel like for me, you know, the experience of having my first book published so early in my career and then having it be a success was kind of gave me the insight that I didn't expect where I realized it's like, oh, okay, that hasn't changed
00:12:53
Speaker
much in your life of you getting a best seller, a best seller, like you're, you're still the same person. You know, I think, I think that was one of the things I realized is like, okay, people, I can feel people look at me differently, especially in my industry where it's like, Oh, okay. Yeah. We'd love to work with Derek because, you know, he had that best seller. But in my head, it's like, I was the same guy in college.
00:13:22
Speaker
You know, I had the same, um, inspirations and interests and I'm sure my skill has gotten better, but I feel like I was always the same guy. Um, and after, after achieving that, I realized, oh, it's the, the real award or the real accomplishment is getting to do this all the time, as much as I want, like, as long as I want to do it.
00:13:48
Speaker
I feel like that is the real gift that any of
Family Support and Career Choices
00:13:54
Speaker
this is. It's like you're able to do the work that you want. You can get paid for it and you can do it for as long as you want, you know? I think now I'm in a position where I'm given this kind of work. And to me, it's like, it's just, I'm in the
00:14:16
Speaker
Now I just enjoy the process of doing it rather than feeling like it needs to accomplish a certain thing, you know, or need to achieve a certain thing. I'm just enjoying it for what it is, period. I would just great feeling to have because then it allows me to let go of that anxiety where it needs to perform a certain way. So that's like business anymore. To me, it's like, I'm trying to stay in the president and, and kind of give it all I can give it all I got.
00:14:45
Speaker
to to move to one satisfy myself as a person as an artist of like to me this looks really good and I know I did the best that I can I figure I'm happy to the publisher at that time but that's my only goal at this point you know I love I love that you say that you'd like to sit in the process and just like enjoy
00:15:07
Speaker
Because that's what it is. It's like the whole, it's writing, it's creating the book. That's the fun part. I think we didn't get, we didn't get into it thinking like, well, I want to be this successful. You know, JK Rowling didn't go there playing, I want to be a bestseller.
00:15:22
Speaker
It's like she wanted to write it because that was in her to write. And I think the same way can be said for anybody that's creative. It's like, if there's a work that's inside you that's waiting to come out, you're just like the vessel for that work to come through. You know what I mean? So I always think of it that way for any opportunity.
00:15:46
Speaker
I feel like I'm a vessel for that opportunity for that work to come through me. And so the best way I can serve it is to be really centered and like present. I know this sounds kind of very, um, it's kind of trying to sound more spiritual, but I do see my work to be a spiritual kind of thing because I am connected to something that I can't explain. It literally just like flows through, through me. And I honor that.
00:16:12
Speaker
I honored that by being present with the work all the time. I love that. I love that. And I think hearing that again, just reminds me as a teacher to explore these ideas with kids of how they can get to that place. Because as a kid, you are often comparing just because it's right in front of you and
00:16:36
Speaker
kids often I don't want to say they struggle but the process is new to them like the steps are new to them they see the shiny prize at the end whether that's a piece of writing or completed video or whatever the case may be how do we encourage kids to enjoy the process and I think what you're saying is a great example of that because it's so powerful when you when you're in the work and enjoying the process like the results are
00:17:03
Speaker
always 10 times better, always 10 times better. So I love hearing that theory.
Alternate Career Interests
00:17:11
Speaker
I wonder, because of your creative mind and the things that you do in regards to illustrations and animations, et cetera, is that something that your family was supportive of? Because we've all heard the idea of the struggling artist, and it's just so hard to break through, et cetera.
00:17:32
Speaker
Was it something that your family was supportive of in the beginning? Well, for my, I come from a family, not both my parents were artists, but my dad definitely was more artistic. He went to art school. He though became an architect, but he's always been artistic. He plays music and he draws and so on. So I think they understood my desire
00:18:01
Speaker
Or actually, no, I would say they saw my talent for art and they've always supported and cultivated it. So I think when they initially, though, I did say I did go to fashion school first. And for that, they were like, why would you go to fashion school? What are you going to do? So to them, it was very bizarre, though they let me do it. So I went to fashion school. I did drop out because I didn't sew.
00:18:27
Speaker
But I think that led me to illustration at Mason. What I excelled at in high school was illustration. And that has led me now into my career. So even though I dropped out of fashion school, it's like that design mentality has continued in my work. So yeah, apart from there, initially them feeling like, well, why would you go there?
00:18:56
Speaker
They have been very supportive and now I think they're always very excited for my work. I think they're very happy. Coming from an immigrant family, I think they just want you to do well. When I got to take them to a book launch in New York,
00:19:17
Speaker
And I think to them it was just, they were kind of in disbelief to see my name in Barnes and Noble and like the biggest Barnes and Noble in New York and like this huge poster and then people, like hundreds of people came out and then they saw, I think, you know, for them it's a dream realized. So I think they're very happy now. I hope so. Yeah. I hope so too. That's such a cool story. Derek, I have just a few more questions for you and I think because
00:19:47
Speaker
illustrations and drawings has been such a huge part of your life and watch your dad obviously go through it as well. If not illustrations, then what? Like if let's say you weren't illustrating, you weren't drawing, then what would you, if you could pick anything, what would it have been if you were not able to do the drawing of the illustration?
00:20:09
Speaker
I actually just answered this question because I did that reading, that virtual reading, and a child asked me, what would you do if you're not an illustrator? And the answer I said was that in high school I was a peer counselor, and I think I would be a counselor or like a therapist. I enjoy, I find it very fulfilling to help people
00:20:37
Speaker
through issues or even, or just listen to them having talked through what they're going through. I find that very fulfilling. And so I'm hoping to do that. I love that. And I can tell this, this is my first time speaking with you, but I can see that in your responses to the questions that we've had. You make an awesome counter there. Let's say,
00:21:03
Speaker
Would you want to do it like counseling for like adults or for kids or for like, where do you see like age range wise? Um, when I do counseling, I mean, I guess, I guess anybody that, I feel like it, to me, it, it would make more sense for adults because I feel like, um, I can, yeah, I think I'm not sure if I could talk the same. I'm not trained to talk to children the same way, but that would be for, I think I can see myself
00:21:31
Speaker
doing that. I actually recently, last year I, during COVID, I had the opportunity to work with a life coach for the first time. And I really loved that experience because I, I've never talked to a therapist before. Life coach is kind of similar where you kind of talk about things that you're going through. And I feel like it gave me such clarity. And I could also, I thought to myself, like, I think that would be such a,
00:21:58
Speaker
cool job to do. Um, yeah, I would do something like that. But I also think like you could do that in any work that you do. You don't have to have that kind of title, right? So, you know, talking with you like through this kind of, through this podcast, I feel like whoever's listened to it can get whatever they want from the thing. Right. Yeah. And I think that conversation can be a type of,
00:22:24
Speaker
Like you said, it can be a type of therapy as well. It can allow people to feel good. And your work can be it. 100%. 100%. And I think that I truly believe that when your work is part of your therapy, it truly changes your whole thought process on who you are as a person and how you kind of move through the world when a lot of it is just the chunk of that time that
Managing Creative Blocks
00:22:53
Speaker
you
00:22:53
Speaker
But most people is at work, right? And if you, if your work is therapy, like that is going to hopefully lift you even more to be a better person and grow, et cetera. So I love how you, how you frame that because I think it's so true. I do. I think it's so true. Yeah. I have one more question for you and I always, I don't always ask this, but I think it's important. Maybe selfishly for me because I'm the new writer. I'm not going through this right now, but I just think sometimes these things pop up.
00:23:22
Speaker
What do you do, I guess, do you believe in, I guess, creative blocks or writer's block? And if so, what are some of the things that you do to not necessarily get out of it, but to feel okay with those moments where you are, you know, just not feeling it today or having a hard time kind of articulating what you want on the paper? I think for me, especially after going to COVID,
00:23:52
Speaker
And, um, not feeling inspired really, um, a lot in the past two years in the middle of having to produce work, which is harder. Um, so I think, you know, in the moments where if you have the luxury of time, uh, I found that sitting with, with the, not wanting to create.
00:24:17
Speaker
is okay. So one, it's like, for me, I accept that feeling now, instead of trying to fork myself out of it. This is, let me just say, if I'm in a job, I have no choice but to push through it. So sometimes I just push through it. Other times, if I have the luxury of time, I will sit with it. And so if I don't feel like it, it's like, okay, then what do you want to do today?
00:24:40
Speaker
So I kind of ask myself. And in other ways, I feel like I enticed that kind of inspiration to come back or to help dissolve the blockage. I feel like I go back to the things that always inspired me. So whether it's like a certain film that I love or a book that I love to read or art that I love to look at, I'll go back to all those things that will remind me of like, oh, right, I like that. And you as a creative person,
00:25:07
Speaker
It's like your brain automatically connects dots, right? So you'll read something that you wrote and you're like, Oh no, I could write it better. And so you'll automatically just start doing it, but you first have to be in the flow of it first. So if I'm at a clock, I'll put myself in a certain flow where it's like, okay. You know, things that inspire me, I'll go back to that. That'll put me in the flow. Then I'll look back at the work and it's like, Oh, well, I already know what's wrong.
00:25:37
Speaker
You know what I mean? So I do that. I do that all the time. And sometimes I feel like the break is nice for the work because then you see it differently the next time. Yeah. Yeah. That's so true. That's so true. And I love how you said, sorry. Are you feeling a block? No, I don't think I feel it, but right now I don't, but I have felt that in those moments.
00:26:08
Speaker
And I love that the consistency across many of the authors and illustrators and creators that I've talked to is exactly what you said in regards to just like accepting it and realizing it, being it, feeling it, et cetera, if you have that luxury. Because like you said, when you are tied to a company or a publishing house or whatever the case may be,
00:26:31
Speaker
sometimes those things have deadlines, and they cause you to push through, et cetera. I'd say, though, that I watch this TED Talk by Elizabeth Gilbert, who is the author of Eat, Pray, Love. And she was writing about her experience after writing Eat, Pray, Love, where people are expecting another teeth bestseller from her. And then she's like, well, I don't think it did me right. Or not that I don't think it did me, but it's hard to live up to those expectations.
00:27:02
Speaker
And one of the things she said was talking about the idea of abuse versus genius, where people that are thought to be as genius, like you think it's all in you, that you have to create this stuff versus the idea of abuse, where it's like it's actually outside of you, where you tap into abuse to inspire you. And so without using pressure off you to produce, you're waiting to be inspired. And so I,
00:27:29
Speaker
I always think about that when I'm trying to create something where I think like, okay, I have to find my muse. I have to go back to the work that always excites me to be in that flow. And instead of thinking like, well, I need to make it happen. So to me, it's like, I don't find myself creative when I'm in such a tense feeling. So I have to be really in the flow of everything.
00:27:59
Speaker
you know, part of it is a mix of that. I don't give, I don't put myself to the pressure of like, it's up to you to figure it out. It's more like, get inspired to be in that zone to connect the thoughts together, you know, which makes it easier for me to. Yeah. No, I, I 100% agree with you. Derek, I want to thank you so much for hanging out today.
Where to Follow Derek
00:28:18
Speaker
Um, where can people find you online? Um, you can find me at Derek the Cirdo, which is my Instagram and that's my website as well, DerektheCirdo.com.
00:28:29
Speaker
Awesome. And if it's okay to ask, are there things that we can look forward to? What are some of the publications that you have out right now? Well, I just, my most recent book that was released a couple weeks ago is called Colors of Awesome, which is the next, the third book for our four book series for Cuna Valentine.
00:28:52
Speaker
And then I'm working on the newest book for Harper Collins called, it's an untitled book, but it's a book about the life of Jimmy Choo, the shoe designer. That is so awesome. I'm so excited. I'm so excited. Thank you so much for hanging out. You are so welcome. Thank you so much for having me.