We had a heart to art. Andrea Campos (she / her) is an illustrator, photographer, and triple Cancer (so, yeah, she’s powerful). Just as the pandemic began, she left a career in marketing for brands like Gap and The Wing and decided to wing it herself as a freelance illustrator.

Her first children’s book, a collaboration with Denise Morales Soto called A Little Book About Culture, just dropped, so we spoke to the Chicago native about what it’s like to wear her art on her (book) sleeve, why celebrating our heritage is crucial, and how she went from corporate to creative.

When did you start drawing?
It’s something I’ve done since I was a kid. My parents put me in a pre-K course, mostly to learn English. The teacher really liked one of my drawings and made it the classroom T-shirt for that year. I thought it was so cool, because it was the T-shirt that every student wore when we went on field trips… As I got older, I put [drawing] to the side, with the exception of doodling during meetings. But it’s something I found helpful and cathartic.

How did you know it was time to pursue art as a career?
I decided in January 2020 that I was going to set off and do my own thing. Marketing wasn’t the right place for me, but I enjoyed the creative stuff—photo shoots, the art direction—so I started to hone those skills. I was a photographer and I had clients that I would work with on nights and weekends. I was writing for different publications, just trying to fill that void in whatever way I could. Then I mustered up the courage to leave the security of a 9-to-5 job behind.

So you jumped in right before the pandemic! Did lockdown affect your plans?
Every single project I had lined up disappeared overnight. I remember thinking, “You know what? My last job was incredibly toxic, and I’m burnt out. Let me focus on my mental health.” I turned to drawing as a lifeline, and it brought me a lot of peace… Community was the one thing I felt we were lacking, and I realized, “Hey, I have something really special on my hands. I want to lean into this.” Somewhere along the line, I started to share my work on Instagram.

What was the reaction like?
First my friends started following, then their friends. Then for MLK Day this year, I created a relatively simple piece of artwork, and it blew up. Questlove shared it! It completely changed the direction of my illustration, because overnight I had 5K new followers. There was this outpouring of affirmation that I was not expecting.

So how did you go from IG artist to children’s book illustrator?
I started to look at [my IG account] with a business lens. I sought out brands and opportunities that had similar tones or aspirations. I found A Kids Co., and I thought they were great. I love that they’re taking what have historically been considered “adult topics”—like racism, culture, or advocacy—and presenting them in a way that makes sense for kids. I pitched an idea for them. They were like, “We love it. But also we have a book about culture that we want to write, and we think your artwork would be perfect for it. Are you interested?” I said, “Yes, let’s do it!”

Of all the subjects to cover, why is this one so significant?
Culture [has] always been important to me, especially as a first-generation Mexican-American woman in the U.S. I think a lot of immigrant children, and BIPOC folks in general, can relate to growing up with comments like, “You smell different,” or “What do you mean you don’t celebrate this holiday?”—all those little things that make you ashamed of your culture. These [books] are for children, but really, it’s exposure. Kids can see a picture and hold it deep in their mind, so that when they interact with someone different in real life, it’s a familiar conversation with more empathy.

When it comes to your career journey, what are you most proud of?
I am first-generation, so I tried to go to art school when I was 18 and got a swift “No.” Not because my parents didn’t see that I was talented, but because I didn’t have the luxury of generational wealth to support myself. My mom was an architect in Mexico and moved to the U.S. when she was 26 or 27. But her degree didn’t transfer, so she wasn’t able to practice here. I’ve seen how sad it’s made her, that she had to give that up. I’m so happy to be able to dedicate my time and energy into pursuing this career. I know it means so much to her, and to my grandfather, who was also a phenomenal artist but didn’t have that career option. I’m the first in my family to have this opportunity, and I’m not taking it for granted.