We recently had the chance to connect with Yai Vila and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Yai, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What is a normal day like for you right now?
I wake up kind of when my body tells me to, usually at 8:00, have a big cup of coffee after another and I don’t leave my desk until like 7 or 8pm or until my cat wakes up from his naps and wants some attention time. I do some graphic design regular day job and since I am super undiagnosed ADHD I also do my own art stuff in between and afterwards. I love both jobs and enjoy weekdays even more than weekends
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Yai, my “brand” / artist name is yaicecream. I’m an illustrator, muralist, painter, and graphic designer from Madrid, Spain. After spending ten years in Phoenix, I moved to Los Angeles in 2018, where I continue to live and work.
My work is defined by vibrant colors and playful, lighthearted characters and themes. Through these, I aim to spark nostalgia, joy, and imagination—inviting viewers to reconnect with their inner child, meaning I hope to tickle people’s brains a little bit when they see my art.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I think I have always been myself. As an only child, daughter of a single mom, and member of a tiny family who didn’t even get along, I spent a lot of time alone, in my own head, in my own imagination, talking to the mirror, creating stories and creatures in my head as well as watching cartoons, and of course drawing nonstop or playing with my cats and dogs, which thinking about it, totally defines me today as well.
I think if there’s something special about myself, is that nothing could really change who I am, cause this is the only thing I know how to be. And it might come off as stubborn, but this is it for me, I am Yai, and that’s that 🙂 I will always draw and paint cartoons until I no longer exist
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
Fear of not succeeding!! Even tho every day I wake up happy and I look forward to another day of new opportunities and new projects, the instability of being an artist is very scary. Sometimes you don’t get any work and you wonder if you should get a regular job, and sometimes you sign an amazing contract for the coolest project you’ve ever had. And it’s always like that as an up-and-coming artist, which in a way is very exciting if you think about it, but pretty dang scary.
I think the fear of failure creeps silently inside of you and sneaks in the worst of times, but overall, I manage it pretty well, and I consider myself a very positive person. I couldn’t stop drawing silly dogs even if I wanted to. My hand just does it itself.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes and no! Haha, but mostly yes. This is an awesome question.
I am actually such an introvert. I absolutely love friends and people, but I need a lot of alone time to recharge, and if I don’t have that, it gets intense inside of me. But yes, I am the colorful, happy, goofy person you see in the street smiling at most people 😛 pretty much like a happy puppy who needs long naps to recover from all the fun.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
I think I would continue to live my life similarly, I want to say I would stop fearing the things I want, maybe go with more intensity chasing my goals, maybe stop stopping myself, and actually ask for the things I want, versus wait for them to come to me, take all the chances I don’t take when I think of how much times is left.
But who’s to say I even have 10 years left… so I might as well listen to what I am writing at this moment and fully go for it! but will I… xD
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.behance.net/yaicecreamtime
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yaicecream
Image Credits
Just me 🙂
