Meet Karla Santa Anna: A Portrait of Creativity

Today we’d like to introduce you to Karla Santa Anna.

Hi Karla, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Karla Santa Anna, but everyone calls me Crayo. Long story short, I once donned a blue Crayola costume, mistakenly used the wrong paint for my face and hands, and ended up being blue for an entire week. You may think, ‘Oh, what a cute kindergarten story.’ Nope. This was in college, during my first year. As you can imagine, that quirky incident sealed my nickname for life 24 years ago. So, very few people call me Karla nowadays. The good news is, I liked it back then, and I still do. I could have potentially become Smurfette, so all’s good.

I was born and raised in Mexico City. Since I was a child, I’ve always been interested in the arts. I was constantly drawing with my mom, creating imaginative games with my brother and cousins, and feeling inspired by the surrealist minds of Remedios Varo and Leonora Carrington, the extraordinary color palettes and stars of Vincent Van Gogh, and the experimental sounds of Alan Parsons’ music. I also used to play the piano at home with my dad, who only knew some rock and roll chords but was good enough to start exploring music. Since back then, I knew that creative expression was my calling. However, for many many years, already as an adult, I wasn’t entirely sure which medium to pursue. I used to believe that I had to choose one single creative path, and that decision was very uncomfortable and challenging to me, to say the least. Perhaps it was because back in the day, you’d introduce yourself professionally with those small squared business cards, and there was room for one single title. I guess one day, I just got tired of that stupid thought, freed myself, and started creating everything I wanted.

Anyway, that’s something I understood way later, so when I had to decide what I was going to study in college, I found this new career called Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communications. It had a little bit of everything that I liked, so I pursued it. By the end of my studies, I was fortunate to have Advertising as a skill in my last program. Also, at the time, there were very few colleges offering Advertising as a career. My university was one of the exceptions, offering it as a one-of-a-kind official 4-year program, so I connected with advertising students and professors, providing me with first-hand insights into how the industry operated beyond school. This exposure helped me realize that I could potentially become an Art Director, as I realized every project I would work on was going to be different. I could come up with creative solutions in very different styles. I loved the idea of it. Besides, it was an industry full of fun people, so I really envisioned myself there.

My big break came when I heard about a creative internship opportunity at J. Walter Thompson, the first ad agency in the world (although it no longer exists). During the interview, I showcased my illustration skills using nothing but my school assignments and my pencil drawings. I even proposed shadowing the agency for a day to observe and assist without compensation. To my surprise, they agreed. By the time they concluded their interviews with other candidates, I had already spent a full week at the agency, brimming with energy and eagerness to learn. The Art Director that interviewed me said, ‘You’ve won; you’re already here, so let’s do this, Crayo.’ I was delighted.

I remained at J. Walter Thompson for the next ten years, eventually becoming one of the youngest female Creative Directors at the time. JWT was my alma mater, and I learned a lot there, but I have to admit, I barely saw natural light. I was always at the agency working, even having breakfast, lunch, and dinner there. This was my life. Two of my boyfriends during those ten years also worked there. All my friends were there. Everything inside the agency felt like home to me, and at the time, it felt right. However, the truth is I barely lived my 20s in the outside world. Except for a yearly trip I would take, I missed something we all love to call nowadays: Work-life balance. The tiny bit of free time I had back then, I’d use it to get hammered with my friends after a grueling 60-hour workweek. I do remember having the itch to start other personal creative projects, but either they got abandoned midway, or I’d put them off for ages because I wasn’t giving them the time they really deserved.

Eventually, I moved to another agency to continue my professional growth, but work was still very intense. No exaggeration; I was already compromising my health. By 2015, I got sick of it, and after 12 years of ad career, I decided to say, ‘F*ck it!’ I took a break and became a freelancer. Don’t get me wrong, I love advertising, but I realized I was basically being exploited, so I quit. The first thing I did the following Monday was to drive on the highway and go check in on my parents. It sounds incredible, but I literally got to enjoy the natural light of the day again. I was like, ‘Oh yes! There are birds and trees! Now I remember.’ I had time to go and do some meditation classes to cool down my years of overdoing work. I reconnected with my true self, managed my own work schedules and clients, started to draw again, and helped friends with other creative projects. It was awesome! Everything was more than great.

One year later, in 2016 (Don’t laugh), I got back in. A friend invited me to support his creative department as an ECD at the Y&R office. A role I couldn’t reject. Professionally, it was a huge step for my career, and I thought, ‘Well, what the heck! I guess I am ready to go back into the office,’ so I accepted. Yep. I fell into the illusion of having a title that would shine on my business card.

Everything was okay for a few months, but eventually, my role took an unexpected turn as the agency faced challenges. I had to transition from overseeing as an ECD to a CD focusing on a single account: Movistar Mexico, that required a lot of detailed attention. While this wasn’t my initial plan, working closely with this client proved to be an amazing experience. However, internally we agreed that this shift would be just temporary, and I would return to my ECD role once things stabilized. But the months passed, and life is multifaceted, right? So unexpectedly, even to me, I made a bold decision to prioritize a personal relationship. In three steps: I met someone online, fell in love, and relocated to LA.

Six years ago, I made the move to the United States and embarked on the journey of obtaining my work visa. During this time, I continued my role as a freelance Creative Director, embracing the challenges and unpredictable nature of freelancing in a new and bigger industry. Once again, this transition brought me closer to nature, encouraging introspection, meditation, and other activities that I’ve come to realize are vital for my creative expression. It provided me with an opportunity to explore a diverse range of creative endeavors and not just do creative for advertising. From repurposing street-found furniture to nurturing plants, painting, undertaking personal projects, experimenting with music, trying my hand at cooking, drawing, crafting lyrics, illustrating poetry, and even delving into the world of AI generative art, I feel great to have the time to explore it all now. I’ve found comfort in the notion that my creative purpose goes beyond the confines of advertising. Everything I do revolves around creativity, and after all these years, I’m excited to confirm that this is my true path. I firmly believe that the more varied the creative experiences, the better. I’m ready to continue this exploration.

If the day comes when I decide to return to a full-time role in an ad agency or creative studio, one thing I’ll hold dear is the value of my time, for it remains the key currency that fuels my creative journey beyond boundaries. I understand this can be overwhelming for some creative people, but every case is different. This is the path that feels right for me. I believe everybody should check on themselves once in a while and touch base with their own essence, seek their own truth.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I believe my openness and diversity are my strengths.

When it comes to advertising, I see myself as a creative who easily adapts to solving any kind of problem/challenge and working with any type of client. I’ve always worked with a diverse range of clients rather than specializing in a single category, reflecting my multidisciplinary nature. From my days as an intern, I learned the art of both copywriting and art direction simultaneously.

My current experience is also multicultural. I can proudly say that I’ve worked in various markets, including Mexico, LATAM, the US Hispanic Market, the US General Market, and the Global Market.

I’m very proud to have found my purpose, which is to unleash my creativity in as many ways as possible, not just within the advertising industry but across various domains. It may sound easy, but it’s not.

Beyond my freelance work in advertising, I’ve been passionately engaged in creative exploration. I’ve ventured into the realm of AI to bring my poetry to life visually. I’ve also been crafting what I like to call the ‘visual language of my life’ through some creatures and characters on traditional canvas paintings. In addition, I’m diving into music exploration and have recently released my debut album. You can listen to it here:

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
Good luck:

– I am lucky to have been born with a little bit of talent or creative impulse, and I was very lucky to identify it at a very young age.

– I was born into the right house, with the right people (my parents) who were willing to share their creative side with me (drawing, playing music). Double lucky: They allowed my mind to grow freely, and I got inspired by doing many things, not just playing with dolls.

– I went to the right college, made the right connections, and heard about the best opportunity I could have at that time. I was super lucky it worked. I spent ten years there and made friends for life.

– I met my love through an online app, and we’ve been together for seven years (Come on. That’s luck!)

– I’ve experienced hard times that have triggered me to reconnect with my true path, so I actually consider them a blessing.

Overall, I’ve been very lucky.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.crayolus.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crayolus/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crayolus/
• Other: VIDEO POETRY LINK: https://vimeo.com/user10538274
  SPOTIFY LINK: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4NWtH6mSdDlv7aoFakrQYT?si=_cK_K6qwSoKUjF8zoXRZ2A

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