Meet Valerie Herrera | Illustrator & Small Business Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Valerie Herrera and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Valerie, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
My main goal with FroginaSweater is to provide a sense of comfort with my art. In college, one of my favorite classes was “Illustration for Children’s Books,” and I remember my professor praising my drawings that were simple and cute over the more detailed, realistic pieces. I never knew there was a market for cute art until that class. It really changed my perspective and artistic voice. I think there’s a certain charm in drawings that are overly simple it looks almost childish. I knew I had something special with my art style. My illustrations evoke this nostalgic, comforting atmosphere that makes others happy. With this in mind, I started selling my art as stickers, art prints, stationery, and other cute products to entertain the child within all of us.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
With my art, I forget to remind myself that my art isn’t just for me. When you create something and release it into the world, it no longer belongs to you. The biggest struggle for many young artists trying to sell their art is being unable to relate to the viewer. What is really successful with my art is the nostalgic, familiar emotion is provokes with some people. I learned this through trial and error within my social media posts. My illustrations of cute animals are the most popular because it’s relatable to the viewer in some way. I love drawing cute animals going on dates to which my followers then tag their friends and share amongst each other, it makes me really happy.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend was visiting, I would take them to The Scratch Room for brunch. To wake up from our food coma, we’d grab a latte over at Thank You Coffee or Tierra Mia. I’d take them to one of my favorite movie theaters, Starlight Cinema, then make plans for lunch. Anaheim has no shortage of authentic taco places and my favorite at the moment is Tacos Los Cholos. To end the day, I’d take us to a brewery like Brewery X or Golden Road.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
When I first started taking my art seriously, no one was more supportive than my partner Alejandro Garcia. Being in a relationship where we’re both creatives keeps us inspired and motivated. My little nephews too, remind myself of what it’s like being a kid which I then channel into my art. I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for their enthusiasm and joy.

Website: https://froginasweater.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_baelerie/

Other: Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@_baelerie?

Image Credits
ALGPhotography