Art is often defined as the expression or application of human creative skills and imagination, usually in a visual form such as painting or sculpture. For Jacqueline Vigil, 27, creator of Muchas Flores Studio, art is being able to spread self-love and positivity through her brand of clothing and stickers.

From an early age, Vigil loved art. It was this love that led El Pasoan to attend El Paso Community College, where she earned a degree in graphic design and later inspired her to move to Los Angeles, where she graduated from Otis College of Art and Design in May 2020.

“My first thought was ‘graphic design is logos, business.’ But I mean, having been in school for the years that I did graphic design, it’s so much more than that,” Vigil said. “It’s the design and the art that’s functional. And it can translate to so many different mediums, which is amazing.

While in Los Angeles, Vigil collaborated with other students to sell homemade goods at local markets. Vigil recalls not making a lot of money on the first market, however, it was the same $12 she made that day that later inspired her to start Muchas Flores Studio.

“I was like, ‘I could make a living out of this? said Vigil. “That’s when I said to myself, I want to create my own brand, where I can create positive and colorful designs.”

Muchas Flores Studio sells a range of stickers, tote bags, apparel and keychains, all with positive phrases or images like ‘let yourself blossom’, ‘I will allow myself to blossom’ , “You were always enough” and “Trust your intuition.

“I wanted to use my design platform for something positive,” Vigil said. “I think mental health is very important, as well as self-love. So that’s where a lot of my inspiration for my quotes and my drawings comes from. And sometimes those are messages that I tell myself .

Vigil’s designs also include Sun City-inspired graphics, such as cactus keychains and stickers with the words El Paso written on them. The process of these creations begins with Vigil’s imagination and creativity as she draws inspiration from the color palettes she creates on her computer.

“Then I pick a font I like and play around with the design. Then from there I can pretty much make stickers right away,” Vigil said. “I print them, laminate them, my Cricut cuts them, then I wrap them, and for the tote bags, I screen print them on my kitchen table.

Muchas Flores Studio houses its products at Love Alumni Boutique, alongside other small businesses. This business decision and his participation in local markets such as the El Paso Arts and Farmers Market and the Upper Valley Market led Vigil to connect personally with his customers.

“I really like going to markets in person because I can see my customers and their reactions,” Vigil said. “I always love when I’m in person and a client is like, ‘oh, I gave this to my sister, and it really brightened her day.’ Or they’ll be like, ‘do you have anything new?’ So it’s nice to see regulars too, or people who have seen me on social networks.

Vigil hopes to continue bringing new products to these customers by creating stationery items in the near future, such as planners and notepads, with its continued message of spreading positivity.

“Of course, it’s so easy to say ‘love yourself more’, but what else can I do to help people start this journey?” said Vigil. “There’s no right or wrong way to journey towards self-love, so I think maybe I’d like to sell a nice notebook or stationery item where people could reflect and start that journey towards self-love and healing.”

Although the process of creating, packaging, selling and promoting with one hand can be overwhelming, Vigil credits her hard work to those who support her. This includes his grandparents, whose surname “Flores” inspired Vigil’s business name.

“The Muchas Flores Studio name is actually dedicated to my grandparents because they were always my biggest support system. They still are,” Vigil said. “Having the support of them and my parents, of my family and friends has been wonderful. This is what keeps me going. »

Although Muchas Flores Studio has been around since May 2020, that’s just the beginning for Vigil, as it hopes to introduce its products to markets outside of El Paso. She hopes to apply to the Los Angeles markets and sell her products in more boutiques and retail spaces.

“I don’t want to use my talent to work hard on a computer to make someone else’s dream come true,” Vigil said. “I prefer to devote all this time and effort to achieving my dreams. And I hope that along the way, I can help others.

For more information on purchasing Muchas Flores Studio items or to view their market participation schedule, you can visit their Instagram @muchasflores_studio.

Anahy Diaz is the Multimedia Editor and can be reached at [email protected]; @by_anahydiaz on Twitter.