What pieces or projects have you been working on lately?
I’m writing and drawing for my next book, which I hope will be published in the middle of next year. I’m also looking for agencies that want to represent my illustration work internationally, but it’s complicated, so I’m working a lot on my portfolio and networking.
I’m also drawing for the new album by Chico Jorge (Jordi Bastida), who has released three singles so far, and we’ve designed the covers, animations, and, of course, the album cover coming out in November. I had never drawn for a music project before, so I’m very happy about that.
I collaborate intermittently with magazines such as Cinemanía, Eme21 Madrid and El Cultural. So over the past few months I’ve also illustrated articles and covers. On a personal level, I’ve been making portraits of people who inspire me, especially women writers.
What did you learn (or unlearn) while working on them?
In recent months I’ve learned to be more patient and to accept that there are work-related situations I can’t control — for example, waiting times, limited budgets and clients, or not being the right fit for an illustration agency.
I try to remind myself daily that seeking inspiration, going to museums and exhibitions, reading, walking, searching, attending talks and courses, drawing without expectations, and experimenting are also part of my job. It’s important to invest time in those things without feeling guilty for not being glued to a chair and a computer, or for not having immediate results.
What words, ideas or emotions were going through your head?
Right now I’m researching the lives of the Brontë sisters; I’m reading a lot about homes and daily rituals in the lives of creative women. So I suppose everyday furniture, domestic interiors, and personal objects that don’t belong to me obsess me.
I’m also exploring the idea of “distortion” as a state of reality. I think melancholy, falling in love, loneliness, fear, and obsessions — any of them — are states that distort and alter one’s sense of time and space; everything becomes “a little strange", and I live navigating that space. I draw many interiors where everything is normal, but not quite. I like that tension.
Were there any conversations, movies, music, or books that made their way into that work?
All the time. In fact, I often draw nourishment from conversations with other creative friends who write and draw, and with whom I share ideas. There’s a thinking space and bookstore in Barcelona called Crisi , which I attend for some wonderful monographic courses. I also watch many interviews and podcasts, which are conversations after all. I listen to Deforme Semanal, the Ciberlocutorio, Punzadas Sonoras, and interviews done by La Pringada in her treehouse. The latest one with Isabel Coixet, a director I adore.
Music, film, and books always seep into my work. I recently rewatched Aftersun, by Charlotte Wells, and drew about it. I also drew panels featuring the cover of Carrie & Lowell from Sufjan Stevens, an album I often take with me on walks.
As for books, right now Marguerite Duras, Natalia Ginzburg, and Virginia Woolf are keeping me company in the studio. I’m also reading Andy Warhol with The Philosophy of Andy Warhol (From A to B and Back Again), which I carry in my bag because it’s such a fun book — he reflects on art, laziness, the city, and fear.
What's been the most difficult thing you've faced recently in your creative process?
Without a doubt, apathy and discouragement about the profession. I’ve had creative blocks — huge spirals of “why this?” or “what for?” — and in the end I do nothing. And the discouragement of not having many well-paid commissions is sometimes frustrating and exhausting.
What is your favorite restaurant and what do you recommend we order?
I currently live in Barcelona, and there’s a fabulous Greek restaurant I often go to called El Magraner Boig. It has a vegetarian menu, and in particular there’s an incredible moussaka and some delicious zucchini and mint meatballs. The place is spacious and very pleasant to spend time in. I recommend it!
If your life were a movie this month, what would it be called and who would write the soundtrack?
This month’s film would be called… September, or How to Despair into Infinity. It would be a long tracking shot of me sitting in my studio, staring into space with my Gmail inbox open on the computer screen, everything almost paralyzed. It would be directed by Chantal Akerman, and the soundtrack would be by The CrampsSomething frantic and anxiety-inducing.
Recommend us an artist you follow who inspires you, and tell us what you like most about their work or their way of working.
I closely follow the videos of Fran Meneses, a Chilean artist and illustrator based in New York. She shares her reflections, travels, daily vlogs, creative processes, and walks around Manhattan on her YouTube and Instagram profiles.
I like her because she is very honest and realistic when addressing drawing as a profession: she explains how creative blocks affect her, what inspires her, and the conclusions she reaches. She’s a reference for me because she narrates and describes creative work in a very complete, inspiring, and humorous way.
Ana Müshell is a freelance illustrator based in Barcelona. She has worked with brands such as Netflix, Amazon Music, and Zara, and has published her illustrations in media outlets such as Vogue Spain, Eme21 Mag, Little White Lies Mag, and the New York Public Library. Maldita Alejandra (Lumen, 2022) is her first book as both writer and illustrator to date.