C.G.Esperanza was born the second of six cool kids. The South Bronx is where he first opened his eyelids. A land shrouded in bright colored decay, the birthplace of graffiti and the hip-hop DJ! He paints fantasy worlds of elephants, and castles too! Accompanying this wonder is some whimsical truth. Charles has a voice that is seldom heard. A fusion of jazz, distorted guitars, and chirping birds.

I had the opportunity to interview C.G., which you can read below.

First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT! Could you tell us a little about yourself? 

Thank You for having me! My Name is C.G.Esperanza and I am a picture book Illustrator/author from the Boogie Down Bronx, NYC. I have 4 cats, a turtle and lots of plants. I am of Puerto Rican and West Indian descent.

As a creator, what can you tell us about your latest work, My Daddy Is a Cowboy?

Well my latest, Latest work is actually a book called Fish Fry Friday which is a sequel to the book Soul Food Sunday. Both written by Winsome Bingham and illustrated by me. 

My Daddy is a Cowboy, written by Stephanie Seales is a book about an Afro-Panamanian father and daughter who love riding horses through their city. It is a book that I believe challenges our modern concept of what a cowboy looks like, who can be one and where they live.

As a creative, what drew you to the art of illustration and storytelling, specifically to picture books?

I have always been interested in drawing since I was in kindergarten. Anime like Dragon Ball Z and comics like Calvin and Hobbes played a huge part in inspiring me to make my own Manga and to write stories as well as drawing. I’ve also always loved movies after being inspired by Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing and Crooklyn. Once Eric Velasquez, my Picturebook Professor at F.I.T. showed me how similar movie making and picture books could be, I knew I wanted to make my own.

How would you describe your creative process?

I love to absorb unique and interesting information from the world around me. If I see a story in something that I don’t think has been fully explored before, I write a story about it. Sometimes that story can take years to fully complete. Once I have a story, I create messy sketches that visually compliment the words. Then I photograph some models who fit the description of the characters in the book as they pose similarly to my sketches. Then I use that photo reference to paint my scenes using oils mostly. Then I photograph those paintings and send them off to my editor and art director. POOF! You have a book!

As an artist, who or what would you say are some of your greatest creative influences and/or sources of inspiration in general? 

My greatest influences in terms of artists are Spike Lee, J.C.Leyendecker, Akira Toriyama and of course my former professor Eric Velasquez. My greatest sources of inspiration are my long walks, humans, music, traveling and Art in general.

What are some of your favorite elements of your creative work? What do you consider some of the most frustrating and/or difficult? 

Some of my favorite elements would be getting to sit by myself in my studio all day while painting! Learning more about certain subjects so that I can tell their story more accurately, and being able to create something people love almost out of thin air. It’s the closest thing to magic or super powers I think!

The most frustrating thing is having to rush my work to meet a deadline.

Aside from your work, what are some things you would want others to know about you?

I would like people to know that I have been an educator in the Bronx for the past ten years. I have facilitated creative classes for all ages from kindergarten, high school and senior citizens. My students have created some wonderful things that I am truly proud of!

What’s a question you haven’t been asked yet but that you wish you were asked (as well as the answer to that question)? 

I’ve never been asked what was my favorite thing to bring to show and tell as a kid. My favorite thing to bring was the “We are the world” Vinyl. That was my fav song till one kid brought the cassette of the song “JUMP” by Kriss Kross and that then became my fav song ever. 

What advice might you have to give for aspiring creatives and artists out there?

1. Make what YOU truly love. Imagine an imaginary artist that makes art you wanna hang on your walls, listen to or read all day. Imagine what that work looks like. Now make that work!
2. You don’t need 20k followers on instagram to be a full time successful artist. You just need to work with the right people (agents, publishers, galleries etc..) You can reach those people by emailing them or going to events where they welcome interaction like portfolio reviews or gallery openings, etc.. 
3. Teaching after-school art classes and creating murals is a great way to support yourself financially as an artist, especially right after college. It can also inspire you and is much more fulfilling than a retail job. It’s also much more flexible for scheduling usually.

Are there any other projects you are working on and at liberty to speak about?

I am finishing up a book about a young black boy who does ballet titled “Junior takes a Leap” written by Ebony Mudd

Finally, what books/authors would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT? 

So many to recommend! But a few are the many other amazing books written by Winsome Bingham like Life is BeautifulIllustrated by Molly Mendoza. Jazz Day, written by Roxane Orgill and Illustrated by Francis Vallejo is another fav. Also, a book titled Paradise Bronx by Ian Frazier.