Life & Work with Pam Ruiz

Today we’d like to introduce you to Pam Ruiz.

Hi Pam, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’ve loved art for as long as I can remember. I never thought of myself as a particularly great or talented artist, but it’s always been a constant in my life, helping me express myself and as a hobby that I might stray from occasionally but always ended up coming back to. As a first-generation daughter of Mexican immigrants, I always felt a pressure from myself and others to do something with my life that would make my parents proud and make all their sacrifices and hardships “worth it”. I was no good at Biology and a terrible public speaker, so I ended up an Engineering major in college without really knowing what I was getting myself into. Throughout my engineering studies, I often questioned my abilities and reasons for choosing the path that I did, but it felt like what I needed to do to satisfy the expectations I had for myself and make my family proud. As a freshly graduated engineer entering corporate America, I felt very burnt out from college and suffered a lot from impostor syndrome in the early days of my career. I had been so laser-focused on graduating and doing well in my engineering classes that I rarely made time for fun things and any sort of hobby that I had previously enjoyed got all but forgotten during those four years of studying. Now that I had a little more time for myself after work, I was craving an outlet for the creativity that I had been stifling for such a long time. I slowly started getting back into the groove of creating art and once I got an iPad and discovered digital illustration something just clicked.

Once the pandemic hit and we all suddenly had way more time isolated at home that we didn’t know how to fill, I started really diving in, making more art, and sharing it online as a way of connecting with my community. Since then, things have been happening organically and slowly but steadily – opening up an online shop, attending local markets, and getting some products in shops around town. I still consider my business to be in its infancy but I’m proud of it and excited for what’s to come.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road – my life so far or my business journey. I still struggle with impostor syndrome and with believing that there’s a space for me and my art in a world full of such talented people. I also struggle with anxiety and with balancing a demanding full-time job and running a small business. But it feels like every time the doubt and fear of failure come creeping up, something great happens that reassures me that this is the path I’m supposed to be on and that no matter the setbacks if I’m doing what makes me happy then it’ll all work itself out. There’s always lessons to be learned from every struggle and I’ve found that the hard things in life have made me who I am today and I’m able to relate those lessons back into my art.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Mazapan Paper Co. specializes in cute illustrated paper goods – greeting cards, stickers, postcards, art prints, etc. My designs are largely inspired by my experiences, so they often feature Latine sayings and culture. Identity is something that means a lot to me and something that I’ve spent a large portion of my adult life trying to navigate and understand, so through my work I want to connect with and represent people who come from similar backgrounds as mine. My absolute favorite thing is seeing someone connect with one of my products and then tell me a story of their mom or tia or amiga that makes me think of my own family. Our experiences are so unique but so similar at the same time and I love when something that I make resonates with someone.

What were you like growing up?
I was a very introverted kid but my mind was always bursting with ideas and questions. It’s kind of silly how long it took me to realize how much I loved art because I was literally always making things – never sticking to a single medium, but always making things. Looking back at my childhood, I really resent the label of “gifted and talented” for myself and for all the kids of my generation who I see now trying to free themselves from the constant pressure of being a high-achiever and the anxiety of not wanting to let those who expected this of you down. I think I’m very nostalgic of things from my childhood because I was always too anxious to enjoy them while I had the chance and I just want to hug my younger self and tell her that it’s okay to relax and it’s okay to enjoy silly things, and not everything in life is about proving that you’re worth something. Existing as ourselves is worthy enough.

Contact Info:

• Email: hello@mazapanpaperco.com
• Website: www.mazapanpaperco.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/mazapanpaperco