Marioly Vazquez is a stylist based in Mexico and has one of my favorite Instagram accounts. Besides the amazing pastel color scheme in her feed, her projects are original and fresh.  So, I was curious to find out where she gets her inspiration and how her style has evolved over time. Below, Maria answers 11 of our questions about her work…

Hi! My Name is Marioly Vazquez.  Currently I live in Monterrey – a city in the north of Mexico. I’m the creative behind MariaMarie and a photographer and stylist specializing in still life, interiors and lifestyle. I work with different clients to create campaigns and sets then photograph and style their products for social media, online shops, marketing materials and more.

How did you get started?
I started by just capturing beautiful things I found in my way. I remember getting frustrated, as I couldn’t capture the moments I imagined in my head. I started to “create” those moments: moving things around and creating the ambience I felt was right. Instagram was such a useful tool and platform for my work. I shared my work on IG just to show my friends and family what I was doing, but I kept receiving positive comments from my work so I decided to do it professionally. Since then Instagram has become a special part of my life, not just professionally, but also because I have met such wonderful people from all over the world. It’s so exciting to collaborate with different creatives.

Your work has a very specific “look.” Where you always into these colors? Or how did your style evolve?
My style has evolved hugely since I first started in photography. I’m a self-taught photographer so at the beginning I had no idea what I was doing, I just wanted to create and capture what I thought was beautiful. I’ve been using Instagram since 2011 and if you go back to the images I posted back then you can see a big difference to what I’m posting now. I’ve been perfecting my technique,  experimenting, and trying different things until I found a style I felt comfortable creating and that felt natural for me. As a photographer I believe you have to be constantly evolving, it’s part of your nature, but it’s important in the process to create your unique style and have your own voice. If you do what you love and with passion, people will see it in your work.

Tell us about your artistic process. How do you come up with new ideas? Where do you find inspiration?
I don’t have a defined creative process… I just wander around every day and carry a Moleskine journal with me. Inspiration usually finds me in the most unusual moments. As soon as I have an idea (words, images, colors), I try to concentrate and write it down in my Moleskine. Afterwards when I feel inspiration, I sit down and start developing the idea and finding ways to get my ideas from paper to real life. I have the tendency to wander a lot. In my city I’m surrounded by beautiful colors so it is so easy to find inspiration everywhere, I just have to open my eyes and find beauty.

Do you have any regrets about your career?
I guess the only regret I have is not studying something related to design. I studied Tourism Business Administration and specialized in Cultural Tourism. It’s not really a regret, as I love what I studied as well and it took me to a very exciting career in museums, but I guess if I had studied design or art I wouldn’t have had so much trial and error in my work.

If you weren’t an art director and stylist, what would you be?
This is such a hard question; I’m very interested in so many things. I think I would love to be some kind of guru or yoga instructor. I believe in life greater than ourselves and that meditating can bring such peace to yourself and your environment. A friend just recently gave me as a gift a beautiful book called, “Your Illustrated Guide To Becoming One With The Universe” by Yumi Sakugawa. Its so beautiful and so well expressed, I guess I would love to have that peace and prosperity like Yumi and express it through illustrations as well as she does.

Who inspires you most?
Some of my greatest inspirations would be Picasso and Matisse. I love how both could explore and express color so deeply. From Picasso I’ve learned to never settle for something and to always look for different ways to express yourself. Matisse is a great example of color, expressions on interiors, still life, nudes and intimacy. He expresses them with such elegance.

What’s been your favorite project in your career so far?
I loved all the projects I’ve been able to create; they all have been very special to me. From the people that got involved, to the creative process itself. I’ve enjoyed each and every one in its own way.

Being a stylist seems so fun. Is there anything about your job that’s unexpected?
It is indeed so fun! I love creating and love the process of production. But, a part of my job I don’t enjoy (and that most people are not very conscious of) is cleaning after a production. During production, I get so carried away in the moment that I create such a mess and cleaning up afterwards is not so enjoyable. Also I do shoots at different locations, so I have to pack my car with all the props, load them and unload them. It’s very difficult sometimes, but once I get to work I completely forget about that and really enjoy what I’m doing.

Name a few things that people wouldn’t necessarily know about you?
People are surprised when I tell them I have a day job in a museum. They think I do photography and styling full time, but I’ve been working for 4 years in the cultural sector and I love it. Sometimes it’s hard to find time to do what I’m really passionate about (photography & styling), but I love to be busy and working on different projects. It helps me organize myself better and profit from my leisure time. This has made me a very conscious and complete person, as I’m aware of the business side of things – not just the creative or artistic part.

Do you have any recommendations for people who are just starting in a creative field?
One of my favorite people once told me: “Gaudi will always be Gaudi and anyone who tries to imitate him will be just that, an imitation. Only he is capable of creating that aesthetic.” And that would be my recommendation to all the creatives starting in this field,  try to find your own voice and create original work. Never compare yourself to anyone as there is only one you with a unique mind and unique ideas. Try to look for inspiration somewhere out of Pinterest and Tumblr. There will always be beautiful images on the internet, but having your unique style is what will make a difference from the rest. Everyone has the capacity to be creative, you just need to find the way to express yourself.

Thanks Maria!

All photos used with permission from Maria Marie.