ANA YOCUM
Once I Know Better, I Do Better: Visual Stories through Mural Work
Portrait courtesy of Ana Yocum.
Bachelor of Arts in Architecture graduate at Portland State University
Leather Craftswoman
Cofounder + Board Member of NOMAPDX
Social Media Manager for BIPOC Businesses + Nonprofits
Ana Yocum serves as a board member and is one of the founders of NOMA PDX. She met her fellow co-founders while achieving her B.A. in Architecture at Portland State University. As a product of living in various contexts, she starts conversations with questions. How community building and design can pave a sustainable path forward? What enhances a reciprocal relationship with the built and natural environment? She uses her bicultural heritage to help her navigate solutions that intersect at the point of cultural, financial, and environmental health.
Inspiration
What inspired you to pursue mural work? How did you get into it?
“I get paid to paint what I want” “I get paid to hang out with my friends.” “My work has been published in a magazine”
I thought these phrases before I even had a clue how or who would pay me. I smiled when I told myself something so unimaginable in a moment where I actually felt miserable. Words have power, I choose them wisely when I talk about my passions, career + abilities now. I tell myself what I want to hear.
It’s no coincidence the year I did the most self reflection and growth I received so much abundance. Getting paid to model, design magazine covers, and murals would have seemed absolutely absurd a year ago. I spoke my truths, and did what I wanted, as a woman in a male dominated industry that can be revolutionary and liberating. Some noticed and that's how my face ended up on the side of my daily commuter bus with the caption “the courage to question everything”. Remaining gracious in the present moment, and putting myself out there helped me achieve more than I imagined.
Through my mural opportunities I use the platform to tell stories visually that can relate to people from underrepresented perspectives. An example is a mural I painted where some saw the Black Power fist, others saw tools to build a new future.
The latest mural pushed me to dive deeper into the history of Chinese immigrants in my city. The mural location was on a building that stood for decades as a symbol of elegance, hope and success, now stands boarded up and abandoned as the Chinese community was priced out of keeping Old Town as the cultural hub.
Regardless of the present results of gentrification I wanted to pay tribute to those who grew up gathering in Chinatown, and recall vibrant streets full of cultural celebration. With such a rich history I turned to my colleague, Yi who immigrated from China and worked in an Old Town for years. Collaborating with another artist pushed me to try a new style, and left me with a new friend and fond memories.
“Commissioned Zine Cover” Ana Yocum, Frida Kahlo. Image courtesy of Ana Yocum.
Bus Model. Image courtesy of Ana Yocum.
Panda Collaboration. Image courtesy of Ana Yocum.
Ana Yocum, Anxsheus. Image courtesy of Ana Yocum.
Plants keep me sane. Image courtesy of Ana Yocum.
Time Management
How did you manage to maintain your time?
I managed to maintain my time by maintaining my mind. When anxiety creeps up to the surface I acknowledge it and pivot my focus. I practice the feelings of pride, excitement, and peace I know I want to feel when the deadline passes.
Reflecting on how I managed my time in the past highlighted my poor mental status while in the Architecture studio. I knew I had to make some changes. I had to learn new responses to stress + anxiety to improve my time management. The murals gave me the opportunity to test how I could work with my anxiety to find happy solutions.
Studio culture is not healthy for anyone and reflecting on this with a friend led us to create our own creative agency, Anxsheus. We concluded on this name for several reasons, but ultimately to embrace the part of ourselves we shamed the most. We are stronger when we accept and embrace all parts of ourselves.
Through Anxsheus we aim to humbly explore the intersection of mental health and design. Our goal is to use our design skills to better serve our local BIPOC creators to find sustainable solutions. We’re just in the beginning so we’re learning as we go and are embracing the journey of becoming our own bosses.
Ideas
What have you learned from transforming solo commissions into collaborative projects?
I have learned a lot from creating bicultural illustrations + murals, but I learned more when I collaborated with friends. To me, it makes sense to involve my talented peers in problem solving, but nevertheless I was questioned by employers, family, and friends. They didn’t understand the concept of sharing the opportunity and would follow up with questions like “why would you split your commission?” “do you not believe you can do this by yourself?”.
When faced with doubt I reminded myself that together we succeed.
An architect knows great things are not built in isolation, and that’s why I involve my friends + community in my design process. My mother told me that in life all that matters is the quality of our relationships. If I had not asked for help, I would not have the beautiful network I have today. They say I am the sum of the five people I hang out with most, I want those five people to receive opportunities that I do, so we may rise together.
If I hadn't included friends along the way, I wouldn’t have developed the relationships I cherish most now. By seeking out help, I’ve been able to have honest and humbling conversations with peers and I wouldn’t have created new kinds of art or co-founded my city’s Professional Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMAPDX).
NOMA pic. Image courtesy of Ana Yocum.
Latin Lens Prose. Image courtesy of Ana Yocum.
Email Receipts. Image courtesy of Ana Yocum.
Arachnitect Mural. Image courtesy of Ana Yocum.
Chinatown Murals. Image courtesy of Ana Yocum.
Process
Can you show us a quick guide to how you design your murals?
Below is a comic I made to show my process.
Resources
What are the bases to start a mural? How do you get inspired? What tools do you use to paint? Brushes? How do you streamline your order of operations to complete the mural in a timely manner?
Beginner’s Guide to Large Scale Expression:
Research: ASK QUESTIONS TO EVERYONE. One of my mural design plans flipped 180 degrees because I asked my dentist to share their perspective of local cultural history.
Ideation: Take a photo of the mural location and draw on top of it, without too much detail. Sketch and share with friends gather feedback.
How to scale a drawing: I’ve used chalk, tape, and even a projector. The projector is good if I don’t trust your free hand. Grids can help to maintain proportion. Chalk your trace lines, and use painters tape for clean edges.
STOP + WALK AWAY!! I take in progress pauses as it helps me see with fresh eyes and make inevitable adjustments.
JUST GET PAINTING. Similar to drawing plans or sections, I only used 2 sized brushes, heavy weight and light weight. Have the courage to change your design as you see fit.
BOLDER IS BETTER. This is my personal preference, but murals by nature are viewed from a distance. It is important to determine what color palette and details will be legible at various view points.
Painting in Progress. Image courtesy of Ana Yocum.
Mural overtime. Image courtesy of Ana Yocum.
In terms of rising concerns and problems (in the architectural profession) over the past year, what is one change that you wish would happen and it did not?
One change I want to see in the architecture industry is more humility and less ego. Architects should see themselves no more creative or worthy than a sidewalk artist.
Sidewalk Art. Image courtesy of Ana Yocum.
