Meet Anna Mikhaela Reyes | Artist, Graphic Designer, and Illustrator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Anna Mikhaela Reyes and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Anna Mikhaela, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Looking back, I have experienced a lot of imbalances in my work-life relationship. I used to live in a default mode of endless grind, trying to produce as much work as possible with very little rest in between projects. Even with a full time graphic design job, I was stacking hours early in the morning and late at night to work on drawings and meet deadlines. I think this hustle mentality was born from an innate sense of insecurity that started around high school and carried through my time in college. I felt that my self worth amounted to the number of hours I put into projects and assignments and that the only way I would be taken seriously is if I broke myself to do so. It took a huge toll on me—mentally, physically, emotionally—and really affected the way I related to myself and to others: my self-esteem plummeted even further from my insatiable quest for perfection, which then leaked into my personal life and relationships.

Today, I am in a position in which I cannot afford to allow my mental or physical health to crumble. Although I have much less time to myself during the day, I seek to be more intentional when I do find moments to create. Occasionally, I still hear that little voice in the back of my mind that scolds me for not getting “enough” done during the day, but I use those moments to actively reteach myself to dissociate my idea of self-worth with productivity. Changing my mindset and learning to lean into the present has helped me to maintain a more positive relationship with myself and my work. I no longer create for validation, but for inner exploration.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I create conceptual drawings of human anatomy mixed with botanical elements in charcoal and colored pencil. My imagery represents the intertwinement of humanity and nature, with the purpose of inspiring connection through conversations about mental health, trauma, and intrapersonal exploration.

I grew up in an environment in which invalidation was normalized and my concern for others’ feelings overshadowed my own, which caused me to avoid sharing my thoughts and emotions out of the fear of being dismissed or ridiculed. Today, I am still hard at work on reframing that defense mechanism: it is difficult for me to share issues or details about my life without feeling like I am boring or burdening others. Although I make an effort to be an active listener, I struggle to trust others with listening to my own stories. A huge lesson that I learned in my healing journey was that intimacy is fostered by both listening to and sharing with others. My artwork, in turn, was born out of my desire to heal my trauma and authentically connect with my peers. I despise small talk and am genuinely interested in people—their interests, their thoughts, their stories (my sister is one of the folks who know me best and she will tell you that psychology and slice-of-life movies are my favorite)—and I feel that many opportunities for connection are lost to “socially acceptable” surface-level pleasantries. With my drawings, I seek to break barriers on topics that make humans human, such as mental health, personal insights, intimate stories, and more. I hope that the themes I depict inspire authenticity and conversations that will heal the loneliness that comes from a lack of bonding and intimacy.

After a long year of making limited work, I am excited to present a brand new piece! The drawing, titled “Bask,” is the second in a series depicting masculine beauty to portray the four seasons (which traditionally display feminine beauty to do so). “Bask” is my representation of summer and was created with chalk pastel, colored pencil, and charcoal on Bristol paper.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
First of all, I would recommend a trip in October or November since Texas summers are absolutely ridiculous.

For activities, we would venture to Globe Life Field for a concert, the Dallas World Aquarium to see the manatees, and the Dallas Museum of Art to admire the European collection.

For the great outdoors, we would head to Denton’s Greenbelt 428 Park for a nice bike ride and Eagle Mountain for some hiking.

For some good eats, we would go to Kabayan in Lewisville for traditional Filipino Kare-Kare, 88 Bao Bao in Frisco for egg custard buns, and Ista in Flower Mound for lamb tikka masala.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
To Joseph, my partner in crime: every day, you inspire me with your consistency, creativity, and resilience. Thank you for encouraging and supporting me in my work, challenging me to grow, and accepting me in every light. How lucky am I that my best friend is the love of my life; that the person who makes me laugh until my stomach hurts and the person whose dreams are big enough for the both of us are one and the same? Our life together is the work of art I have always dreamed of creating, and I am forever grateful for the privilege to build it alongside you.

Website: https://www.annamikhaela.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anna.mikhaela.art

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-mikhaela-art

Image Credits
Photography by Joseph Izganics