Estrela has been a coworker at CRU for 1 year now and, since then, several synergies and collaborations have flourished. Namely the illustration of ‘good coworking practices’ in the covid context – the #staysocialcoworksafe daily guide (initiative of the alliance of some coworks from Porto), our 2020 Christmas postcard for the community and friends, and an illustration that will appear on our new website.
Living with Joana makes us recognize her innate ability to be surprised and enchanted, in the small adventures of everyday life, which she creatively channels into her stories, apparently innocent, but dense with meaning.
Most of his self-edited works, books and zines can be found for sale at the CRU store or on his own website
What’s in common between Joana Estrela and Dorothy Parker?
Nothing! When I created my Instagram I was reading an anthology of it. And at the same time I discovered that “dorty” is a Scottish word that means arrogant, or proud. I found a joke and made an account under the name Dorty Parker. If at the time I knew that in a few years this instagram was going to be such a central part of what I do online (a kind of portfolio, blog and store, all in one) I would probably have chosen a better name.
How did you become an illustrator?
It was happening I’ve always loved drawing and storytelling. I started blogging, printing fanzines and in my spare time there was always a comic book project. After finishing the Communication Design course I was not able to find work in that area right away. So I started doing personal projects that had more to do with writing stories and drawing them, and I never stopped!
What books have influenced you the most in your professional life?
Maria Alberta Menéres has a book called “The Poet Does It at 10” that I read when I was 9 (so early) and I remember thinking it was revolutionary. It is full of poetry and writing exercises that she did in class (the author was a primary teacher) and, the most extraordinary part: it included examples of students’ poems, and they were very good! I think at the time I was excited about the idea that being a poet or writer was not a thing when I was big, that it could be now!
Concentration vs procrastination… what is your recipe for productivity?
I already know that if I have an entire afternoon to do something, it will take me an entire afternoon to do that thing. So, my only productivity recipe is to segment everything. When I start a task, I tell myself that I will have to finish (or at least pause) in 30 or 60 minutes.
Then, I try not to fight too much against myself, if for some reason I am distracting myself with a lot of work I try to understand what is going on (It’s like talking to the restless child inside me), sometimes the problem it’s just that I haven’t been outside yet and I need to walk for a while.
Tell us about your journey between your bed and your desk.
I never had a very good routine, but lately I wake up at 7:30 am, have breakfast and join Writers Hour (organized by London Writer’s Salon) at 8 am. EI write until 9 and only after that the day really starts. And then, depending on what I have to do, I either stay at home or go to CRU.
When I work outside the home I feel like I’m more out of it. But there are days when the goal is not to ship.
What technological crutches do you use to dominate or simplify your day-to-day life?
I use the Notes application for just about everything. Organize the week’s tasks, write, take notes. I usually write in notebooks, but then I pass the texts I like best to the Notes. I also have work ideas there, next to the shopping list and on top of articles I want to read. I have a note in the Notes, which are just the addresses of everyone I know. I have another note that is a conversation I overheard on the train. Anyway, if one day the Notes stop working, I don’t know who I am anymore.
What principles govern you when you price your work or negotiate with a client?
First, it is deciding the minimum values that I practice. That is, even if I negotiate a budget with a client, there is a minimum that I cannot get off, and sometimes it is better to be without work. Second, I try not to accept jobs that don’t interest me (which I think are dry, or so) and that are long-term.
Then there is a juggling between the time, the complexity of the proposal and what type of customer you are. When I have doubts, I ask. I ask the customer, if you have doubts about what he wants. I ask coworkers if you have questions about the budget. And I ask myself, “Do I really want to do this?”
What tribes do you belong to
Oh, I think none. Only if it is that of the illustrators! But I don’t know if we are a very organized tribe.
Who is Joana when she is not drawing?
It is strange to think about it now because I feel that with the pandemic my life away from work is like those notebooks of abstracts that you buy so that you can study Os Maias without having to read the whole book. The crucial thing is still there, but it is not quite the same.
The truth is that even when I’m not being an illustrator, I draw. And I write and read books. It is what I do in and out of working hours and sometimes the line that separates one thing from the other is very fine.
I think when I am not working I am playing. It is a strange thing to say as an adult, when we grow up “playing” it starts to have other connotations. But now that I think about it I think it is the right word. Because I like to invent games, to challenge myself to learn something, to draw without any purpose, to have fun, in short, to play.
What were the biggest lessons you learned in the last few years as a freelancer?
Perhaps this applies more to design and illustration than other areas, but before it was always waiting for customers. I thought that when I had clients, I was really going to be working. Now, I look back and see that it was my personal projects that took my career further and had more financial returns. But that is a lesson that I still have to constantly remind myself of.
