We’re looking forward to introducing you to Barbara Perez Marquez. Check out our conversation below.
Barbara, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
Recently at a convention, I met a reader that had grown up reading one of my early books. Yes, not a CURRENT reader necessarily, but someone that (now a teen) remembered enjoying the book when “they were a kid.”
While in the moment I struggled internally with my own mortality, it brought me immense joy to realize what this meant. THIS was what I set out to do: Create stories that I wish I’d had as a kid. Now here I was, singled out by this event attendee among a sea of other amazing creators and they were able to confirm that the stories did reach the kids it needed to.
It was a truly special moment and one I will continue to go back to as I work on new stories, so that those may also reach the reader that needs them.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m an award-winning and bestselling queer latine multi-genre writer with an MFA in Creative Writing. As a full-time writer, I fill my days either working on my current projects or generating new ideas for future ones. I find that often people are surprised to find out that whatever time I spend actually writing, I need to spend about double that time tending to my creativity. This ensures that I can stay motivated and I’m able to bring my best ideas to the stories I tell. In addition to that, over the years I have specialized myself in a wide range of skills within the writing industry, including editing, translating, and even serving as a sensitivity reader for several publications and projects. All of these strengthen my work as a writer.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
My first professional mentors saw my dedication early on. Back then, their wisdom and guidance allowed me to thrive in the spaces I found myself. In particular, I’m appreciative that it WASN’T in anything related to writing, as this allowed me to grow as a person and a professional and bring that tenfold into writing once I dived fully towards growing as an author.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
“Use your voice more often.”
As a kid, I regularly tried to make myself small when the world around me would have benefitted from me speaking up. With my stories, I hope to bring that message to young readers so that they can find (and use) their voices early and often! It can make all the difference when we feel we can be heard, particularly when it comes to exploring creativity and allowing ourselves to dream big.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. How do you differentiate between fads and real foundational shifts?
My best approach for this is to look at how sustainable something is. We’re often after that instant gratification that new trends can fulfill, but the reality of it is that it’ll lose its shine sooner or later. I think if we take our time to look at WHAT attracts us about a given trend, then we can better discern if its truly because we can align this new idea to our needs or if its just exciting to participate in whatever new challenge everyone is partaking in.
I think it’s also fine to want to participate, we are looking for ways to connect and very often, fads serve that purpose really well. Long term however, chasing the next best thing will only tire you out and eventually, burn you out. In order to find and successfully make real shifts towards what we want to fulfill, whether that be writing goals or anything else, then we must look within ourselves first to better answer what it is we ultimately seek.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
I think we have to! When it comes to creative endeavors, we must always find the flame that keeps us going for it within. Without that, the work will eventually grow uninteresting, and even if one is able to produce something, it’ll be hollow if the goal is ONLY to find praise for it. To me that seems like a really boring way to waste one’s time.
You’ll find much more delight in creating for yourself, I’d even go as far as saying that we SHOULD create some things with the goal that no one else will ever see it (let alone get to praise it). Particularly in writing, a large percent of my work will inherently go unseen for a long time (if at all). Those quickly jotted down ideas, stories that never make it past my own revisions, they are part of the well that keeps me creating and replenish my personal fire. In turn, that energy goes into those projects that will be enjoyed beyond myself.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mustachebabs.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mustachebabs
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mustachebabs
Image Credits
Maryland State Arts Council
j.m.eyre photography
