I by no means totally understood the time period “infectious smile” till I met Eric Sedeño. The TikTok star-slash-graphic designer and I lately had a vigorous chat by way of Zoom, and from the second his ebullient face popped up on my pc display, I used to be captivated.
“I’m from Dallas, Texas—yeehaw!” he mentioned with gusto on the high of the decision as we made small discuss, and I noticed the particular person he presents as on his immensely widespread TikTok account, @ricotaquito, is way from a entrance. That always-grinning, easy-laughing, radiant ball of effervescence is precisely who the actual Eric Sedeño is.
I had the enjoyment of chatting with Sedeño on the discharge of his new zine, “Spilled Emotions,” which is the primary difficulty he intends to be a quarterly endeavor. Whereas most know Sedeño from his TikTok, he returns to his graphic design roots with “Spilled Emotions” and has designed a line of T-shirts, tote baggage, hats, and different attire to associate with it. The jack of all trades additionally runs Groove, a candle firm, together with his brother. By their firm, the brothers accomplice with Minnie’s Meals Pantry of their hometown of Plano, Texas, to offer meals to the meals insecure with every candle they promote. True to type, Sedeño designed Groove’s model id, packaging, and web site.
Our dialog was vigorous, wide-ranging, and soul-nourishing, and I left it feeling awash in dopamine. Such is the Eric Sedeño impact! Test it out under.
(This dialog has been edited and condensed for readability and size.)
What’s your inventive background? What drew you to graphic design within the first place?
I used to be all the time an inventive child; I’ve all the time appreciated to attract and paint and do pottery. My mother is a artful lady, so I grew up going to Michael’s and Passion Foyer. Even my dad, he’s not inventive in the identical approach, however he finds pleasure in constructing issues. Like we might have simply employed somebody to rebuild our fence, however he’s like, “No, I wish to do it!” He loves placing issues collectively.
I all the time appreciated artwork, however I used to be by no means one of the best at drawing hyperrealism—arms are onerous for me, eyes all the time look wonky. However once I received to highschool, I noticed graphic design was an choice, and it was the place I flourished. It was the primary time I felt like I actually might see myself doing one thing, and it made me actually glad. It was additionally at a time in my life the place I didn’t actually know myself but, so it was good to have one piece of the puzzle found out.
The school I went to didn’t have a graphic design program, it was solely a minor, so I did promoting. I’m actually grateful that all of it lined up as a result of I might have realized all of the technical stuff in addition to I needed, however promoting taught me learn how to have an concept. That main taught me a very powerful factor you may have is an concept or an idea or one thing that makes all the pieces is smart. I don’t assume I’d have grasped that fairly as properly with out the promoting framing. As quickly as you might have an concept, you simply must construct it out in as some ways as you may.
Even now in my TikToks, I’ve an concept, after which I attempt to execute it. Faculty taught me learn how to have an concept and learn how to inform a narrative, whether or not it’s in an image or a video.
How would you describe your design aesthetic?
I’ve all the time had a extremely massive pastel period, and I’ve all the time appreciated issues which might be brilliant, mild, and ethereal. One thing concerning the cartoons I watched rising up caught with me; I really like a black define. I really like the cleanliness, I actually admire harsh traces. My aesthetic is a part of my character; I’m very vibrant, and I really like vibrant and approachable and enjoyable illustration. It’s a visible illustration of me!
I’ve all the time been tremendous fascinated with expressing myself via print. I really feel like paper is an expertise, and it’s a dying expertise.
Why was making a zine so necessary to you?
I’ve all the time been tremendous fascinated with expressing myself via print. I really feel like paper is an expertise, and it’s a dying expertise. In quite a lot of methods, to have my artwork printed and offered is one thing very particular to me. It’s only a completely different a part of your mind, it’s an itch that will get scratched once you get to print one thing out. It’s like, “Oh, I made that.” I’m very pleased with it!
I’ve all the time needed to promote a zine, however I by no means actually felt snug. I used to be holding myself again as a result of I had imposter syndrome. I apprehensive about whether or not it’d be good or whether or not individuals would admire it, or whether or not that’s even one thing individuals would wish to see from me. However I needed to design one thing the place you possibly can get a chunk of my mind that’s completely different from the one you already see. I needed it to be my love letter to the web.
So how did the comedic performer aspect of you that you simply painting in your TikTok develop?
I don’t assume individuals see this on the web, however I’m a really guarded particular person, truly; I all the time have been. I feel it was a part of defending myself once I wasn’t out but. I needed to be guarded and conceal quite a lot of items of myself, even up till I went via a breakup, after which that gave me the house and time to make humorous movies. I used to be by no means a performative child, I used to be by no means onstage or something. That is simply truly who I’m; I used to be born to be annoying, in the easiest way.
That is simply truly who I’m; I used to be born to be annoying, in the easiest way.
Eric Sedeño
One factor I’m actually grateful for now, wanting again, is working at an advert company the place that they had me engaged on a financial institution; there’s no room to be inventive once you work on a financial institution. It’s actually so dry, it simply is what it’s. It was so unhappy, all they used was white, grey, black, and crimson— that’s such a horrible palette! However as a result of I had the chance to be at work and be bored all day every single day engaged on that dumb financial institution, it gave me the house in my thoughts to be like, Okay, I gotta do one thing enjoyable. I used to be so fortunate to be given the house and time to make use of my mind to create stuff on the web. As a lot as I complained a lot about that job and the way they put me on the worst shopper, with out the worst shopper I wouldn’t have my platform. The celebs form of aligned for me.
Are you stunned by how massively widespread you’ve grow to be on the web?
It nonetheless shocks me that individuals actually, actually like my content material— I’m actually simply being silly. Like I mentioned, I’m truly actually guarded, and I by no means allowed everybody to see that aspect of me. The movies I make now, I used to only ship to my associates. I’d be a personality they usually’d be like, I don’t know what the hell he’s doing, however it’s humorous. I by no means did it for an viewers of greater than like, 5 individuals. I had 11 followers on TikTok, after which in the future I used to be like, “I wish to be humorous!” It allowed me to indicate myself in a brand new, actually genuine approach and never be so guarded with who will get to see what I’m as much as.
One in every of my first jobs once I was in my freshman yr of school was at a furnishings retailer, and I received employed for my character. They actually advised me, “We love your smile, and we love your power, we would like you in entrance of the cashier.” I needed to welcome everybody in. They have been like, “Yeah, you’re a character rent.” I really feel like that’s simply what I’m now on the web— I’m only a character rent!
What’s subsequent for you? Do you might have any long-term objectives?
Down the road, I’d actually like to have some kind of little graphic design studio. I really like doing branding and model identities, and my greatest pal is a bundle designer, and I feel we’d rule the world if we started working collectively. We might promote T-shirts and make zines and have enjoyable interns! I have already got the identify, however I can’t say it but!
I really feel like being a inventive particular person is so onerous generally as a result of I’m fascinated with all the pieces. I wish to do pottery, and I wish to do portray, and I wish to do watercolor! I wish to do all of this stuff that take a lot time and power, and I do know I ought to simply pour myself into them, however then I do know I’ll fall in love with them and have one other factor to do. Our tradition doesn’t appear to have a good time creativity until it’s extraordinarily marketable, and I simply assume that’s unhappy.
However actually, I really feel actually fortunate to be me, these days. It’s a loopy factor to say, however I’m simply so fortunate to be me.
