Rocío Egío is Blooming

When we came across Rocío Egío’s work way back in 2020 we were immediately drawn to her distinctive style and unique creative voice. Rocío’s work radiates positivity and optimism whilst exuding craftsmanship and refinement. It is an aesthetic and attitude that is present across everything that she does, from her illustrations to her social media posts, even her personal style and the photographic portraits on her site and social channels.

We love that Rocío has successfully created a personal brand that has her beautiful graphic illustration at its heart and that is all so recognisably her. As well as creating beautiful editorial and commercial illustrations, often focussed on her passion for food, Rocío has recently begun to share her knowledge and some of the secrets to finding your own creative voice through her school and courses. Starting the new year with positive intentions and always feeling inspired by Rocío’s delightful output we thought it was the perfect time to catch up with her.

Rocío! We hope that your 2025 has got off to a good start. What are your plans for this year?

2025 is going to be all about re-define and re-connect!

After everything I built for la School last year – the Bloom Method, Bloom Program 1:1, Bloom Course, and so much hard work – 2025 is all about nurturing, refining, and revisiting what I’ve already created.

But I also want to reconnect with el play. Painting, experimenting, stepping away from the screen… creating just for the joy of it, sin presión, so my creative voice can evolve. I’ve already started (Thursday afternoons are for painting), and fingers crossed this resolution makes it to December, jaja.

Oh, and Friday afternoons are officially off! Aiming for a beautiful balance between work and personal life.

In 2024 you launched your school helping others to find and define their creative voices. Can you tell us a little bit about this?

Launching la School was a big milestone for me. It’s a space where I can share everything I’ve learned as a creative entrepreneur, since 2018, while helping others connect with their Creative Voice and build businesses aligned with their values.

The Creative Voice is the essence of who you are as a creative—it’s your unique blend of style, values, and perspective. When you find and embrace it, everything you create feels authentic and aligned. It’s what makes your work recognisable and meaningful. That’s why I believe it’s so important to define it.

The first edition of the Bloom Program was in 2023, and guiding a group of talented creatives through this journey was unforgettable. Seeing them gain confidence, refine their voices, and turn their ideas into aligned actions was incredibly fulfilling. It’s more than just mentoring; it’s about empowering others to show up as their best, most authentic selves and create businesses full of joy and purpose.

Have you found guiding others has affected your own practice at all?

¡Por supuesto! Mentoring pushes me to reflect on my own processes and stay true to my Creative Voice. Helping others embrace their authenticity inspires me to keep experimenting and embrace the messy parts of my journey too.

It’s a two-way street — while I share my knowledge, their fresh energy and breakthroughs fuel my own creativity and enthusiasm.

Your own creative voice feels very well defined now! Was this a long process for you?

Yes, absolutely — it’s been a long and ongoing process. Defining my Creative Voice took deep reflection and plenty of trial and error. I had to ask myself: What do I stand for? What work truly brings me joy? What’s the unique value I can offer?

I started in 2018, and it took about 4 years of experimenting and testing to feel fully aligned with my work. I’ll never forget when someone said, “Rocío, you’re dressed just like your illustrations,” and I thought, ¡Ostras! Maybe my work is finally truly reflecting who I am.

I had to let myself experiment. To try things, fail, and learn. It’s not something you find overnight; it’s something you build, refine, and grow with time. Even now, my Creative Voice evolves as I evolve.

Finding your Creative Voice is like crafting a great recipe — you try different ingredients, taste as you go, and refine until it’s just right. You don’t always get it right the first time, pero poco a poco, you figure it out and make it yours.

Despite your creative voice being well defined, something that we absolutely love is that it feels like your illustration is always developing. It happens quite incrementally and feels very authentic, is it something you are aware of and try to push?

Claro, that’s the key! Having a well-defined Creative Voice gives your work a consistent essence, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t evolve. Actually, it’s true! My work is always evolving. You try things, integrate them, and over time, you might get bored and change them—it’s all about letting your voice flow naturally.

I define the Creative Voice through 6 elements: style, slang, tone, topic, offer, and community. Again, it’s like a recipe, combining different ingredients you can create something uniquely yours. But the beauty is, you can switch up or replace some of those ingredients when you feel like innovating, and the essence of the recipe remains the same.

The Creative Voice is a living thing. It grows with your experiences, inspirations, and skills. I don’t believe in staying in one box; I love experimenting and playing. Y por eso, my illustrations from 5 years ago have evolved into what they are today

It’s all about balance — staying true to your essence while giving yourself permission to play.

Through your distinctive style and often quite motivational posts you have built up a big community on instagram, how do you feel about social media as a tool for creatives in 2025?

Social media is such a powerful tool for creatives. It’s an incredible way to share your work, connect with others, and build a community around your values. It’s amazing how a single post can resonate with people worldwide and spark genuine conversations. I love Instagram, and I’m so grateful for everything I’ve been able to build thanks to this platform.

But, there is a but! The way we consume social media has changed so much since 2017 (when I started using IG for my business). Instagram as a portfolio showcase full of pretty images feels like a thing of the past. Now, people want videos, want to see your face, immediacy, and constant stimulation. And for us creatives, this shift can feel exhausting. Suddenly, being an artist requires being some kind of content creator in order to maintain our business.

We’ve forgotten why and for what purpose we use social media. We stop having fun, we copy formulas we see working for others without questioning whether they align with us and our Creative Voice, and we start to measure our value by the impact or engagement on our platforms.

So, in the last few years, I’ve tried to take care of myself and approach social media carefully. It shouldn’t be about chasing likes but about creating meaningful connections. It’s less about going viral and more about building relationships.

And that’s my intention this year: to keep using social media as the powerful tool it is, but always with balance and purpose, making sure it doesn’t take away the joy of creating.

What does community mean to you? Why do you think it is important to find one as a creative?

Community, your tribe, your amigos — whatever you want to call it — is one of the key elements that defines the Creative Voice for me. So, imagine how important it is, haha!

Having a community is about finding your people — those who understand your journey, support your growth, and inspire you to keep going. Being a creative can sometimes feel like a lonely road, but having a community means you don’t have to walk it alone.

• Those who are walking the same path as you right now, facing similar challenges and chasing similar ambitions.
• Those who’ve already walked this road, overcome the obstacles you’re facing, and reached the goals you aspire to — they help you move forward.
• And those who look up to you, who are inspired by your journey — your past self, who will one day stand where you are now.

And those who look up to you, who are inspired by your journey — your past self, who will one day stand where you are now.

Having your amigos around you makes all the difference.

Your disposition is always so sunny and optimistic, which we greatly admire. Illustration is a tough industry, and many would argue getting tougher. How do you maintain this positive attitude whilst also being busy with illustration, creating products and teaching?

Mi abuela was pure optimism, always with a smile on her face, mi madre is the same, so I guess my positive energy is just part of who I am — it’s part of my essence. Before focusing on a problem, I naturally jump to “What are the solutions? What can I do?” It’s just how I navigate challenges.

Bueno, I also have bad days but, I’ve learned to prioritise the things that fill me with energy and joy. It’s about self-care: going to the gym, cooking, visiting the market, or spending time doing things that truly light me up. Once you figure out what fuels you, you have to make space for it in your routine. This is essential for me.

Enthusiasm and joy are contagious. If you show up with a positive attitude, you make things easier for yourself and inspire the people around you. That’s what keeps me going.

Final note, it’s true that illustration isn’t an easy field, which is why I make sure not to put all my eggs in one basket. Beyond el Studio, I’ve built la Shop and la School, and I’m already dreaming up new business models to keep things exciting and evolving. Diversifying my work not only brings stability but also keeps my creativity flowing.

In the spirit of your wonderfully positive motivational posts can you send us off with one piece of advice for the year ahead?

Lately, I keep reminding myself: “Rocío, you can do it all, just not all at once”.

It might feel bittersweet to some, but it helps me find balance and not push myself too hard. It’s a little reminder that good things take time, and there’s no rush to achieve everything at once.

So my advice for the year ahead? Be patient with yourself and celebrate the small steps as much as the big wins.

Photography by Pati Gagarin.

Have a look at Rocío’s joyful folio right here.