My name is Ana Mel and I’m a 21-year-old self-taught graphic designer based in Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. I’m currently preparing to pursue higher education in Publicity and Propaganda and dream of one day becoming a creative director. I also love drawing, creative writing, photography, kpop, and all sorts of art forms.
If you want to, don’t hesitate to contact me; I’m eager to learn, connect and gain experience in this industry. And even if you don’t, I hope my projects have managed to bring a bit more joy and beauty to your day.
Meu nome é Ana Mel e sou uma designer gráfica autodidata, tenho 21 anos e moro em Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil. Atualmente, estou me preparando para cursar Publicidade e Propaganda e sonho em um dia me tornar diretora criativa. Também me interesso por desenho, escrita criativa, fotografia, kpop e muitas outras formas de arte.
Não hesite em entrar em contato comigo; estou sempre disposta a aprender, me conectar e adquirir experiência. E mesmo que não queira, espero que meus projetos tenham trazido um pouco mais de alegria e beleza ao seu dia.
A few of my favorite photos I’ve taken (or The World Through Mel’s Eyes):
A bit of my writing (pieces of my heart in form of text):
“le sserafim – the courage to be afraid
Fearless. Definition: devoid of fear. When le sserafim introduced themselves to the kpop world, the high fashion aesthetics and bold message certainly seemed aligned with their name. We looked up and saw idols who appeared undefeatable, almost untouchable, whose fights and struggles had all been overcome and left behind; a group of girls ready to start a new, smooth, easy chapter of their lives. Le sserafim, however, was not here to show people what they expected, but rather what they had missed.
Fear comes to us in the face of danger and uncertainty; it’s a natural reaction, a defense mechanism to keep us safe. But fear can also be paralyzing, when it stops us from pursuing something new, from taking that first step towards the unknown. The only way to avoid fear completely is to remain in your comfort zone, within the boundaries of what you already know and have control over, but keep in mind that the illusion of safety may lead you to inertia and mediocrity, as your bones, joints and spirit grow weaker from the lack of use in the confined space you’ve limited yourself to.
Vulnerability is a great source of fear for most. It is also an art form. Inherently human. Deeply personal, beautiful, sincere. A craft that takes time and effort to perfect. And it’s terrifying, to expose yourself in your highs and lows to people who don’t know, don’t understand and don’t love you. To bare your chest to the world, come what may. It takes more courage to expose yourself to the risk, the judgement, the challenge and the change, than hide behind a facade of fearlessness. It takes more courage to allow yourself to be afraid, and show it, than pretend nothing could ever get to you.
The key, you see, is that being vulnerable is not something you exercise in response to others, but in spite of them. They may hurt you, reject you, twist your words and subject your feelings to mockery, but through all of it, can you keep your heart open? Can you remain kind, brave, and honest?
And that’s what sets le sserafim apart, what makes their concept an honest reflection of their lives, rather than false bravado: they trip and fall, but they stand up again, all in plain sight. They wear their hearts and souls in their sleeves, in a world constantly pointing burning arrows of lies and hatred to anyone who dares to show weakness. Because there’s greater strength to be found within those who are not afraid to be genuine, than in those who spend their lives building an appearance of perfection.
This is what makes le sserafim fearless.”
“How I’ll Live As A Woman
I was not gifted with the ability to see the future; I don’t know how many days I have left on this earth. But I have a heart that longs for living and willing to persevere in my choices, so I hope death will come to me gently, in the days of my old age rather than my youth, when all is done and I’m ready to see the sun set one last time.
For now, however, I know how I’ll live. I will love: genuinely, intensely, unapologetically, pour my heart out to those around me, because what greater life can we have than one in which we move and flow through love? I’ll make peace with myself, with my pain and grief, and I’ll cherish every moment of joy, taste it in my tongue and let it drip down my body, washing away the sorrow. My feet will be bare so I can feel the earth that has given me life as I dance through the years, and I’ll sing and write and sow because I’m a woman: I’m a creator by nature. Like my mother and my grandmother, I will be a wolf, whose sharp teeth and strength never prevented them from being gentle and nurturing; I’ll master the art of balancing love and fury. My heartbeat will be in sync with the most primal flow of life, the current of energy by which everything moves.
One day I will die. My body will rest beneath the ground and become home for the small but fervent forms of life that hide there. And my bones will remain, strong and resilient as they are, for decades and centuries and beyond. They’ll remain there to listen to my children’s prayers when they visit my grave and receive the tears they pour. Their words will echo in my then hollow chest, treasured for eternity.
My soul, however, will go to the river beneath the river, the valley between realms where all matriarchs of my family wait for me, and there we will be one and millions at the same time. And maybe, after resting in their company for a while, I’ll look up and see a little tear in the fabric of time, through which I could come back to the land of the living. And I’ll choose to return. Because all human tragedy pales in comparison to the wonder that one can only experience while alive.
I’ll come back, relearn some lessons, discover new meanings, I’ll cry and laugh and dance and pray all over again. I will die again, leaving behind more bones, more chambers of memory and remnants of my unadulterated love for my bloodline, to which they will always be able to come back.
And my children will be wolves.”