PARAULES
with Claudia Catalán

CClaudia Catalán is a writer and art director, and she is convinced that creativity is a way of life. Surrounded by books and accompanied by a good coffee, Claudia launches with us the first chapter of "Paraules" telling us about her roots, her career, her first novel and her relationship with fashion.

Can you tell us a bit more about yourself?

I'm going to try and summarize it, because if I start from the beginning, we won't be over anytime soon!

I studied literature, so it has always been clear to me that writing would be a great part of my life. While I was studying, I was also working as a model. I did a few advertising projects, and in the end I discovered that I liked being on the other side of the camera much more than being in front of it!

Little by little, I was introduced to small brands to work punctually as a creative director, and in the end I was hired by one of them. I grew with them, and it helped me realize that creative direction is a field that brings together a lot of the things I like.

How did you end up writing your first novel, “La puerta roja”?

Alongside all of this, I was also writing. I never stopped writing. In fact, the book was published at a rather chaotic time in my life, with several y simultaneous open fronts!

My novel is based on my grandmother's childhood. During the last years of her life, she had a lot of memories of the past. At some point, I started recording and taking notes of the anecdotes she was telling me. One day, she told me about a red door (la puerta roja, the book’s title), and I loved the image of a small village house with the powerful presence of a red door. From this moment on, my imagination exploded and I thought: there is a story.

Did your grandmother read your book?

My grandmother read the first manuscript, then she read the book and shen was even present at the book’s presentation. It was really nice, she was literally the protagonist of the presentation! She was also the first one to buy the book. It was really incredible to have the opportunity to share all this with her. Without her, there would be no story, it's all thanks to her. My grandparents have influenced me a lot as a person, and creatively as well. I think we have a lot to learn from that generation.

What are your daily sources of inspiration?

My main source of inspiration has always been nature. I have been lucky enough to grow up in a country house, and I have always had a very strong connection with nature. Walking in there inspires and calms me.

For me, walking is like an escape valve that helps me to get some distance, both in the city and in the countryside. I think there are details everywhere. Right now I live in Paris and I see beauty everywhere: the reflection in a window, the buildings, the rooftops, the attics, everything fascinates me. Just going out and looking at all these details relaxes me and helps me get back to my center.

Which artist(s) and writer(s) do you like?

I love painting. I have a clear predilection for impressionism! I really like Sorolla's paintings. As for writers, I am very classic: Wilde, Benedetti, Henry James, Virginia Woolf... My great reference is Ana María Matute, and I also love the whole magical realism movement. Lately, I have been fascinated by a current poet from the south of Spain, Sara Bueno.

What does being creative mean to you?

Honestly, I think it's more of a way of life and a way of looking at life, and I think it extends to absolutely everything. I think we are all creative. How you dress, how you decorate your house... There are a thousand ways to be creative. It's part of human nature.

How would you define your style?

Elegant, bohemian and natural. By natural, I also mean that it depends on the day! I'm a bit of a chameleon. I follow fashion trends, but never strictly. I adapt them to me, to my body, to my own tastes. For me, it's all about playing.

My clothes last a long time. Maybe I'm too much of a keeper, but I think it is much more sustainable. I also love that I can inherit clothes from my mother or grandmother. I always try to look for sustainable fashion options, in any way possible: buying to a brand that has a sustainable criteria, or buying a second-hand piece... Nowadays, I think there are many options to do it right and improve our way of consuming clothes.

What would you wear to a wedding?

For this kind of event, I have to say that I am a great believer in protocol. I know that this is becoming less and less popular, but I am very interested in this idea. I think that respecting certain traditions can be really beautiful. Also, I like the idea of having to stick to certain rules and taking it as a challenge: how much will I be able to express myself and how can I still maintain my own style within these limits? Instead of seeing it as something negative, I prefer to see it as another way of playing and experimenting.

To conclude, do you have any other writing projects coming up?

Yes! For some time now I've been working on a new story and preparing the next novel. It is still a small seed. It's a very different creative process from "La puerta roja", so let's see what comes out!

We would like to thank Claudia for the time she dedicated to this interview. You can find out more about her and her work on her website: https://studiomirada.com/

We would also like to thank the team of the Baldomero café for opening us their doors.