Dear amigos,
Sometimes, the creative journey turns you into a solitary wolf, howling alone. Anateresa Barrios understood this common feeling and decided to do something about it by creating El Refugio. Based in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, Ana has built a unique ecosystem that helps creatives, artists, and designers move beyond isolation and turn their ideas into reality. We had the honor of interviewing Anateresa—or “Ani,” as many call her—to learn more about her personal journey, the lessons along the way, and this beautiful digital community you can access on Patreon.
Q: How did El Refugio start?
A: I have always been an inventor, a label my father gave me that I eventually embraced as my true identity. My journey began in photography and grew into a successful illustration career with over 300 clients worldwide. However, I eventually felt a deep disconnect, questioning if I was allowed to be more than just an illustrator and fearing what would happen if I stepped away from that identity.
I navigated this search in total solitude, feeling like I was going crazy while watching others follow more traditional career paths. This isolation finally ended in a park when I sat down with a fellow creative and realized we shared the exact same fears. In that moment, I realized I wasn’t alone, and that realization became the heart of what would eventually become El Refugio.
Q: How did you scale this idea so fast? How did you go from an informal WhatsApp group to an established global community?
A: I started by organizing monthly events in the park for a year and launched a newsletter to share these experiences. While I was building this local movement, a global digital movement was starting to grow in parallel. I kept telling myself that I wanted an international community of creatives and to design experiences for them, even though I didn’t know how to do it yet.
After more discovery and teaching classes, I realized that all friends have one thing in common: a WhatsApp group. So, I started there. I created a group called El Refugio with a very specific dynamic: the chat was closed all week and only opened on Saturdays from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. During those hours, I would share a challenge or a specific task that generated deep connection. We weren’t just talking about anything; we were being intentional about the creative process.
The group grew to over 250 people, and that magic led to what El Refugio is today: a multi-experience community. We now have learning experiences with classes and guest speakers, inspiration through creative challenges, and connection through our WhatsApp group and weekly live meetings. It’s an ecosystem designed to give you the tools, inspiration, and friends to make your ideas real while lowering the volume of fear and the impostor syndrome.
Q: What advice would you give to other creatives out there?
A: Through this trip, I’ve discovered that there is no magic button. You have to work, be imaginative, and fall in love with your projects. Here are the five pieces of advice I give at the end of my program:
- Experiment with an Explorer Mindset: You have to make friends with experimentation. Cultivate an explorer mentality and understand that it isn’t that serious or definitive; it’s a game. When you are exploring, nothing that happens is good or bad. It is all just information and data to help you improve.
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Build Relationships: Nothing has taken me as far as the friends I’ve made along the way, both in person and on the internet. You cannot be alone. You have to put yourself out there, write to people you admire, and join communities. When you relate to people who are in the same boat as you, everything expands.
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Just Do It: In the creative world, you have to actually do the thing, not just say you’re going to do it. If you want to be a writer, you have to write. You build your identity through actions using what you have today. You have to build your own ladder with finished projects.
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Share Your Work (“Saca la vaina”): You have to show what you do to the world. Sharing is a way to close a project so you can move on to the next one. If you keep something in a drawer for an infinite loop of improvements, it will never be seen or recognized. We have a quote in the community: “Saca la vaina,” which means get the thing out.
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Become a Detective of Yourself: Observe your habits, your energy, and your thoughts. What happens inside you when you say you’ll do something and then you don’t?. Treat yourself like a subject of study. Understanding your creative process, knowing when you are in the “hole” and what “lifesavers” help you get out, is what allows you to sustain a project until it becomes a reality.
Join El Refugio
On May 1st, El Refugio is opening its doors for 50 new members. These 50 people will get access to their content library, the “Idea to Reality” program, our WhatsApp community, and our weekly live sessions.
To join, you need to sign up for the waitlist. You’ll receive an email on May 1st with the access link, and the first 50 people to enter will be part of this experience. If you miss this window, they won’t open again until August.
A: “El Refugio is the place I always needed, and because it didn’t exist, I created it. I hope to see you there”
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