After years in the corporate world and the freelance trenches, I heard a deeper call — to lead with heart, create with soul, and build something truly my own. That was the beginning of The Brave Pivot — a courageous shift where I applied Design Thinking to my own life.

Today, I launch The Inward & Outward Journal — part personal journal, part creative studio, and part living story.

It’s the space where structure gave way to soul. Where I stepped away from the predictable and chose passion, purpose, possibility — and success on my own terms.

Now, I’m building DAHLO — not just as a brand, but as a platform for intentional living, soulful design, and eventually, a space where other creatives can thrive.

I move to the beat of my own drum, guided by my love for Creative Direction, storytelling, and the power of beautiful, functional design. This is where I share the real journey — the trials, the doubts, the breakthroughs, the magic, and the joy.

If you’ve ever felt the pull to build something meaningful from the inside out — to live with purpose, create with heart, and move through life Inward & Outward — then welcome.

You’re not just invited.
You’re already part of this story.

Hi, I’m Marcela — an artist, designer, illustrator, leader, musician, healer, and world traveler.
I’m also the founder of DAHLO.

But beyond the titles, I’m a dreamer, a seeker — someone who chose to begin imperfectly, led by intuition, vision, and a heart hungry for meaning.

I was born and raised in South America, where I discovered my creative voice early and built a career as a recognized designer and illustrator. I poured my soul into my craft and was honored with national and international recognition — yet deep down, I knew that was only part of my story.

Learning English wasn’t just about language. It was about unlocking a bigger world — one filled with new dreams, unexpected detours, and the chance to imagine a life far beyond what I once thought possible. With time, I built a creative path across cultures, borders, and beliefs — one that allowed me to support my family, express my purpose, and continue evolving.

Creative Strategy

Big picture thinking, start to finish.

These are the projects where Marcela led the vision—serving as creative director, strategist, or planner. She oversaw teams, guided cross-disciplinary collaboration, and shaped the overall concept, tone, and execution across campaigns, video games, and branded experiences.

Art Direction

Creative Director

Campaigns

Creative Output

Crafted by hand, built with intention.

This section highlights Marcela’s direct creative contributions—UI/UX design, animation, motion graphics, and interactive media. These are projects she personally designed, illustrated, or built, bringing ideas to life through detail, texture, and motion.

Edutainment

Entertainment

Logos & Brand

Editorial

Where words and visuals meet.

Here you'll find Marcela’s work in books, articles, blogs, and editorial design—whether she illustrated a children’s book, laid out a feature spread, or created visuals for digital stories. This is where her visual storytelling meets the page, in both print and digital form.

Children’s Books

Books & Publications

Articles & Press

Speeches & Panels

Awards & Recognition

2018 IBM HCD Winner: Eminence and Excellence Award for demonstrating the Practice: Dare to create original ideas

2018 Rock-It: Outstanding Team Excellence Awards (IBM Aspera on Cloud).

IBC 2018 Best of Show Award from TVBEurope for our Aspera Streaming for Video solutions.

2015-2016-2017 Aspera Files Software Awards: 

  • 2015 IBC Winner TVB Europe Best of Show, 

  • 2015 Winner TV Anywhere Solutions Awards for Sky Italia. 

  • 2016 IABM Winner design and innovation award IBC Amsterdam. 

  • 2017 Studio Daily best of post-production award for ATS, the two best of show awards for Files with the new streaming platform.

2012 Scholarship Awardee: Educational Grant, WIA East Bay Works, Oakland. 

2012 Dictionary of Latin-American illustration, Venezuela

2007 Finalist (9th), Adobe Cut & Paste competition, San Francisco

2007-08 Two-time Employee of the Month Awards NBGA, San Jose

2007 Dr. Toy, Best New Product of the year, MLB Trade Up, New York

2007 Reader’s choice, Jumpstart® Series Interactive Learning, Los Angeles

2006 iParenting Media Award, Best new book for “Boo and Bumpy, Guess who...”, New York

2006 Business Plans Awardee, CCI and Cultural Affairs Department, Los Angeles

2003 Parents’ Choice Foundation, Jumpstart Advanced 3rd Grade, Los Angeles

1999 Bologna Faire, Winner Best New Software for “Jumpstart Phonics”, Game Design credit, Italy

1998 Winner of the Children’s Technology Review Award. JumpStart Learning System, New York

1997 Winner for Excellence in Educational Software by Educational Press Association and Newsweek  

Editors Choice for “The Land Before Time Movie Book”, Los Angeles

1994 IBBY Winner, 100 Best Children’s Book Illustrators of the World, Switzerland

1994,93,92,89 Winner, Best Books of the Year by National Library: Raton y Vampiro se conocen,  El libro de los animales, El sapo distraído, Las frutas tropicales, Venezuela