“People only see the tip of the iceberg. It’s not a hobby, it’s a job that requires dedication, discipline, and countless hours of work.”

For Pedro Porto, being an artist means balancing paradoxes: the solitude that gives him freedom can also drive him to seek outside validation. As a freelance illustrator, painter, and writer, he has learned to navigate both the independence and the instability of the creative path—all while staying deeply committed to his personal projects.

What do you do?

I’m an artist. I mainly work in illustration, painting, and writing books. As a freelancer, I usually work as an illustrator, but right now I’ve closed my schedule to focus on my personal projects.

The best and the worst about your job?

The best: creative freedom… and solitude.
The worst: instability… and also solitude. That paradox fascinates me: solitude gives you freedom, but sometimes it pushes you to seek external opinions. In the end, the answers are within you. You always need to keep studying to sharpen your criteria.

What’s a misconception about your profession you’d like people to understand?

Many people have no idea how much work it takes to create. They only see the tip of the iceberg. It’s not a hobby—it’s a job that requires a lot of dedication. And it’s not just about talent: you need to sit down and put in the hours.

What does your daily routine look like?

Dynamic. Sometimes I exercise at the beach, other times in the mountains. I usually wake up at 6:30, write some morning pages, read a little, or listen to an audiobook while doing some chores. Then I go running in the mountains, near Parc Güell for example.

After that, I go down to MOB with clear tasks for the day and work on a project there. Fridays are exclusively for illustration and painting, same as Saturday mornings. I’m always experimenting—it depends on the season and the stage of life. I used to work at night; now I’m a morning person.

Why Barcelona?

Because it’s the Rio de Janeiro of Europe. If Romário was happy here, then anyone from Rio can be too.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Keep doing what you’re doing, without worrying. There’s a time for everything.

Tell us about a project you’re especially proud of.

In terms of portfolio, definitely the graffiti for Roger Waters’ Pink Floyd stage and the bottles I designed for the Football World Cup with Coca-Cola. But right now, I’m very focused on my current project, La Leyenda de Anima, and on the book ¿Dónde está mi ombligo?, which is finished but still looking for a publisher.

And what would you tell someone thinking about becoming a freelancer and joining MOB?

Joining MOB is positive because of the atmosphere, which helps you stay focused, and the contacts you make with people from different professions.
About freelancing: discipline. There’s a time to sow and a time to reap.