Maria Montes is a Barcelona-based type designer, calligrapher, and educator known for her expressive lettering and unapologetically honest creative voice. Originally from Spain and raised on her grandmother’s influence and a deep love of typography, Maria has spent over a decade building an independent creative practice grounded in emotion, education, and integrity. Her work blends technical precision with human experience, and she is a fierce advocate for inclusion, lifelong learning, and self-awareness as the foundation of creative work.
Can you tell us a little about your first few steps in your career. Was there a moment or experience when you realised this was what you'd do as a career?
What lessons from your career have most shaped your style and approach?
My personal and professional challenges, my environment, and my cultural background. Let’s be honest—mistakes are never welcome, but they’ve taught me a lot about myself and the context I work in.
In 2024, I celebrated 10 years as an independent creative business of one, and I wrote about eleven important lessons that have shaped my career:
- Sudden unemployment knocks you down, but it can also bring professional growth.
- Show your work publicly—you never know who’s watching.
- Humour and vulnerability can be powerful tools for connection.
- Telling your story helps others reflect on their own journeys.
- Everything in your career and life is connected. You may not see it in the present, but in hindsight, things often become evident.
- Never take good health for granted.
- Curiosity is a superpower for unlocking creative blocks.
- Diversifying income streams can be crucial to sustaining an independent creative practice.
- Moving constantly can be very tiring, but also addictive.
- Creativity isn’t static—it evolves, but you need to feed it.
- Create the work you want to be hired for—and the person you want to become, even if the path is unclear.
Tell us about the core values or philosophies that guide your creative practice.
My creative practice is rooted in the principles of continuous learning, sharing knowledge, and creating emotion through my work.
My values are high-quality work, communication, collaboration, transparency, respect, and trust.
What needs to change, so emerging and under-represented creative professionals have more opportunity, are seen and heard?
The white patriarchy system has to be dismantled.
As a woman and educator, I’m actively engaged by celebrating cultural diversity, supporting women in the industry, highlighting the importance of gender equality and inclusion, and by making sure we all understand that bringing more voices, colours, and underrepresented groups up on the stage can only expand our view of the world and make us better.
In my opinion, The Design Conference Brisbane and Never Not Creative in Australia are doing wonderful things to diversify representation in our industry.
How important is it that creative professionals find their unique voice?
Looking ahead, what do you think are the key factors that will influence change for creative professionals?
Change is already here, and it’s become the only constant—especially in the last five years.
As you know, AI is changing how we work. Social media has completely transformed the way we interact with one another, and the climate crisis is forcing us to rethink our role on the planet. B Corp certification has been trending for a while now and is becoming an important badge for businesses to reassess their practices, be environmentally conscious, and stay relevant.
"Never stop learning" has never been more relevant, in my opinion.
How much does your city influence your work?
How much does your culture influence your work?
Tell us some of your favourite, creative professionals and inspiring places in your city!
I’m currently writing from Barcelona, a city that’s incredibly alive—culturally and creatively. There’s so much on offer here, and many of the activities are free of charge! In 2024, I curated a list called Barcelona x Graphic Designers where you can explore some of these gems.
Recently, Marta Cerdà published a new book called Sobreviure al disseny (Surviving Design), where she talks about the challenges of being a designer, mixed with her personal life experiences. I admire Marta deeply, and this book has brought me even closer to her work.
What should emerging creative professionals keep in mind as they begin their design career?
I mentor RMIT students, and I always recommend keeping one eye on your studies and the other on meeting people in the creative ecosystem around you. Ideally, don’t wait until a month before graduating—start building those relationships in your second or third year. Meeting people and cultivating personal relationships is still one of the strongest tools for future opportunities.
My second recommendation is: read as much as you design, have a professional LinkedIn profile, and if you have the capacity, volunteer or connect with a design organisation.
Finally, learn how to present your work. Debbie Millman has a recent talk that goes deep into this topic, and I cannot recommend it enough:
Is there anything else you'd like to add?
I’ve recently published a website dedicated to calligraphy and type education—feel free to check it out if you’re interested in letters and visual communication.
Lastly, the Typism Community is organising two in-person calligraphy workshops (one in Brisbane and one on the Gold Coast) in Australia.
Get in touch if you’d like to be notified about the dates!
Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | Calligraphy website | Online courses