Guerrera Spotlight
Ana Karen of Ana Karen Loves Paper
Blending Cultura and Creativity One Card at a Time
In celebration of Herstory Month, we are excited to shine light on Ana Karen, the talented fundadora of Ana Karen Loves Paper, a stationery brand that beautifully blends cultural pride with unique designs. Ana Karen's entrepreneurial journey is deeply rooted in her love of paper and her desire to connect generations through the Spanish language and la experiencia Chicana.
Growing up in a family of empresarios, Ana Karen was always inspired by the drive and resilience around her, especialmente la influencia de su papá. In 2019, she decided to embrace her passion for paper and took a leap of faith, launching her first collection of greeting cards. Her designs and Spanish messages quickly found a home within la comunidad Latinx, providing an authentic, joyful representation of la cultura Chicana. El amor from customers affirmed that she was on the right path, and from there, Ana Karen dedicated herself to her craft and empezó a echarle más ganas.
Hoy, Ana Karen Loves Paper offers a collection of greeting cards, pens and pencils, each piece designed to connect la raza through the artistry of paper, creativity, y el amor de su cultura. Her pens and pencils have powerful messages in Spanish like Poderosa, Chula y Chingona, and her cards are whimsical with images of conchas, La Virgen De Guadalupe, y la lotería. Ana Karen's journey is a true testament to the power of following your passion and using that passion to bring alegría to others. To learn more about Ana Karen's entrepreneurial journey, creative process, and what's new in her stationery world, keep reading for our full interview!
About You & Your Hustle
Ana Karen’s love for paper started at a young age. Growing up in a family of entrepreneurs, she was inspired by her parents’ resilience and work ethic—especially her dad’s drive to build something of his own. After earning a business degree and working in the paper industry for nearly a decade, Ana Karen found herself restless despite having checked all the boxes: a degree, a stable job, and a home.
Her creative spark reignited when she began making invitations for family events, which reminded her of the joy she felt crafting as a teenager. In 2019, she took a leap of faith and launched Ana Karen Loves Paper with a pop-up of Christmas cards. The response was immediate—people connected with the Spanish-language designs, and Ana Karen knew she had found her path.
Today, her brand offers a range of greeting cards, pens, and pencils featuring empowering Spanish phrases like Poderosa, Chula, and Chingona. Ana Karen’s work reflects her culture and brings joy to her community, showing that following your passion can lead to something truly meaningful.
From Passion to Paper: Ana Karen’s Journey
Tell us a little about yourself y tu negocio!
Q: ¿What sparked that fire to start your own business?
My name is Ana Karen and my business is Ana Karen Loves Paper. True to the name, I love paper. I've always had the entrepreneurial spirit in me. Both of my parents were immigrants from Mexico, and they owned their own business ever since I can remember. Seeing how hard my dad worked and just the way he was, I could never see him working for someone else. I had that drive in me too, and when I went to college, I majored in business. I knew that I wanted to work in some business aspect, but I wasn't convinced that it was going to be entrepreneurship. I saw firsthand how hard my parents worked when I was growing up and how difficult it was when they were unavailable on weekends.
When I graduated from college, I started working at a paper company because, again, I love paper. But then about nine or ten years later, just before the pandemic, I started getting really restless. I thought to myself, It can't be, because I've checked all the boxes. I got my degree, I have my nine-to-five, I have my home, and yet, why am I so restless? So, I started going back to the things that I was passionate about, like making invitations for all of our family events. I would go all out with the invitations, especially for my niece and nephews' birthday parties.
Eventually, I was fed up with just having a corporate job, and I thought, what if I can turn my hobby into a business and see where it goes? I took the leap with a pop-up at Christmas time in 2019 with Christmas cards, and they were well received. People would stop and look at my cards with such joy. I remember making cards as a hobby when I was a teenager. It was a full-circle moment. I was excited to know that I could make cards, sell them, and bring both me and other people joy. So, I decided to keep going with it. When the pandemic hit, it really put a lot into perspective. The world can change in an instant, so I decided to go with my passion and focus on growing my business and brand.
Q: ¿What's the story behind your negocio or brand name?
At first, it was a short-term name, but then it stuck. Since I can remember, I've liked playing with paper. I liked cutting it, writing on it, reading, just being very paper-focused. As a kid, I'd rather color and cut construction paper than go outside and play. I remember once receiving a pack of construction paper for my birthday, and I thought it was the best gift ever.
I would say that my brand is uplifting and encouraging. My brand connects people with cards and pens, and the messages that they convey. To me, paper, as a whole, is a way to connect with others and with myself. When I journal, I ground myself and connect to myself. When I plan with my journal, I connect to my future self. I plan what website I'm going to make and so on. I keep my planner around all the time. I like writing things—letters and sending out snail mail. Writing letters also connects me to other people, and that is another reason I make cards.
Q: ¿What kind of creations do you bring to life, and what makes them extra special?
I design, print, and assemble all my cards at home. At pop-ups, people would stop to read and say how much they liked the cards, but they wouldn't always buy them. I knew I had to offer more items for sale since I had already captured people's attention. I started with cards and moved into pens. I use good-quality pens, I design them, and it's fun—people keep coming back for more.
Q: ¿How does your cultura or personal journey show up in your work?
It's in Spanish, and the meaning makes people stop. People began requesting pens with a cute saying or word in Spanish, and that's what I did. I also carry them in English, but I really lean into making them in Spanish. Pens are now my best-selling item. As I mentioned before, I love this kind of stuff, but when I was growing up, I didn't have cool stuff that said Poderosa. I didn't have pens and cards in Spanish, the language I spoke at home.
Creative Process & Jefa Magic
“ It’s a process to create a card I’m proud of. I need the words and message to hit home.”
Walk us through your creative process—
Q: ¿How do you turn an idea into something people can hold and cherish?
The pens are easier to create. I design the pen, submit the order, and wait for the pens to come in. The cards, on the other hand, I'm with from design to printing to assembly. I'm not a designer by trade, nor an illustrator, and I can't draw, but I can work magic on Canva. I also buy from other people's work or libraries. I look for images that work with what I'm visualizing. I do the best with what I know, and the rest I outsource.
It's a process to create a card I'm proud of, and most of the time, the idea sits in my mind for months as the design comes together in my head. Cards involve more work because I'm very particular about them. I want them to not only look cute, but I also need the words and message to hit home. Equally important, I need to be able to assemble them quickly and in large quantities. I love making them by hand, and it's what sets me apart and keeps my heart full.
I have to think like an engineer when designing my cards because I don't want to spend an hour on one card. I want to streamline the assembly to make 20 cards in one hour. The wording has to be right, so does the font, the color, and the image. I like being particular with fonts because I believe that the way a word looks also brings out emotions in us. I want to make sure that the font works, the coloring works with the words, and the words hit home. Finally, after I'll sit with the final design, meditate, walk away, come back—and it's done. That's why it means so much to have a person walk away with a piece of my craft.
Q: ¿Qué te inspira? Where do you pull inspiration from?
I am inspired by my love of paper and stationery. I love the smell of paper and the smell of the Hello Kitty store. I'm inspired by other people too—like a fellow vendor, Milagros, who suggested I make a Milagros pen, and I did. The pens did very well, and I gifted her several as a thank-you for the inspiration. My customers continue to inspire me to make things in Spanish.
Q: ¿What do you hope people feel when they take home a piece of your work?
I hope it brings them joy and a giggle. In whatever way, I want my products to help people feel connected to something. It can be themselves, other people, or even the words or the message that connects them to their culture.
Community & Cultura
Q: ¿What does being a vendor at Adelita's Revenge mean to you?
First of all, there's no such thing as the self-made person anymore. You need a community to support and grow your business, and I love having that community at Adelitas. Yvonne supports my brand and vision, and I use my inventory skills to support her business and vision. We grow and learn from one another, and I draw inspiration from other vendors and artists in this collective. I've loved getting to know them and their gifts.
Q: ¿How does your business uplift la comunidad and keep the cultura alive?
It's the little moments, especially at pop-ups, particularly when I have older people—like grandmas and older dads—stop at my booth. I see them smile at the messages on my cards and pens. I get so much joy from seeing the older generation look at these cards and start giggling because they get it. Remember, my pens are in Spanish, and seeing these 60- and 70-year-olds stop and giggle at my work makes me so happy.
Representation is important, and these people, like my parents, didn't grow up like we have. They're immigrants who were told not to speak Spanish or were made to feel ashamed of it. I can only imagine being older like they are and seeing my stationery with words in Spanish that actually celebrates the language they once had to hide. So when they stop and giggle, it reminds me that I'm doing the right thing.
Q: ¿Any words of wisdom for someone thinking about launching their own creative hustle?
If you're thinking about starting your own business, just lean into it and do it. Whatever your art or craft is, just do it out of pure joy first. Be brave and sign up for a pop-up. Ignore the voice inside your head saying that you should wait or do it later. Just ignore it, sign up, and see what happens. Along the way, the answers will come to you because you'll see people interacting with your art, and that's going to guide your next step. So, just sign up and start.¡Sí se puede!
Support Ana Karen’s Work
Want to bring a little alegría into your life? Shop Ana Karen’s beautifully crafted cards and pens, featuring empowering Spanish phrases and cultural symbols that celebrate La Cultura Chicana.
👉 Follow her journey on Instagram: @AnaKarenLovesPaper
Or catch Ana Karen at Adelita’s Revenge—come say hi and see her creations in person!
