Interview of Eva by Freya Bennett
Hi Eva, how are you going? Tell us a little about yourself.
Hello! I’m very good, thanks. My name is Eva Angeles Ramos, and I am very excited to join Ramona Magazine as a Communications Intern. My family and I are Spanish immigrants currently living in the Western suburbs (of Melbourne), and I am a second year of a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) at RMIT University, with a minor in Literary Studies. That being said, I am a huge fan of books. Like, a really big fan. As well as books, I’m also a big art enthusiast! I have loved art ever since I was little, and took accelerated studies for art in high school.
What’s one project or accomplishment you’re really proud of?
It might seem a little silly, but I have been building a collection of sketchbooks since I was a young girl, and that collection is something I am proud of. Over the years, I have filled book after book with illustrations, designs, and ideas, and having a physical record of all my memories and past inspirations makes me sentimental. Sometimes I take breaks from creating, and there will be a massive jump in time within the sketchbook, but I always go back to it and fill it with some serious, time-consuming work, or just some little doodles or some text about what I did that day. It doesn’t really matter how long it takes for them to be filled up or what sort of stuff is on the page, it just matters to me that I keep contributing to it no matter what, so I can look back at them later in life and remember those little things.
How do you like to spend your time outside of work or study?
I spend my time away from work and study immersed in the world of books. Books, books, and more books. As a devoted literature student, the classics are my usual go-to books of choice. If you mention names like Jane Austen, Dostoyevsky, and Shakespeare around me, rest assured, we will be friends. For me, reading is a space where I can relax and tune out the world around me. That being said, I absolutely bring a book with me everywhere. But… as much as I love reading my beloved literature, I sometimes indulge every now and again into the world of comics – and listen! There are some true works of art out there! Besides my addiction to books, I do spend a lot of time with my family. Little coffee dates out in the city, catching a movie in our local cinema, and even going for a walk around our neighbourhood, we do it all!
Who or what inspires you in your work or creative life?
I find that a lot of ordinary stuff inspires me. Just the simple, everyday life I find to be really interesting, and the same goes with people and their experiences. Overhearing people talking on the train, or a little event happening in the next town over, even speaking to people about their jobs and their childhood really gets me inspired to create or explore around those things. I would say the little things drive me to push forward with my work, to investigate each avenue of how things are perceived, how we react to things, and our emotions.
If you could learn one new skill instantly, what would it be?
Probably to speak a different language like French or German. I already speak Spanish and English, but why not pick up a third? Even though I briefly studied French in high school, I can barely remember a single word except ‘boulangerie’ (just so you know, it means ‘bakery’). I also say German because I find myself listening to some German music every now and again when I go for runs or am at the gym, and, for whatever reason, just adore how the language sounds. If I had to pick something completely different, I would have to say that learning how to perfectly write in cursive instantly would literally be the best thing ever. It looks so nice and elegant, and do you know how cool it is to just whip out perfect cursive when needing to write something down? I would never use a laptop to write notes ever again.
What’s a challenge you’ve faced that taught you something important?
Growing up, I really struggled to find myself and my own interests in the face of my friends and other people, always following their interests even if I wasn’t into it myself. It was hard to navigate, but learning my own interests and learning to be an individual has brought me so much peace. Maintaining yourself and your views, beliefs, and interests in the face of conformity is very hard but so very rewarding. Learning that if I stayed true to myself and did things because I wanted to do them helped me become a stronger person, and happier. I think that the film Dead Poets Society puts this idea into perspective so well, and it really helped me identify that I wanted to be my own person with my own interests and beliefs different from others and wanting that is okay.
What are you most excited to get experience with during your internship?
I’m very excited to explore the creative process behind these wonderful articles that are produced here at Ramona. To help be a part of the production of stories that offer comfort and attention to topics that are very dear to me, such as conversations on the feminine experience, mental and physical health, and the arts, means so much. The opportunity to practice my creative skills whilst attributing to a team that strives to bring awareness and empower its audience speaks to me and what I value, and I found that Ramona does exactly that and more.
