We recently had the chance to connect with Rigatoni Garrido and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning Rigatoni, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: Are you walking a path—or wandering?
As of right now, I think I am wandering rather than following a clear path. I think that is the best part of working on Pipapeep. My little squishy character has taken me down very interesting and unexpected places, and it kind of feels like a theres a little surprise party around every corner. And while wandering is lots of fun, I think Pipapeep will eventually find itself on a more concise trail to walk on.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hello peeps! My name is Rigatoni Garrido and I am the creator and voice of Pipapeep, a small, squishy, adorable, animated character that can be found on Instagram, Tiktok, and YouTube! I’ve been drawing these little critters since 2014, and I established my little art business after grad school officially in 2020! It started off as a silly high school doodle and Pipapeep has now become my bread and butter!
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I was another human being. There wasn’t anything particularly interesting or special about me before Pipapeep took off. And while that sounds negative, it is in fact the truth! Before my small art business, I didn’t have any special skill outside of drawing and painting. I couldn’t play an instrument, or act, nor was I athletic in any capacity. I knew in my heart I just wanted to draw and make art for the rest of my life, so I didn’t really bother with learning anything else. Nothing else truly interested me like drawing and animating did. Honestly, I was just another girl trying to make it through each day before Pipapeep swooped in and changed everything. I’d like to think that I was a simple, good person back then. When Pipapeep blew up, it seemed like the world wanted me to be the keeper and voice of Pipapeep 24/7 and not some wandering kid doodling about in her notebooks.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Of course! Lots of times!
In fact, I recall wanting to give up during the pandemic because that was right after I finished my Master’s in Animation & Illustration, and like most people during that time felt helpless. Like millions of people, I was stranded indoors, everything around me felt way out of reach, and it seemed like I would never get an opportunity to grow and cultivate my career as an artist.
So, I stopped drawing for a while, and took up teaching to try and rake in some income. I started off as a substitute teacher for middle and high schools, and then I became an after-school tutor for small children who had a hard time learning how to read. And those jobs were fine, but in my heart, I wanted to retreat to my sketchbook and just draw and be a creative individual again.
At some point during this teaching experience, I completed a teaching certificate, and thought about moving to Japan to teach English to elementary school kids. I was really aiming to do it, I was so close to, and then by a miracle, I was offered a job as a concept artist at a game studio that wasn’t too far from where I lived. As soon as the job was offered to me, I quit teaching forever and jumped right back into the art world rodeo!
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
Probably not! I think everyone is different behind closed doors, however, I do have moments in my day-to-day life where I randomly “Peep!” in public. I have these moments where I embrace my inner Pipapeep and I think to myself, “Yea! I AM Pipapeep!”
I think the real me is actually quite boring! Sorry! The real me burns time playing videos games, and eating pizza whenever theres no work to be done. I’m pretty average! And I am okay with that! 🙂
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope people will remember me as a kind and decent person. I want Pipapeep to be associated with love and joy, and the sensation that everything is going to be okay no matter what happens or how one feels in a dire time. I hope that when I’m gone, I’ll be remembered as a patient, loving, funny, genuine artist who had a lot of peeps in her heart! I also hope that people will enjoy my art for hundreds of years to come! I hope that Pipapeep will stretch across galaxies as humanity explores space. Take a peep with you! Keep a peep in your heart! Thats all I could ask for!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://pipapeep.shop/
- Instagram: @pipapeep
- Youtube: @pipapeep
