We’re thrilled to share our second conversation in our “Chats with changemakers” series where we connect with artists, activists, and leaders who are inspiring us.

This time out we chatted with Marcita Leite, an art director, illustrator, and animator from São Paulo, Brazil. Marcita has been working as a creative director for animation projects for almost 10 years now and has a special passion for working with themes related to culture, science, human rights, gender equality and social change.

We had the privilege to work with Marcita as our art director for our abortion with pills content. Check it out here: www.ipas.org/AbortionWithPills. Marcita made a short video talking about why she enjoyed working on this project with us. 

Ipas: What is inspiring you right now?  

Marcita: The current world inspires me. I see how much needs to be done, both in terms of discussing how to live well individually and collectively, but also how to keep life on earth viable. I see everything that technology brings us, it seems that distances are decreasing. But I also see the change from what was before to what we are becoming.

Who is your favorite activist to follow on social media? 

Marcita: I think the work of activists is essential in the world! The work of brave women like Maria Ressa, an award-winning journalist from the Philippines, the country that kills the most activists in the world, followed by Colombia and Brazil (my country), according to a report by the NGO Global Witness, inspires me a lot.

She fights for press freedom and investigates the growing rise of lies spread through social media and how it has broken democracy and helped elect her country's current president, just as it did with Donald Trump and Bolsonaro. Her struggle bothers the current president so much, that she was arrested a few times and runs the risk of going back to prison to serve sentences clearly to silence her.

What is something that is bringing you joy right now? 

Marcita: Currently it’s to look at the simple things in life: animals, nature, the heat of the sun.

Something you’d tell your younger self, as you worked to carve an artist career for yourself?

Marcita: Believe in your potential, that you are capable, that everyone has their time to do things, that there is no “being behind” other people, that it is possible to go far and it is important to keep focused on what you want and believe.

How do you recharge/prevent burnout?  

Marcita: Living in a megalopolis like São Paulo always made me feel that to de-stress it was necessary to travel and stay close to nature, to be offline for a few days. 

During the pandemic, I moved to a small town surrounded by mountains, sea, waterfalls and Atlantic forest to prevent my body and mind from this feeling of flatness in life. 

Riding my bike around here, receiving greetings from strangers on the street, something that happens in the countryside, seeing friends and taking a deep breath help me. But I still think it's important to disconnect (go offline), which has been more difficult in the last few months, always on the alert if our friends and family are ok, and this certainly made us more anxious. It is necessary to remember the importance of being offline. 

Last new thing you tried? (food, skill, hobby?)  

Marcita: I want to learn painting techniques and anything that gets me out of the blue light screens. I've already bought some canvases, I'm looking for courses and I plan to start doing this soon. Hope to have something to show soon from this new phase of experimentation :)