Why are personal projects important?
I believe every artist needs personal projects—large or small. First of all they bring joy; they also awaken an even deeper passion for illustration. They don’t have to be a direct source of income. The big advantage is that with a personal project you’re your own boss with your own rules and criteria. The final result truly reflects your personal style. Through these projects you become more skilled and more confident in showing your illustrative voice because you’re not under someone else’s influence. They shouldn’t feel like chores to tick off but like a drive, the very force that made you an artist in the first place.
Challenge – do something you don’t usually do.
This time I set myself a challenge: choose motifs that feel like children’s illustration. I picked only floral motifs. Narratively they’re less specific and therefore more inviting to a wider audience. That’s how two designs came to life containing just flowers—each in warm, feminine colour palettes. And then I made a third because I couldn’t resist adding a dreamy girl. Of course I drew a few blossoms in her hair. 😀
I had the motifs printed as hardbound notebooks. I decided to leave the pages blank to give you space for your creativity. You can use a notebook as a journal, a recipe jotter, a sketchbook—anything.
Flowers always feel fresh yet nostalgic at the same time. What a lovely combination. 