I Interviewed a Professional Surface Designer 🎨 Vanessa Stoilova

[@ArtBusinesswithNess]

Thanks for having me, it was really nice chattign with you!

[@ogawachikako]

Thank you for coming to my channel and spreading your inspiration, Ness! ☺

[@aleksitanninen]

These interviews are always so interesting to watch :) I did subscribe to Vanessa's channel to support her channel and following her on IG as well. I appreciate her sharing her experience, and her growth as both artist and professional illustrator. She really hit the homerun with a lot of perspectives from the 3rd person point of view. Most people think artists can just draw really well or create really beautiful images the moment they start drawing, which is usually not the case. And she also mentioned about mixing hobby and work is not for everyone, which is so true, and I am glad that it works for her. I am still saving my hobby for retirement, when I need not to worry about money anymore. The only major drawback is that, we don't really know what will happen tomorrow, so the best way to make sure things like that could be realized is to keep a healthy body and mind, so that means we need to always be happy lol. Remember Chi-chan, I subscribed to your channel, because I just randomly watched one of your video by chance and it just made me happy for reasons unknown. Frankly I've never heard of surface designer before, so I definitely learned something new today. See you next week and stay warm!!

[@ogawachikako]

Hi, Alex!I’m so happy to hear that the interview was inspirational. Honestly, inviting people onto the channel gives me so much stimulation, but it also feels more pressure compared to my usual videos😅 I feel like I need to do more until I can feel totally comfortable with it! I completely get what you mean. Ness is one of the people who have built a successful art career, but I’m humbled knowing that she’s been committed to it since 2015. Back then, I didn’t even know how to draw if I think about it! Even though you’re not pursuing an art career right now, who knows? It could bloom for you in a different direction someday. I really appreciate how open-minded you are to new opportunities✨ Aaaand thank you so much for supporting this channel until today! This year has been quite a journey, but having heartwarming people like you watching my videos keeps me going this far!! It means a lot really ☺️

[@BoruArt]

Very interesting interview! Having drive and tenacity certainly seems to be an asset for this sort of profession! There is a big portion of the art business that isssss business - maybe not the most glamorous aspect, but so necessary! Thank you for another informative interview, Chika!

[@ogawachikako]

Thank you, Brian! Yes, she was incredibly inspirational in how she emphasized the importance of persistence in getting client work🧐 Also, it reminded me that it doesn’t happen magically. With the year coming to an end, this interview has really helped me reflect and plan for the year ahead!💪 Talk to you soon!

[@minitapsstudio]

That was great! I'm planning to take art even more seriously next year, but I was having doubts and feeling down about it. And this interview had a godsend timing hahaha. It must be a sign! 😹💛 Thank you for the wonderful insights and motivation, Chikako and Ness! 🌟 I totally agree about building your connections. I think I've shared this before, but my art commissions started slightly taking off once I was able to reach a few people. It was by word-of-mouth and a bit of effective marketing. I feel like there's something weird about what I'm going to say, but I'm gonna go ahead and share the tip. 😅 If you're still a small-time artist who gets few commissions a month, it's worth it to follow and support people who you absolutely believe will one day get tempted to ask about your art, like a person in the same fandom or interest as you, and ultimately pay you for it. I did this to maybe half of my clients, and it was how I earned them. Basically show off what you can do (subtly) by supporting or befriending them first. It's like courting them without them knowing! 😂 Even if they don't end up really buying or commissioning you, you grew your community by gaining another friend or supporter. It's a win-win!

[@ogawachikako]

Oooooh I'm glad it reached you at the right time👏 December is a time when we tend to reflect on a lot of things, isn't it? I’ve also been reviewing this past year, thinking about my growth and areas to improve. Talking with Ness really made me realize how important persistence is in this career😅 Thank you for sharing your idea-it's incredibly interesting! Taking the initiative to approach those kinds of communities is such a great strategy! Finding yourself in the middle of the circle, supporting each other, and expanding outward...it's such an ideal approach. I’m excited to see what kind of year it will be for both of us next year. Let’s keep going together to build our careers through art! We are on the same boat☺️💪