Adina, from the Zazzle stores ShouShou and Noir_et_Blanc, was kind enough to sit down and talk with us about her art, and her time at Zazzle. Check out the interview below and don’t forget to check out her stores ShouShou and Noir_et_Blanc!
Zazzle: First off, tell us a little bit about yourself.
Adina: I’m Adina Conisceac, 25 years old, born as a very untypical Leo on 7 August (untypical because of my introverted and almost too quiet nature). I’m Romanian, currently living in Brussels, Belgium and facing the challenge of continuously learning three foreign languages. When I was 7, I used to think I was meant to be a fashion designer. This certitude faded away exactly after graduating with a BA in Fashion Design. Now I’m focusing full-time on childrens illustration, decorative arts, and generally creating stuff. I’m in the process of putting together a series of coloring books, and breaking into the textile design field. On a more personal side – I wear glasses, want a Chartreux cat, I listen to a large diversity of music genres (from alternative to classic and from bossa-nova to chill out). My “amulet” (favorite thing) is a huge wooden ladybug brooch I received when I was 5.
Zazzle: What’s your inspiration for your designs?
Adina: I’m inspired by all things positive, colorful, cuddly – those that make cute noises and those that make me laugh. I‘m lucky to enormously love and be loved, and I suppose this is reflected in everything I do. What helps me the most is to let my creativity flow in drawing outdoors (park/woods/any nice place).
Another important part of my creations are inspired by world cultures, old and new. I love the African, Asian, American Native, and Oceanic artistic treasuries. I especially admire their everyday objects such as clothing pieces, ceramics, and home textiles. With the stylized shapes and refined coloring, they inspired me a lot for my Noir et Blanc Zazzle store.
Zazzle: What has been your favorite design you’ve created, and why?
Adina: This may seem strange, but I’m not very fond of my illustrations – I’m a perfectionist and always think the best works are those yet to be made. Another reason for my detachment may be the fact that I’ve sold my art for a relatively long time, and I’ve learned to let it go so it won’t break my heart every time an original piece finds a new home. If I must pick a design from Adina’s Shop, that might be the Red Poppy, because it’s my favorite flower. I like the simplicity of it, and the white-red contrast. I also like how my mousepad designs turned out – almost all of them.
Zazzle: What is your favorite Zazzle feature? How do you use it?
Adina: I love everything about Zazzle, I’m happy it exists! My favorite feature is the Advanced Store Customization, which I plan to use very soon.
Zazzle: What got you interested in selling your art on Zazzle?
Adina: A few months before graduating, I started looking for venues where I could express myself creatively and earn a living. The opportunity to actually design products, without going through a review process or without investing anything else than time, was fantastic. Zazzle was one of the factors that (a year later) made me determined to start a career as an illustrator. Zazzle made it so easy! The folks on Zazzle always put a smile on my face and make me happy with just a comment. They make the site a big, supporting community full of beautiful creative people to which I’d like to say, Thank You!
Zazzle: What tips can you give someone who is just starting out on Zazzle?
Adina: This has probably been said many times before, but I think it is good advice and important to be successful here: keep adding products. Don’t let yourself get discouraged by lack of sales at the beginning. Hard work will be rewarded! Just keep going, you know, like in all aspects of life.
Thanks Adina!
June 17, 2010 at 10:29 pm |
Wow, I really liked this interview. It was so encouraging and inspiring. It was a nifty idea for Zazzle to put up interviews with featured sellers. Reading their comments can be very helpful.