Illustrator Barbara Dzadosz (30) lives in Hamburg and is the owner of a stationary brand. She tells us about it in issue 36.
What are you up to?
“I’m working on some book projects and editorials. Besides that, my husband and I are busy with our stationery brand, jungwiealt. We started a year ago with some postcards and prints, and now have a range of products including playing cards, stamps, a sticker book and tattoos. It’s so much fun to create products with care and love.”
Do you usually work from home?
“Yes, I have a simple work desk with a computer on it. I don’t need a lot of space for illustrating. I also work a lot on my laptop when we are traveling. We spend our summers in a camper van, so I need to be flexible. I really enjoy the fact that I’m independent regarding my workspace and can work from everywhere as long as I have a connection to the Internet.”
What do you do to relax?
“This might sound boring, but it is illustrating. My job is my absolute passion, and whenever I have some spare time I try to come up with something new. To take the time to experiment and play around. I enjoy training my creative muscles whenever I can. I love drawing food and recipes; it’s relaxing to draw an onion for the hundredth time and to come up with a new way of doing so. If the weather is good, you’ll find me somewhere near a beach in our van enjoying the nature and sun.”
What challenges do you face as a freelancer?
“Keeping track of all my tasks, like accounting, legal issues, communication with clients and so on. It’s not just about creating illustrations. What really works for me is to stick to my routine. I like to get an overview at the beginning of the day. I make lists to make sure everything is done on time. My days are pretty consistent, which I really enjoy.”
How do you come up with ideas?
“That process differs, but mostly I get ideas while reading the brief for a commission. I just start drawing what comes to mind immediately. I believe spontaneous ideas are the best, as they are free and loose. If you start to overthink, some sketches might be bulky and won’t work.”
Text Jeanette Jonker Illustration Barbara Dzadosz
