My goal is to promote a daily self-care practice. For me, art is mediation, it's my way of living and that’s what I aim to showcase in my work.
1. Tell us more about your background and journey.
A dreamer, creator and a wanderer is how I would describe myself. Born and brought up in Nagpur, I moved to Mumbai to do my MBA in Communications. I started my career in the television industry in the content scheduling/ programming team.
Few years after that because of relocation, I started working as a content writer and later during pregnancy started my own event management firm. Just when I thought, this is it, life showed up with another adventure in the form of change of countries wherein we shifted to Barcelona and then later to Amsterdam.
After all the moves both in career and countries, I finally started a new journey with paper, paints and pen, last year.
2. When did you decide you wanted to be a painter/illustrator?
It may sound cliché, but as a kid, I was always either busy drawing or reading. So, at a point in my life when I was lost and didn’t know which direction to take, I went back to my childhood love and that’s art.
I started with the 100-day challenge and after drawing for those 100 days and experiencing the joy of creating again and the mental peace of the process, I realized that I want to shift this hobby into a profession and that’s when ‘expressionsbyneha’ began.
My goal is to promote a daily self-care practice. For me, art is mediation, it's my way of living and that’s what I aim to showcase in my work.
3. Is it a financially stable career?
With a lot of options like print on demand, online teaching, paid commissions and etc. art these days is a financially stable career. Though, compared to regular jobs, it takes much longer to reach that stability. But if you stick to it and carve your own niche, you can do really well.
4. Who is your favourite illustrator and why?
Lisa Congdon is my favourite. I love her art because along with being pretty and bold there is always some context, some message in her art. Her work has lots of depth.
Also, I absolutely admire her life story and the way she has redefined the norms of ‘starting late and becoming successful’ in this very competitive and saturated creative filed
5. Where do you get inspired to create art?
Travel, books, nature and everyday moments and objects have been the biggest source of inspiration for me. The more you pay attention to the things around you, the more you step out of your comfort zone, the more ideas you get.
6. What piece of advice would you like to give to future aspiring illustrators?
Be kind to yourself. It’s a long journey, so don’t let the competition fill you up with doubts and insecurities. Be inspired by other artists but don’t forget your own voice and style. Also, keep practising every day.
7. Which is your favourite book and why?
I absolutely love books, but if I have to pick one then that has to be the Harry Potter series. Harry Potter because even after all these years, it’s my happy place, an endless source of inspiration and something that always brings light on dark gloomy days.
Artist | Illustrator
Instagram - @expressionsbyneha
Interviewed by - Suhani Mangleek
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