“My journey has just begun I believe!” is the modest response of illustrator-animator Lovyaa Garg, who has a bunch of illustrated books published to her name. Very few people are ever certain of what they want to do, but Lovyaa had known that she wanted to be an artist ever since her childhood. Always experimenting, and harboring a love for painting, she developed an interest in stories after she entered college. Soon, she began illustrating children’s books and started her page @makeitmini_comics for fun. She would draw incidents from her life, and top them off with pretty little poems and super short animations. Now, as even the beginning of her journey looks like a well-earned success, she feels that this is exactly her thing. “Life gave me exactly what I was looking for”, she happily adds. 

A head full of ideas and hands full of skills, she wants to tell stories in a way that they are simple to understand. And yet, the artworks of her comics also try to convey a message generally covered in irony or satire, something that makes people think. She also makes a positive note of how her extrinsic motivation is rooted in the smiles of other people. “The idea of seeing more smiling, contented people living harmoniously makes me take out my pencil and draw everyday!” she says. While like most artists, she too persists from the love of her audience, she hopes to redeem it by making the whole world happy through her career and what she makes. 

Never worried about not following up with conventions, she had a pretty smooth sailing when she decided to immerse herself in the field of art. Her major breakthrough moment, that propelled her journey forward, was when she published her first illustrated book. And the growth of her Instagram page was nothing but an unexpected fulfilling gain.

She reveals that the inherent courage to follow her heart is also largely owed to her parent’s support. This mindset has helped her focus on pursuing her own expectations rather than obliging to those of others. She proudly maintains “I have always chosen my path according to my desires and what I expect from my life.” So, it is only natural that she admits that she hasn’t discovered art to be spiritual. For her, it is not in art but in the process of doing what you love. Once you start to love your work, it offers all the peace and meditation that you can get. 

Her Message!

Since her source of motivation and creation all come from inside her head, she believes talent to be an innate characteristic present in all. “We just need to dive inside our own heads to explore that”. And once you discover it, it is hard work and persistence to carry you through and refine your skills. In the face of this, she understands that doubts, fears, false expectations present the biggest challenges. And overcoming them is the hardest, yet, most important thing to do in order to follow and fulfill your dreams. And she leaves this piece of advice to her fellow dreamers and artists. “If you can do that, you can do absolutely anything!” Lovyaa upholds.

Her unique gift is her vision, coupled with her dedication and her willingness to do whatever it takes. With every stroke, she creates a virtual macrocosm for the new generation of digital readers. The compelling illustrations proffer a foray into the world of endless wonder. Her compositions animate a digital wonderland replete with fanciful creatures and fantastic fan art. In soft lines and bright hues, the digital creations configure an imaginative landscape that holds the promise of a life as picture-perfect as a splendid pop-up book.

Early Life!

She was born in Delhi. Here, she spent her early childhood before relocating to Ludhiana with her family. With her head in the clouds, the dreamy-eyed young girl often wandered off into her dreamland. She fondly remembers that as a kid, her attention constantly drifted to the balmy haze of the wonderland, which she presently alludes to as the land of butterflies and puppies. 

Around the clock, she found herself indulging in quick and free-handed sketches. Back in the day, she looked upon Visual Art as a creative medium for expressing thoughts and feelings. And she knew that she was good at it. There was neither anything more nor anything less to it-a pretty much, an open and shut case. 

Although she participated in many art competitions and was nicknamed the class artist, it never occurred to her that she could build a career in digital art production. Accordingly, she decided to take up Commerce stream at school and afterwards pursued a degree in business administration. Looking backwards in time, she finds it hard to gather why she felt the way she did. Imaginably, she feared corrupting the joyful experience of loosely and quickly drawing anything that came to her mind. But now, she accepts that phase as an extended timeout of skepticism and incredulous misgivings.

A New Turn of Events!

Following the winding up of her college days, she witnessed a new turn of events. After graduation, she took up a job. Soon, she realised that job in itself was not just working out. Something was amiss. Thereafter, she left her job and returned home. At that time, she felt utterly clueless. For that reason, she started filling up some random forms. 

After squandering about six to seven months, she decided to take a course in animation. As she never mused over launching a career in animation, she left the course midway and moved to Dehradun with her husband.

Life at Dehradun was peaceful but bereft of exciting job opportunities. Over the next few years, she travelled immensely and lived in a legion of cities. And strangely enough, the thought of taking up visual art never came to her mind. As far as her love for art went, she continued to draw arbitrary illustrations-more of random elements and whimsical doodles. Needless to add, it is conceivably safe to assume that artistry has been a constant part of her life.

It Is Never Too Late!

She shares that her husband persuaded her to take her hobby seriously. He convinced her that she was meant to become an illustrator. After much coaxing, she resolved to play in the familiar yet untested terrain of digital illustration-on the pretext of discovering whether it was a suitable option for her. And three and half years later, she is not only an illustrator, working primarily on books for children, but also a product designer who develops a range of merchandise.

Her career in the corporate sector, followed by a brief stint in animation, inadvertently set the stage for her half-heartedly wandering into the domain of graphical illustrations. Ever since then, her passion boasted her morale so much so that she confidently transitioned as a full-fledged illustrator. Indeed, the walkway to taking up the role of an illustrator was not critically coherent. Nonetheless, the chain of events suggests, more subtly than anything-it is never too late. 

Creating Cute Illustrations!

Much like her like, all her characters are happy and joyful, and above all, are childlike. With honeyed echoes of playfulness, the illustrations offer a happy departure from the rigours of the real world. Understandably, the entire collection promises the delight of pure joy for every beholder. Fairly often, the imagery presents a template for the boundless expanse of imagination.

Her Instagram feed reveals an assortment of illustrations. Firstly, it is graced by fan art, which primarily includes Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, along with an occasional sling of Ghilbi inspired representations and recreated book covers. Then, one catches a glimpse of nature-centric illustrations that roll out light-hearted messages. Taking the lead, an elephant sounds forth the trumpet to be kind; a monkey playfully gibbers to be silly, and a giraffe proudly announces to embrace the weirdness. 

More than that, a personalised tone often accompanies the digital artwork, to a greater degree in posts that sneak a peek into her day-to-day life, together with the selection of fan art. At times, she illustrates a girl with her head in the clouds, a skunk battling the dreaded Monday blues, and elsewhere she re-imagines herself as a bespectacled Hogwarts student.

Breakthrough Moment Of Her Life!

Every milestone is marked by a feeling of accomplishment. For Aishwarya, there have been more than one personal milestone. Foremost, the breakthrough moment was the appreciation she received for the customised cards that she had designed on the occasion of her brother’s wedding. 

Afterwards, the first-ever professional collaboration as a book illustrator with a first-time author jazzed her up to explore the field of visual art, especially the art of digital production. In the recent past, some associations have become close to her heart. She illustrated P. J. Tierney’s Hamish the Hedgehog: the Kitchen Critter and Mallory Smyth’s Ollie The Owl: Discovers Hoot She Is. Moreover, she partnered as an artist to develop a series of merchandise for the Happy Wagon.

The Way Ahead!

She confides her reluctance in gearing up for a long term vision. Therefore, she sets out to effectively execute short-term plans. Additionally, as opposed to the concept of a hardened or a concrete plan of action, she refers to short-term plans as vague plans. As she looks ahead, she aspires to work on many books for children, develop learning tools for young learners, and collaborate with more like-minded folks for product architecture. And more importantly, she hopes that the audience gains a greater understanding of the artist in her.

Her Five Point Mantra For Success

1. Be patient. It takes time for things to work out.
2. Strive for constant improvement because there is no substitute for hard work
3. Be authentic. Accordingly, it is significant to find your strength and let your personality shine out in whatever you choose to do
4. Build a community. You grow when you assist others in their growth.
5. Stay humble.

What comes across as most significant is that life is as straight or as crooked as one makes it out to be. In the face of adversity, the resilience of the spirit illuminates the dark sky of formidable challenges. 

Above all, life has a way of surprising us. At least, that’s what we like to think. Maybe, life will surprise everyone in a good way. From time to time, we need dreamy eyes to see the wonders of the world, a grateful heart to feel the wonders of the world, and perhaps a pair of bunny ears to listen to the wonders of the world. You never know the walkway to the wonderland may be around the corner.

‘Bold’ and ‘Gentle’ may sound like somewhat of an oxymoron but there is no better way to describe her artwork. Saloni Patel, like everything she does, pursues art with a single minded passion. In her illustrations, you see glimpses of an individual who has a distinctive idea of what she wants to say, her beliefs firm and her words unquestionable. It is, perhaps, a mark of her own journey so far or it may be the fact that Patel has very little in the way of holding back when she decides to pursue something. Whatever it may be, the outcome is a truly gifted illustrator creating artwork that not only says something, but also is a direct reflection of an individual who recognizes her own worth. 

Raised amid the bustle of Mumbai, Patel recalls her childhood as being immersed in art. As a matter of fact, she would choose to give handmade cards to her loved ones instead of purchasing gifts. That, she felt, added a personal touch, allowing a little bit of her own self to pass on and exist in the lives of those she cared about. Interestingly, however, art was not something that she immediately recognized as her calling. As such, she actually pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Management Studies before going on to study Graphic Design as part of her Master’s degree at the University of Huddersfield, UK.

The decision to pursue graphic design, as she puts it, was one that she constantly found being challenged. On her first day in the university, she recalls her module leader asking her to change her course to Business Studies based solely on the fact that Patel did not have a bachelor’s degree in graphic design. Even so, after finishing her education and returning back to India to hunt for a job, she recalls a particular job interview where she was told that she did not have it in her to be a graphic designer and, instead, should get into client servicing. You see, the world, itself, was fighting against everything that she ever wanted.

Patel, however, was adamant. She landed herself a job as a client servicing representative at an advertising agency while she, quietly, worked on learning what it actually takes to become a graphic designer and the entire craft behind it. This outright refusal to take less than what she was owed paid off eventually. Patel was hired as a graphic designer by ‘BookMyShow’. That was the first time she could actually say that she was working in that professional field. This particular turn of events, Patel says, gave her the necessary determination to hold on to her dream of pursuing art professionally. In fact, this, according to her, was a breakthrough moment for her.

While working at ‘BookMyShow’, Patel, now with renewed vigor, began posting her illustrations online under her own banner of ‘Moody moo’. It began slowly, however, she watched her reach grow, with people recognizing her artwork and giving her the credit she was long due. 

The journey had, by no means, been an easy one. And, it would not have been possible if Patel, herself, was not built as she is. You see, there is a sense of individualism to her that is incredibly difficult to quite point out. Yet, it, most definitely, exists. You see this in her artwork as well. Her illustrations are not just mere aesthetically pleasing visual projections. Each piece is deeply rooted in the idea of empowerment, of being able to stand your ground. It is art that is eloquently defiant and wildly passionate.

Perhaps, it comes as having to constantly fight for what she has now. Even way back when she was pursuing her education, she had to explain to her family why she could not pursue what they wanted her to and only could chase what she wanted to. That whole experience of having to make others believe in what she believed is, as she asserts, one of the bravest things she has ever done.

Talking about beliefs, Patel is pretty straightforward in talking about some of the things she puts her faith in. Her illustrations are, in a manner of speaking, a means to channel some of the ideas she wants to convey. An advocate for mental health and the body positivity movement, Patel, like in everything she does, is pretty clear on where she stands. 

Exploring that a little deeper, Patel talks about her own idea of creativity and the concept of latent talent. While she believes that the idea of talent and creativity can, sometimes, be misconstrued and be categorically summarized, Patel, herself, firmly stands in the natural fluidity of creativity. Creativity, for her, can never be objectively categorized. As she states, it exists differently in all of us, rearing its head in the things we do. What is most important is the idea to recognize and build on this through sheer work and perseverance.

Likening that to her own journey, she acknowledges the ways in which we are all tested in our pursuit of something we are passionate about. However, these challenges are actually helpful in making us realise the things that we hold a deep and true passion for. Coupled with the ability to see things practically, Patel advises on being open to experiences while holding on to your own dream. When things are done in a manner that is reflective of your own good intentions and persistent effort, your dreams are only a touch away from manifesting into reality. 

Sound advice. And, who better to give it than someone who has completely realized their own self?

Popularly recognized as the Founder/Creative Director of Quirk Box, Jayesh Sachdev is a National Award-winning artist. His work has been showcased around the world – galleries from New York to Singapore. In fact, he holds the national record for painting India’s largest concept artwork. Truly, an artist by nature, Jayesh has dedicated more than 15 years in his pursuit of art.

Quirk Box birthed out of the idea of democratizing art. Now an independent art-based design studio, Quirk Box offers well-crafted solutions for the design needs of their clients. This includes branding, graphics, fashion and much more! In fact, Jayesh’s fashion brand Quirk Box has been awarded the prestigious Vogue India Fashion Runner-up Fund and Grazia India Young Fashion Award.

A Little More On Jayesh Sachdev

Punekar by birth, Jayesh Sachdev has a Degree in Visual Communication at Lasalle College of the Arts in Singapore. Admittedly, he reveals that quitting his advertising job in Singapore was probably the most courageous thing he’s done. Not only was the pay good, but he also left it all to pursue professional art in India.

Jayesh Sachdev reveals that his journey hasn’t been easy by any means. It has been filled with a fair share of struggles, failures and learnings. The process is constant. Perseverance is key, he says. And art, in many ways is therapeutic to him. Yet his belief in his work, with the immense support of his wife, Priyanka Sachdev – Chief Illustrator at Quirk Box – has helped him reach where he is today.

As a final message to young dreams like him, he reminds us that the journey is long, hard and slow. It is important to acknowledge that everything comes with its fair challenges; giving up ought not to be an option.

With more than 100k following and a feed full of colours, @artsysushiroll on Instagram a.k.a Naysha Satyarthi is a young creator based in Mumbai. Like any teenager, she is figuring out the path of her career as she goes, and from the looks of her talents, definitely doing well at it. Naysha, whose introduction to painting colours happened as a two-year-old, has now a well-established social media presence as an artist. She attributes the support of her parents and her own leap of faith in choosing art-over-conventions as the grounds of her growth. 

In an exchange with The Talented Indian, she shares the story of how her art account came into being. She traces it back to attending an art course in 2019, where after seeing everyone there with an online presence to share their art, she too decided to give it a try. She saw it as a fun place to store her creations and keep a track of them. But soon it grew a massive following, requiring her to keep up with regular postings and audience interactions. In coming to terms with the usual downside of social media hate, she said, “It was a struggle and took some time to get used to it but now I have learnt how to focus on what is best for me and my happiness is my number one priority.” 

Speaking of her art and the process of creation, she realistically reveals that painting has a balanced purpose for her. It is relaxing and quite a spiritual process for her. But sometimes she makes art simply because she has to. Putting in perspective the annoyance of a creative block, she says “beating myself about finding motivation only makes it worse” and prefers to take some time off to refresh before getting back to it.

She finds the work of Claude Monet inspirational in making her want to experiment with the colour combinations of her paintings. An artist in the making, she is still figuring certain aspects of her work. But she is certain of what she wants her art to serve her audience. “I want my art to make people feel like they want to be a part of it.”, she says. And trust us, the colours of her landscapes are alluring enough to make you want to picture yourself in them. 

As an artist, she has a nuanced understanding of hard work. She sees interest as natural, while talent is that interest polished by efforts. Her own journey of establishing herself as an artist this young at age has been an outcome of efforts and the courage of doing the unconventional. In order to focus on her art, she decided to take a year off of school, a decision that she herself was initially skeptical of but eventually took that leap of faith for the better.

In a society obsessed with academics, she tells us, people did find her choice unusual. But she got through it with her parents backing her throughout. This is why she understands the hurdles that society’s rules pose in the pursuit of passion. She advises anyone who is struggling, to never give up what they love doing. “Keep taking a little time out to continue doing it, don’t lose the habit”, she says.

Naysha, however, is just another teenager, who loves binging TV shows and hanging out with her friends. But her call to step outside the box to give herself the room to explore her passion offers a sweet inspiration.

Check out her amazing art @artsysushiroll and shower her with some love!