A coffee moment with Ana @Made by Mura
Casual conversations with inspiring creators, naturally accompanied by a coffee. This is how I would briefly describe these new series of articles on the blog. You know all those artists whose work you secretly (or openly admire) on Instagram? Those moms that coordinate awesome projects while still looking so stylish and relaxed? Those young and creative souls that inspire you to take better photos? Those posts that you religiously read every weekend while enjoying your morning coffee? I always thought it’s nice to meet the persons behind a project that I admire. To know their stories, what inspires their creative journeys or what their morning rituals are. So here is the first coffee moment shared with Ana , an amazing Romanian illustrator and ceramist , the artist behind Made by Mura . I know for a fact that Ana is a storyteller at heart. She signed one of my favorite pieces of art in our house, with an exceptional attention to details, carefully illustrating dear moments of our lives and scenes that we will always want to remember.
What is your first experience with drawing and how did you decide to follow your dream and become an illustrator? Like most children, I used to draw on my grandma's walls, she allowed me to get creative in a specially designated area where I could do my thing. Years later, I was a student at the architecture school in Bucharest and along the way, I lost touch with the joy of drawing. After I finished school and worked a couple of years in a small and awesome graphic design studio, I eventually felt the need to draw again, just for myself. After a while, this feeling grew bigger and bigger and one day I decided to dedicate myself entirely to this passion. What inspires your illustrations? I am inspired mostly by the things around me. I love my cats, so they're always present in my drawings, in one way or another. I love coffee and tea, nature, wild animals, tiny plants and I have a huge passion for losing myself in tiny details. What would you say to a young design student? Is it difficult to follow your heart? Can you pay your bills at the end of the month by doing what you like? I don't know what I would say to a graphic design student because I don't have that experience to talk from. I don't think there's a recipe for doing things, I think there's a different path for everybody, depending who they are. I don't think I would have been happy working as a graphic designer or as an architect, so I just followed my heart and let it lead. This wasn't the difficult part. The difficult part is composed of all the things that come throughout this journey. You have to be organized, be your own manager, social media wizard, client service diplomat, and also stay creative and do the work. Do you have your special place where you find inspiration? Like a favorite coffee shop? I don't have a special place where I find inspiration, but there are some lovely coffee shops where I like to get cozy with a huge cup of coffee. Do you have a morning routine? Of course, I do! It involves petting the cats and preparing a silky latte and breakfast with my boyfriend, Sorin.
Photo credits @madebymura