"Art as Escapism" - The CreativeMindClass Blog

I'm originally from Venezuela. I was raised in a city that was very tropical with hills and palm trees, however I it was impossible for me to explore my environment fully (partly because of my parents' excessive protection and a lot more due to my own insecurities and fears within my home country). The majority of my time was spent indoors. TV and books were my primary methods of entertainment - along with drawing! I spent so much time drawing my favorite anime characters, my friends, pets I wasn't allowed to have, costumes, and all sorts of things.

It was mainly a hobby at the time, and I was aware that it would not extend beyond Venezuela. My family then decided to move to UK and that transformed everything for me. When I was a teenager I had finally been granted more independence, was free to go to places alone and thought about what I really desired to do.

My fascination with character design and narrative has led me to comics which then inspired me to draw. Everything were put together. After a couple of years of studies (and lots of hard work) I'm now freelance as an Illustrator in London.

I think my work is adventurous, enjoyable and sometimes a little messy (in the best manner!). Sometimes it can be simple but it could also be incredibly detailed; but the illustrations always feature a figure or animal or even a beautiful piece of landscape. I believe all my illustrations are one in the same.

For me, the most important thing is to enjoy it. I think of the aspects that made me smile growing up: really vivid colours as well as sly characters, humorous moments, and tiny little details that I could lose yourself within. The goal of my work is to capture the best of these things when I design something fresh. If I'm able to make my person who is viewing it feel happy, excited, or like they noticed something fascinating, then I've accomplished what I wanted.

"Another essential element that I am looking for is humor. I realized over time that I'm not the most qualified person to produce serious or conceptual artworks however I am pretty good at creating something lighthearted that can inspire laughter. I play to my strengths currently."

Marianna's creative adventure on Instagram and see detailed drawings from the children's books she wrote during lockdowns as well as backstage images of her recoding Skillshare class to name just a couple. The links to the class as well as Marianna's books can be found at the website.