Jumping straight into freelancing after graduation with Maya Stepien

Femke
Femke
Jul 27, 2017 · 7 min read
Illustrator Maya Stepien — Interview by Femke

Illustrator Maya Stepien began freelancing straight after graduation. She’s worked for both digital and editorial clients including Google, Bloomberg and Monocole.


Hey Maya. You’ve done a good mixture of both print/editorial and digital illustration. What sorts of challenges come with each and how does this influence your creative process?

Digital illustrations have a different time frame. Projects take weeks and can easily get extended. Launch dates are more distant, meaning it can take months before a project rolls out.

Illustrations for apps are usually about aesthetic and user experience. When I create images for digital use there is usually an existing prototype, layout and typography that I get to work with. Dimensions of illustrations are often defined by ratios, not exact measurements like in print. Colour plays an important role. My clients often provide me with a palette to work with.

With digital illustration I hardly start with a sketch. I try and create an image directly and see what works and what doesn’t. There can be a lot of trial and error. This provides me with the freedom to work on my technical skills.

After you graduated from The Royal Academy of Art in The Hague you jumped straight into freelancing. Was this a conscious choice at the time or did it just happen to you?

I was straight out of school and kind of lost and frustrated. Those final years are usually exhausting and sort of depressing. I wasn’t happy with my portfolio because it included almost exclusively school projects. I felt like it didn’t represent me and what I can or could do. Let’s be honest, student projects aren’t very commercial.

I did a few freelance gigs within six months after graduation but my annoyance continued rising. I believe frustration can be really good for you despite how awful it makes you feel.

Suddenly I decided to turn everything around. I got rid of almost all my school projects and built a new portfolio, completely from scratch. It was the best thing I ever did.

I started building a new website while playing around and creating multiple series of illustrations. I was mostly experimenting with colour and geometry. Then I got really into textures — I was finding them everywhere! I started scanning, creating and editing. This let me build my own texture database. I had so much fun! The next thing I knew, I was working for Google and Monocle.

What do you do when the ideas dry up? When you’re not feeling inspired and feel you’re lacking creativity?

I also try to read a lot. I’ve found out that it keeps me sane, full of ideas and excited. For years I kept buying books but never had time to read — well, I thought I never had time! I always felt too busy or that there was something more important to do. So recently I’ve been trying to implement reading into my daily routine. So far so good.

During the weekends I make sure to be as active as possible. I usually try to bike at least 20–40km. This helps me to reset and find inspiration outside of my workspace.

Staring blankly at the screen and waiting for inspiration to come is the killer of any creativity and sanity.

As a freelancer I imagine you work a lot by yourself. How do you stay on task and focused when there’s no one telling you what to do?

I feel like working in a creative industry is more of a lifestyle than just a job. If I’m not working for a client I always occupy myself with a side project.

I often struggle with defining where my work ends and my personal life begins. It’s especially hard when your clients come from around the world and you find yourself replying to emails till late at night. I can have a difficult time trying to unplug.

You’ve worked for some pretty big clients including Google, Bloomberg and Monocle to say a few. Some freelancers would dream of working with clients like this — how did your working relationship with them come about?

The only thing I do is publish my work on Instagram, Dribbble or Behance, while keeping my website updated. I’ve recently joined Working Not Working and am curious how it will work out.

Both Google and Monocle came to me around the same time after seeing my illustration of a lobster. It was around this time that I was re-doing my portfolio and interesting in deconstructing/constructing geometric images with textures.

I had hardly anything in my portfolio at the time, and so can imagine it was a big leap of faith for Google to hire me. I actually thought the email from them was spam. Luckily it wasn’t!

Google contracted me to create event illustrations for their calendar’s new app. Over 3 years I created more than 100 images — it was such a huge opportunity. Besides Google Calendar I’ve been working with them on illustrations for Inbox, Design Sprint Kit and other apps and services.

Monocle hired me to create illustrations about seafood in Alaska and I’ve been a frequent contributor since.

I laugh about crustaceans being my lucky charm. I’m totally not superstitious but I got myself a lobster pin from Macon & Lesquoy as a joke.

Your illustrations are bright, quirky, textured and a little abstract. Does having such a defined style help or hinder when it comes to your creative process?

I still like to experiment and try new things, but I also try to steer away from creating completely different and non cohesive illustrations. Having too many styles in your portfolio often confuses clients — they don’t know what to expect.

On the other hand, from time to time I’m asked to create very minimal, hand-drawn, line illustrations. It’s a completely different style and way of working. Still it’s part of me and my aesthetic and provides me with enough variety. This keeps me from from getting bored or falling into a mundane routine

What’s one lesson you’ve learnt as an illustrator that’s changed the way you create?

You can find Maya on her website, Instagram, Twitter or Dribbble.


What is The Creative Series?

Enjoyed this interview? Please consider recommending it below or following the publication for more interviews — thanks!

About the interviewer

The Creatives Series

An insight into creatives making a living with their passion

Femke

Written by

Femke

Designer at Uber who loves to write and record a podcast. More about me at https://femke.co.nz/subscribe

The Creatives Series

An insight into creatives making a living with their passion

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade