We were lucky to catch up with Anya Marshalleck recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Anya, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

Personally, acquiring technical skills is one thing, but learning to create work that communicates is entirely another. However, these weren’t skills that grew separately from each other but rather together in a natural progression. For me, two skills were essential. The first was learning to draw and paint traditionally, as draftsmanship became a strong point in my work. Learning how to do this was a matter of practice and being determined to chase the opportunities to learn more, especially if challenging! The second required more thought within my process and was another form of training in and of itself. In a technical learning mode, I was focused on replication. In a creation learning mode, I was thinking about how to manipulate that replication best to convey mood. All in all, I think there’s so much left to learn, and there always should be.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Hi!

My name is Anya Marshalleck, and I’m a Belizean-Bahamian visual artist. I pursue many interests, but my biggest inspirations are books and music. As such, I enjoy working within these industries, but am open to most creative projects! My expertise lies in illustration and design. Within these disciplines, I’m most proud of my ability to interpret and visually represent stories uniquely, and I am often directly inspired by the concepts presented. Being born and raised in the Caribbean has played an immense role in the way I interpret and represent my ideas. I’m always especially excited to illustrate stories from home!

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

“Anya, do you walk on water?”

That was the question that placed me in check in the midst of my BFA’s senior year. My illustration thesis loomed overhead, and I set myself to impossible standards, thinking that I had to be good at everything, all at once and immediately. I believed I had to be in order to sustain myself after graduation. Instead, I learned to focus on the strengths I already possessed and understand that there is a lot to gain from moving at my own pace.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I find the future finicky, and don’t have a definitive answer for this. Instead, I tend to be far more focused on my present, leading with the idea that if I do my best in every moment, it will eventually build up to a life I enjoy overall. I hope to be the best version of myself at all times, in the form of an adaptable artist capable of tackling any concept I set my sights on. I also never want to reach a point in my creative journey where I feel like I’m not actively working on it, since that is what makes art feel rewarding for me.

Contact Info:

• Website: anijeoma.squarespace.com
• Instagram: @anijeoma
• Linkedin: Anya Marshalleck