Today we’d like to introduce you to Olivia Macdonald
Hi Olivia, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
The earliest I can remember creating art is when I was very small sitting in a little pink chair at a white plastic play table in my house. My mom would give me a bunch of art projects to do like cutting papers, gluing, coloring, and drawing. She always said I was the happiest when I was sitting at that table crafting my little heart out.
As I grew, I never held back my love for art. In high school, I joined the art club despite my rigorous AP class schedule and one of our tasks was to paint a mural in front of the music classroom. I worked through the night drawing up a design of instruments and music legends and it was chosen! I spent months painting the wall after school to bring that drawing on paper to life even when nobody else showed up to art club that day. Having my original artwork on a wall that large showed me that my art could make a real impact and bring beauty and color to a rather sterile, gray-looking place.
I would draw, paint, or make room decor from YouTube DIY tutorials after homework or in any free time I had. One summer, I decided to draw pencil portraits of each person on my mom’s side of the family. She is Swiss and I am half-Swiss so discovering that side of me has always been a fascination. This project taught me how to capture emotion through a single image and how to see light from dark through shading.
In college, I majored in creative writing and minored in illustration. Creative writing and poetry have also been huge passions of mine because I love stories and the art of words. However, it was in an illustration class in college where I discovered Sakura Micron pens because it was on the required supply list. I just loved the smoothness of drawing with it on paper and the richness of the black ink.
In the summer of 2018, I traveled to Switzerland to work at a summer camp to care for young children. After work, I jumped onto my bunkbed and drew in my sketchbook with my Microns. I sketched out whatever was on my mind or something I saw that day. The serenity and nature of Switzerland inspired so much creativity in me. I also had time to connect with my Swiss family.
When I returned to the U.S. and later that winter learned of my Swiss cousin’s depression, I wanted to create something special for him each day to make him smile and help him deal with the heavy things he experienced. That’s when Ink By Olivia was born. I started an Instagram and one day went by of posting, then a next, then a next. I was still in college at the time and each post felt like a diary entry of my thoughts. After over five years of daily drawing, I have a collection of over 1,800 pen and ink drawings and the response from not only my cousin but from people all over the world has just been so heart-warming. People I’ve never met have told me their whole life stories and how my art impacted their own healing journeys. I’ve also been able to create custom designs for people and big brands and now work as a full-time artist. I just know little Olivia would be as thrilled as I am today to say this, doing the thing that makes me the happiest.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Nothing has been easy but that just inspires me to work harder. I think the hardest part of starting something is the act of starting. There are so many unknowns, so many fears that can surface when you’re on the road to starting your own business or doing something you feel called to do. Being a full time college student while also putting 2-5 hours into a new work of art every day was one of the biggest challenges I’ve ever experienced. I would draw at my lunch breaks, if I finished work early at my work-study job, and after writing essays late into the night, sometimes even falling asleep at the table with a half-finished drawing that I’d scramble to finish in the morning. At the end of senior year, we had to write and illustrate a whole book for our final project as creative writing majors and I still continued my daily drawings on the side. So many people ask me how I found time to do this. I say I made time. Sometimes I wanted to give up. Sometimes I sat there thinking of what to draw for hours. Within this challenge, I also found such peace. It gave me an outlet of expression and a way to journal each day, not only for my cousin but for myself.
Nobody in my family is an artist so I had to figure out everything from making my own website to how to create my prints to sticker manufacturers to customer service to taxes. There is also so much societal pressure that just whispers in your ear “you’re not going to make it as an artist” or “get a real job.” I hope I can be an example to others out there chasing a creative dream that those stereotypes and lies are just that: stereotypes and lies. You can thrive as an artist if you’re willing to put everything into it. There are so many opportunities out there and so much space to also make your own opportunities. I’ve been rejected so many times by stores, vendor fairs, brands, and galleries that it’s laughable. But did you know C. S. Lewis was rejected 800 times before selling The Chronicles of Narnia to a publisher?
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
After over 5 years of daily pen and ink drawing on Instagram which is what I became known for, I decided to turn the page to a new chapter in January of this year. It has been the biggest blessing from God to be given this platform to express my deepest thoughts, dreams, and desires through art and for it to be a place of healing and joy for so many. I’ve watched my page grow from nothing to something that has truly been life changing in so many ways and I’m proud of my persistance through it all.
I am now focusing more on Instagram reels, connecting with my audience in bigger ways, connecting with brands and making more partnerships, and so many more exciting projects I can’t wait to share! I’ve been working on many commissions for custom tattoo designs, logos, and other illustrations. I’ve also been vending at tons of art fairs and markets around New England where I sell art prints, vinyl stickers, temporary tattoos, and hand screen printed apparel of my designs. I’ve also been installing art in many cafes, breweries, and shops. To name a few, you can currently find my art at ULA Cafe in Jamaica Plain Boston, JP Licks on Newbury Street in Boston, Flight Coffee Co. in Bedford, NH, and Hive and Forge in Salem and Lowell, MA.
I would definitely say I’m even busier than when I was daily drawing but I wouldn’t change it for the world. Each day doesn’t feel like a job because I love what I do and it’s because of you guys that allow me to do what I do. I’m so very grateful.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
My mom has always been my biggest cheerleader since the start. Whenever I need her, she’s there to help whether it be packaging art prints, driving all around to different shops to install my art, managing inventory, brainstorming new drawing ideas, or helping me at vendor fairs. Whenever imposter syndrome strikes, she shifts my mindset and always acts as a ray of positivity. I know so many people who don’t have that support from their parents, especially those who dream of doing something in a creative field, so I feel very blessed to be her daughter.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://inkbyolivia.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inkbyolivia/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inkbyolivia/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCJcWLtyVUb-XQDdK0A7YDQ
- Other: Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@inkbyolivia?lang=en Faire wholesale: https://faire.com/direct/inkbyolivia
