We were lucky to catch up with Sophia Savino recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Sophia thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

Since childhood, I have always leaned toward the creative. Throughout grade school, I chose art over the yearly language classes, but by the time I was 16 years old, I had already internalized the belief that pursuing art as a career wasn’t financially viable.

Despite this, I still enrolled in an art college and pursued a degree in Advertising Art Direction, with the intention of building a creative career at an advertising agency. My expectation then was to work for someone else, forever. (For the record, that’s not exactly how things turned out—I never worked at an agency.)

At the time, people I had graduated college with had spoken about freelance work as a graphic designer and that sounded awful to me. The uncertainty of finding work and the challenges of business ownership were things I absolutely shied away from. Which makes it only more ironic now that I am run my own business as a full-stack creative.

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.

Well, I’m Sophia, a longtime Chicagoan, and the artist and illustrator behind MixedMediaSophia. A lot of people ask me what makes me “mixed media,” and honestly, I chose the name because my work spans so many different mediums. I love discovering new techniques and tools, and that sense of exploration really fuels my creativity.

I have spent a big chunk of my career in User Experience design, and now, as a business owner, I get to dive into my creative side more. You’ll see a lot of whimsical, playful and even a touch of surreal and strange elements in my work.

My business started with print and stationery products, which I still sell. However in the past year, I’ve begun collaborating more with local businesses to bring ideas to life. Now I offer not only my own products but also creative services such as illustration, world building, and branding to others.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

To me, the most rewarding aspect is the ability to always explore, evolve, and expand. Being an artist has always been something I did for myself, and even as I transition into offering creative services, I still get to tap into the excitement that comes with exploration—new ideas, new mediums, new opportunities.

I personally believe that art can be healing, both as a way to storytell and to play. Art has been, and should always be, accessible to everyone. As an artist, I see my ability to explore as a gift. As a creative offering services, I help others bring their ideas and creativity to life, to tell their stories.

I think that’s really a gift.

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

I think many of us today are reflecting on how to maintain a sustainable business model. From the outset of my business, I knew I didn’t want to carry excessive inventory that could lead to waste. I wanted to ensure that, as I grow and evolve, I remain intentional in my decisions.

To that end, I’ve implemented several practices to contribute to sustainability, including:

Ordering consumer goods from reputable companies and opting for eco-friendly printing options.
Purchasing lower minimums, even if it means higher upfront costs.
Making use of “scraps”—I maximize full linocut blocks and use paper cuttings for sample prints, swatching, and more.

As artists and creatives, I believe it’s essential to be mindful of our larger environmental footprint. I’m happy to do what I can to make a positive impact.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mixedmediasophia.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mixedmediasophia

Image Credits

msquaredstudiosllc, Sophia Savino