We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Aliya Bora. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Aliya below.

Alright, Aliya thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you wish you had started sooner?

Yes 100% I wish I had started sooner. I always loved art growing up but had hesitations about whether I could make a career out of it. It wasn’t until I was laid off from my recruiting job during a recession, and struggled to find new work that I decided to go after my dreams and enroll in design school.

People talk about the starving artist persona and it holds a lot of people back, but what they don’t realize is you can also be a starving accountant, starving recruiter, etc. There are so many layoffs now, there is no such thing as a safe job. People push their talents & passion aside for perceived stability, without thinking that they can pursue their passion (even if it’s on the side of a day job). There are so many creative and business tools available to support artists now that weren’t available when I started.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

I’m an artist, designer and luxury stationer. I have a broad background working design and media – previously I’ve worked in television for major networks and as a designer in integrated marketing for Fortune 500 companies. In the last few years I’ve come home to my love of paper design and writing, and shifted part of my business towards luxury stationery and high-end wedding + special event invitations.

I’m also launching a print club this year! I’ve been very excited getting ready behind the scenes – I’ve traveled all over Europe photographing and watercolor painting some iconic buildings that will be featured in the monthly snail mail club. You can sign up at the listed links at the bottom of the page if you’re interested.

I’ve found a home in the stationery community and I love experimenting and creating custom color blended wax seals. I’ve even begun collecting vintage and antique writing instruments from the 1800s onward and using them in my work. The craftsmanship back then was impeccable and I love giving these objects (dip pens, wax seal stamps, and writing sets) a second life. I often wonder about the original owner and what they were doing at that time in history.

One of my career goals is to do an apprenticeship and train in the craft of traditional metalsmithing and stone carving so I can make and repair some of these vintage writing instruments + wax seal handles – I don’t want to see this beautiful craft be lost to history as the world moves towards more machine manufactured production.

I have also loved traveling the world and meeting the most incredible artists and finding the most unique stationery and crafts. Another one of my goals is to help get more money directly into the hands of the skilled artists and craftspeople around the world – I’d love to build out this community through a streaming show connecting people to skilled artisans and creative workshops around the world.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

A couple things:

1. Artists thrive in community. One of the reasons I love to visit the Alsace region Christmas markets in France is because the items from craftsmen and women there are so authentic and unique. I love supporting other artists and small businesses and this is a way I can connect directly with them. France is known for its quality and craftsmanship, and I love that they support their artists this way. I’d love to see that in the U.S. and other countries.

2. Protect artists work: I’d love to see more protections for artists and their intellectual property in the age of AI. I had an experience recently where an AI program copied the work from my website, and then when prompted as to why it violated the terms of my website by copying without permission, it lied. It’s a scary time for artists and creators. Think of all the years and hundreds of hours spent since pre-school mastering brush strokes, learning the motor coordination to paint and create beautiful imagery + mix colors, mastering and developing a unique style, and then have a program rip it off in a matter of seconds. I’d love to see more legislation at the federal and state level to protect artists and creatives, and these companies pay proper licensing fees for use of our content.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

If I had one piece of advice, it is to trust your intuition. There is so much content out there now I feel like I get barraged any time I go on a digital platform. Sometimes it’s easier to silence all the noise and sit with yourself to see what is resonating for you and your business.

Another thing overlooked on both the corporate and business level is the tech stack and collaboration. How can you get the most efficient tech stack where your team can collaborate seamlessly?

Some of the biggest challenges I faced in the corporate world were around organization gridlock – as a creative I needed to work with a partner in a different department and they couldn’t jump into my files because they didn’t have a seat in the software.

Now when I’m managing my business, I’m thinking about how I can simplify my tech stack and partner seats so I can focus on doing what I love – the creative!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://aliyabora.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aliyaboradesign/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aliya-bora-design/
• Other: Subscribe to my Print Club: https://aliyabora.myflodesk.com/printclub

  Print club interest e-mail list: https://aliyabora.myflodesk.com/l44gykgfoy

  Sign up for my email list: https://aliyabora.myflodesk.com/elistweb

  Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/aliyaboradesign/

Image Credits

Aliya Bora