We recently connected with Mariia Menshikova and have shared our conversation below.

Mariia, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?

There’s nothing more challenging and gratifying at the same time as being handed more responsibility than you’ve used to. Every time on a project I was given a chance to express myself to a greater extent than usual, I felt a tremendous wave of inspiration and excitement. In those moments you’re able to grow, face your fears, and enlarge the field of what it is that you do.

Scaling from illustration to art direction is a big leap in terms of change of the dynamic. It requires your sharp work ethic and accountability, ability to see a bigger picture, soft skills, being result oriented from the get go, but simultaneously open and creative during the exploration phase. You learn how to effectively engage with teammates, manage, distribute tasks, align with schedules, process feedback and communicate with clients.

I’m extremely grateful for every opportunity I’ve had to expand and grow. Creative directors who saw my potential and design taste, entrusted me with their vision for me to carry it on and execute, in collaboration with the team. Those moments when I was in doubt, tense or under pressure, I’ve been blessed with coming up with new solutions and practicing problem solving at its finest. Which is, basically, what design is!

Mariia, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

As a 14 year old, I dove into digital illustration. Being still a baby artist, I began taking up projects and commissions, spending 12-16 hours per day in front of the computer. Later, it lead to a full blown career in design, advertising and illustration. After freelancing, I got my first studio job in design at 17 y.o. I lived in Moscow for 6 years, then I moved and worked in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and eventually immigrated to the United States. I have ever since changed fields, jobs, and environments, but my focus has always been sharply fixated on producing high quality illustration and campaigns, navigating between client’s needs and my professional exploratory wants and aspirations.

Over the course of 16 years I’ve gathered a comprehensive experience across typography, illustration, and motion projects. My most recent work is a blend of narrative driven 3D promo films and A24 film campaigns, game key arts for Ubisoft and EA Games.

Besides that, I stay curious and explore my personal work. I have a project called “Micro Dreams”—a collection of black and white textured paintings that look into resilience, grief, strength and melancholy of fleeting dreams within a somber metaphoric, gothic, psychoanalytical and slightly erotic universe.

But not all so complex and sophisticated, my brain needs a break sometimes too and it resulted in a comic relief project with ironic, simple doodles and cartoons: comedic reflections on being a human residing on an absurd planet Earth living an absurd life, criticizing neoliberalism and so on. I’ve created about 150 of those.

Lately I’ve been investing my time in combining all of my skills in one, coherent structure, like a film poster: typography, design, illustration, composition, message—everything is involved in a poetic and cohesive ensemble. Of course, these are made up non-films, with a loving touch of absurdity. My posters are more of a scream for surrendering to surrealism.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Oddly enough, as an artist, I have never done any other job. Through the hardest time of survival, I stayed true to myself and somehow always found a way to make a living by doing what I know the best. I had years of ungodly struggle, but it all paid off resulting in crystallizing on a notion and a goal of being fully dedicated and determined to succeed. And by success I define fulfilling your life with meaning that is posed in what you do and love doing the most.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My creative journey wouldn’t be possible if other creatives didn’t take part in my experience. I’m a firm believer that enabling yourself AND others is the way to creative prosperity. Artistic path is oftentimes seen as a solitary experience…but it takes more than that. We are conversing in a visual language, in this conversation is endlessly beautiful with all of the unique voices participating in it.

When I’m inspired by someone’s way of thinking, and that, overlapping with my own thoughts, can create a third entity—something new! That’s exciting. In more grounded words, I love involving other artists (musicians, bands, illustrators, writers, designers) and co-create something unique and enjoy the creative feast to the fullest! This is something that can spark new ideas, techniques and ways how one can create. Unveiling new and unseen before sides of the creative mind, giving birth to unplanned, unprecedented artistic truths and discoveries.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mariiamenshikova.com/
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/mariamenshikova
• Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/menshikovamariia/
• Other: Behance: https://www.behance.net/mariamenshikova NFT: https://makersplace.com/mariiamenshikova/gallery/created