Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sinem Arda. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Sinem, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

Even though I have only recently started calling myself an artist, I have been trying to create things for as long as I can remember. Starting out with an idea in my head and seeing how it evolves depending on the tools and methods I use is my favorite thing to do in this world.
But in reality, trying to make money while doing this is a real challenge. Therefore, I often think about what it would be like to have a regular job.
But if I could see my life in parallel universes where I’ve made different choices (and had different jobs) like the character in Matt Haig’s novel The Midnight Library, I think I would see that I wouldn’t be as happy in any of them as I am in this life where I can create freely despite the all difficulties.

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 back background and context?

Hi! I’m Sin, I define myself as a maker and also a professional learner. We can probably say that I am a self taught multidisciplinary artist. I absolutely adore learning new things and incorporating what I learn into my work. My work is shaped according to the medium that appeals to me the most at that moment in my life. But I am mainly known for my illustrations, handmade objects and various experiments with different styles and techniques. I feel like whatever I do has to be either too small (which is why my eye size is increasing!) or too big. I love the challenge of making something that is outside of its usual dimensions. I started making handcrafted items early in my childhood because I couldn’t find the things I wanted in the country I live in. Things like a key charm shaped like an Adventure Time character or the Elven brooch from The Lord of the Rings movie. After collaborating with a few brands with my illustrations, I’ve decided that what I really wanted to do was to go on my own terms and on my own timeline. That’s why I sell digital and physical products that I hope will beautify the spaces they are in, through my online stores.

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

Deep down, I think all of this motivation to create comes from a desire to leave something behind and be remembered for my work, regardless of what happens to my physical body. Even though my instinct to create is sometimes interrupted by my efforts to survive in harshness of this world, it is always there. Continuing to make a living from it is an act of rebellion in a sense, against clichés like “do it as a hobby”, “get a real job” or “artists starve” and it’s a way of telling aspiring artists like me that it’s a real job and you can make money by creating in your own terms. And we can always change the narrative.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I think the most important thing one can do to build audience on social media is to show up. I know this can be difficult, especially in these times when algorithms are constantly changing and it’s becoming increasingly difficult for people to notice you. People can easily fall into the trap of judging the value of their work by the number of likes they receive. So hiding the like count was a game changer for me. In this way I compare myself ‘less’ to other people and it made me realize that how many people liked my posts was actually a tiny detail that had nothing to do with my creative process. I started my social media adventure by sharing the things I had done one by one. This way I gave people a general idea of what to expect when they find my account. Then I started drawing illustrations that express myself and my feelings. My audience started to increase as people who felt the same way as me shared the illustrations I made. This gave me the opportunity to collaborate with various brands to promote their products. Being relatable is a key factor for growing your social media account and I think that the authenticity of the person is the most important part of this job. If people are truly themselves and pour into their work what they feel without thinking about what others may say, they will attract people who feel and act like them. This way, the creative can become someone who their followers connect with rather than just an account that people scroll down through their social media feed.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sinthehuman
• Twitter: https://x.com/5inthehuman
• Other: My etsy account: https://sinthehuman.etsy.comMy Pinterest account: https://pin.it/2XrpaCv2t

Image Credits

– Sin the Sim
– Felt Dorothy
– Raffia the Wave
– Bead Bag
– Memento Mori
– Clay Fire
– Mosaic of Death
– Stay at Home Artist