We recently connected with Sudesna Samanta and have shared our conversation below.

Sudesna, appreciate you joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

For me choosing to quit my job and following my passion was a risk. I worked as a web designer before deciding I wanted to pursue illustration for further studies. I left my country, and everything behind as I decided to follow something I absolutely love doing. Honestly, as difficult as taking a leap of faith is, I have learned so much!

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?

My love for visuals, colors, and fantasy comes from my childhood. I have been drawing characters since my 3rd grade. This knack for art comes from my grandfather, and I feel privileged enough to carry his love forward in my career. He has constantly guided me through my art projects, and I will always be grateful for the gift he has passed on to me. Growing up, something inside me knew I absolutely loved stories. Whether it was the folktales my elders used to tell me when I visited my ancestral village or the books I dived into. Slowly, I brought myself to the field where I can do this professionally. In my undergrad I had publishing design as a subject, and I made sure I put all my effort and love into it. With time, I understood my love for colors, travel, culture, and narration. I started practicing illustration on my own after studying the subject for one semester (undergrad), and with every piece, I have discovered more about myself. Moving to another country for a master’s degree has been overwhelming, exciting, and scary at the same time. Even in this foreign land, when I got to see the people of MICA, I immediately felt accepted. The art community here is very inspiring. The change of environment also has had an impact on how I work.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Something that has instantly helped me, is networking in person. I carry a sketchbook, that includes sketching people, places, food, usual life, and documenting visually. It has helped me start conversations and showcase my work easily.

Some of the websites I would recommend is : Mailchimp ( Promoting yourself through mailers), childrensillustratrators.com

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

My work is guided by constant learning about narration inspired from my life. With time I have taught myself to get out of my comfort zone, talk to new people, listen to their stories and empathize with them. My teaching will revolve around working with communication and expressing oneself through art and stories. Being able to express oneself through art also helps in discovering more about themselves. All my life, art has helped me understand more about myself and discover what kind of person I want to be. I would say, being a creative has given me a unique voice.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sudesnasamantaillustration.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_thegoofydoodler/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanta-sudesna-sujoy-ba4792197/