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

Hi Tamara, thanks for joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on was for a client that cared a lot about the environment and thus made the product very sustainable and ecofriendly. Lately I’ve been thinking more about the meaning of projects instead of taking on every project to work on. I care a lot about sustainability and I find it sad if a product I create artwork for is only made to last for a short amount of time. That is why I look more critically at which products I work on and wether I think the product has added value.

Tamara, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Tamara Houtveen. I work as a freelance illustrator and surface pattern designer and mainly focus on illustrations for children’s products. My illustrations are colorful, cheerful and I always try to add a handmade touch. I work mainly digital for client work, varying from Adobe Illustrator to Procreate. The illustrations I make are used on various products, such as toys/packaging, stationary, wrapping paper and fabric. Clients usually come to me asking for help to transform a blank product into a nice piece/package that sells in the stores. I distinguish myself by thinking carefully with the customer and giving the client real quality attention. I also often design fun custom-made characters that clients can use for their product or service.
I think everyone wants to deliver the best product and create the most beautiful illustration at the time of the project, but I think I am most proud of the fact that most of my customers come back to me again and again with new projects. That is also something I do my best for, but I always hope that if a collaboration goes well, this can lead to a long-term, pleasant collaboration.
In addition to making illustrations, I have a background in graphic design and worked in various marketing jobs. So that’s knowledge I always like to combine for client work if the client likes that.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I’m a big fan of Dick Bruna and the Sanrio characters. And one day I hope that I will be able to come up with a character that will spark joy for people and that instantly makes people feel connected with it. I think everyone knows that little character from their youth who brought them joy or support. Whether it was a Pokemon or a Miffy. Well, I hope to invent something like that ;-)

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

Yes, a few books actually! Lately, partly fueled by AI art, I have started to think more and more about the value of what I do. Because we are only a short distance away from anyone with a computer being able to create something without any knowledge of design or art. And what is your added value then? Personally, this gave me quite a lot of anxiety, especially in the beginning when apps like Midjourney were just out. But recently I have read a number of books that gave me new insights into what I do, how I create added value and how I can ensure that I stand out in a good way in the future. And we all don’t know what the future will bring, but I still think that there will always be space to be creative!

The first book that brought me a lot is How to Fascinate by Sally Hogshead. She focuses very much on how you can communicate your message in multiple ways and how you can find a profile that suits you (instead of doing a trick that someone else does). What works for one person may be quite a burden for another when it comes to promoting yourself. And I discovered that I find the personal approach to people especially important. Both in how I work with customers and the message I communicate online. With the latter I noticed that it was a bit stuck and that it caused me resistance to communicating a good message to the outside world. But the book gave me a lot of insights and I can definitely recommend it!
The second book that brought me a lot is Joyful by Ingrid Fetell Lee. After the entire Covid period, I very much doubted what my added value was from creativity. And sometimes it can simply be that your creativity is another joy and it doesn’t have to be much more complicated.
And a third book is the book The Law of Attraction by Ester & Jerry Hicks. I think this book helped me a lot in having a different mindset about certain things. I think it will be very useful for everyone to read!

Contact Info:

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