We were lucky to catch up with Vivian Sofia Mora recently and have shared our conversation below.

Vivian Sofia, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

When I first started thinking about earning an income with my art, I felt very overwhelmed and ill-prepared for the current technology-driven industry. Although I had some experience in graphic design and related softwares, I came with a background in traditional studio practices. Early on in my journey to be a full-time artist, it became clear that I needed to learn a whole new set of skills and software programs. At first it seemed impossible to me; graphic designers spend entire careers keeping up with tech, how was I supposed to learn it in a short period of time?

I made a very intentional choice to become very industrious about learning new software and technology. I knew I wasn’t going to keep up or make my art stand out if I didn’t learn things like Photoshop, Procreate, and various social media platforms.

So I carved out a “study” plan for myself which included podcasts, YouTube videos, Skillshare tutorials, webinars, and so much more. I treated it like it was formal education and even sat in coffee shops and set up a home office for myself to motivate myself to keep at it.

It was, at times, challenging to navigate all the options out there. Over time, however, I found myself knowing more and more. I’ve reached a place now where I continue to study and improve my knowledge of the software, but I’m able to apply a whole new set of skills to my artwork to make it more marketable and competitive.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I live and work in Vancouver Island but I’m originally from Costa Rica and immigrated to the Toronto area with my family in the late 90s. I come from a very rich culture and in particular, a family that values artisans, craftsmanship, and art very highly. From a young age, I saw art and craftmanship being valued and that shaped everything I came to understand about art and a career in art. I was surrounded with family members that were skilled and talented. Making art is something I’ve been doing in my free time since I could hold a pencil – I can’t imagine doing anything else with my life.

I went to a vocational arts high school and worked at my local art gallery teaching art to kids from the age of 15. I then studied Visual Arts in university, and then went on to get a Master’s Degree in Development Studies – where I focused on studying how local economies are stimulated by the arts. For about 8 years I worked in Social Services and taught art part time while we raised our daughter.

In 2018, my husband and I were making big life changes when he retired from the military. Our daughter was getting older /in school, so I had the ability to finally dedicate myself to pursuing my art full-time. I started learning about what the art industry looked like at the time, because I had been away from it for quite some time. I felt rusty to say the least.

In 2019 we moved to Vancouver Island and of course, the pandemic was just around the corner. During that time I also had a second child. By the time 2021 rolled around and my son was older, I was eager to really get started on finally building an art business. With a lot of fear and hesitation, I signed up to do a local market in May of 2022.

I went into that first event with a lot nervousness and anxiety about selling my art. It felt like one of the most vulnerable things I had ever done and it was very outside my comfort zone. To my delight and surprise people responded really well to my art. I sold quite a bit and that was the proof of concept that I needed to really get going.

Since then, I have been focusing on building and growing Vivian Sofia Designs as a brand. I love making art but I have an equal passion in making artful products. I love the process of designing a home decor item, a jewelry piece, or even a new print.
The root of my brand will always be handmade art – that’s what started it and that’s the soul of every product. Each piece is born from a sketch, a painted pattern, or a digital drawing.

The focus of my brand and studio practice is to make whimsical everyday items. The absolute goal is to bring joy to people’s homes and spaces. This comes from my love of fashion and interior design as well. I see all these areas converge in my brand to make a well-rounded lifestyle product line that people can feel good about because an artist made it.

I was very hesitant to put myself out there as a maximalist, bold, colour-loving artist at a time when minimalist was really having a moment. But I’m really glad I stuck to my voice and my style – it has really paid off to maintain an authenticity to my art and brand.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I know it is sometimes expensive and difficult to support local artists with purchases, I believe it’s important to be realistic and accepting of the fact that not everyone can buy original art. There are so many other ways to support artists and help them have the confidence to continue their craft. Something as simple as stopping by their table at a local event and complimenting their art, sharing their work on social media, telling a friend about something you saw that you liked. It not only creates a supporting environment for them, but it also encourages others to follow your lead and think of local artists first when the time comes that they need a gift or can afford some art.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I think non-creatives would be surprised to find out how much of an artist’s time is spent NOT making art. I spend about 80% of my time working on marketing, administration, networking, promoting, bookkeeping, managing inventory, invoicing, etc. I think others might be surprised to find that running an artistic/creative business is very much like running a non-creative business. The romantic ideal of the artist in the studio, spending their days away painting and creating isn’t really representative of the bulk of our time. It absolutely happens when we’re in times of creating a new collection, but it’s a very small slice of what goes into selling your art full-time.

I think anyone that wants to earn an income from their art needs to have a realistic expectation of what that journey looks like. I think social media has really helped increase awareness about the behind the scenes of professional artists. We’re able to share our process and really show people what goes on in the background.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.viviansofiadesigns.com
• Instagram: @viviansofiadesigns
• Facebook: facebook.com/viviansofiadesigns
• Other: Pinterest: @viviansofiadesigns