Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your work?
Hey, my name is Lara and I am a German illustrator, working and living near the German-Dutch-Belgian borders in Aachen. After my communication design study, I discovered that it is the best for me to
work as a freelancer. I love my little bureau, where I am creating new illustrations for clients and personal projects for me or my label Everywhere you go. This is my motto for my work and even for my life.
If a need a little bit time from everyday life, I wander through the forest with my dog Biko.
What do you consider your distinctive element?
My composition of textures, fine art-illustrations and the mix of different techniques are very distinctive. I am working with aquarelle colours, biropen, pencil or linocuts.
Some of my illustrations have over ten different layers, which makes it more interesting.
When someone has recognised an artwork because of my illustration style, that gives me a good feeling.
What are you looking forward to?
Some interesting projects will be published in the next time. The first one is a Kickstarter campaign, I did a packaging illustration for. The other one is a collaboration between a company which produces wood-shirts. I a looking forward to hold the first shirt of this artist collection with my illustrations in my hands.
What advice would you give to other professionals?
Do what you love, then people will see the passion for your work. Be open for new techniques, social media platforms etc. The exchange with other people is very important to get more practical know-how.
During a phase of self-doubts look back at your successful projects and make a plan with goals for the future.
What are the challenges that we need to overcome to make cultural entrepreneurship more accessible?
The value of handcraft in the creative branch is often underestimated, but to my mind it is so important to share the process of creation and not only the result to make it more accessible and understandable to people. Digital techniques (for example aquarelle Photoshop brushes) are a new opportunity for creatives to work with but should not devalue your work.
