AORTA is the name of the character I’ve designed here and she’s the mascot of this brand. She’s a magical being that uses the power of creativity and imagination. She represents everything that I believe in.
In a way, she’s me, BUT she could also be you.
Every weekend, I would sign out “how to draw” books from the library and draw, draw, draw. You’d find me holed up in my room for hours because creating art was fun and fulfilling for me. That is…until I downloaded Instagram.
Every weekend, I would sign out “how to draw” books from the library and draw, draw, draw. You’d find me holed up in my room for hours because of how fun and fulfilling creating art was for me. That is…until I downloaded Instagram.
On Instagram, I found myself comparing my skills and work to other artists. I went from being an artist that loved the process of creating, to an algorithm-pleasing machine. I let “likes” dictate my definition of good art and started drawing only what was popular or trending.
I was impatient with my art and developed what I like to call “time dysmorphia.” If a piece took longer than 2–5 hrs, then it was not worth the effort since I couldn’t post it the same day. The result: stagnant art skills for the next 10 years. Sure, my skills did improve, but the growth was stunted. I didn’t want to “waste” my time with art studies since I couldn’t post that. It didn’t fit my Instagram aesthetic.
Needle felting was a hobby I wanted to try for years, but assumed would be too time consuming to learn. In November of 2023, I decided to finally give it a go and my life was changed. Before purchasing anything, I decided to do what I hadn’t done in years: spend time learning. I spent weeks researching. I took a little break from social media to relax, spend time on myself, and learn needle felting.
But I was surprised to find that I actually enjoyed the process. Even though it took me hours to finish something, I loved every second of it! Needle felting was so therapeutic that it reignited my passion for art and I felt like a kid again. I no longer focused on time but rather on the actual experience of creating.
Your aorta is the largest artery in your body. It pumps blood and oxygen from your heart to the rest of you. Your heart NEEDS your aorta. The way I see it, your heart is what you’re passionate about and the aorta is the path your heart wants you to take. It’s the path you’re meant to take.
The version of you that pushes your mind and heart to do great things.
Things you couldn’t do before.
Knowledge you didn’t know before.
They’re the version of you that waits for you, along your path, at the end of each of your goals. Each version, levelling up alongside you. It took me a very long time to realize I should be focusing on my personal growth and not compare my path to others. Now I’m committed to my journey and I’m powering up for my next creative adventure.
