Arts as Escapism The CreativeMindClass Blog

I'm originally from Venezuela. I was raised in a very tropical city surrounded by hills and palm trees, however I it was impossible for me to explore my environment fully (partly due to the overprotection of my parents, but mostly because of the daily anxieties that my country has). The majority of my time was spent indoors. TV and books were my primary forms of escapism - and drawing! I spent so much time drawing my most favorite characters from anime as well as my family, friends, pets I was not allowed to have, costumes, and anything really.

It was mainly a hobby at the time, and I was aware that it would not be a full-time job in Venezuela. My family then decided to move to UK, and this transformed everything for me. When I was a teenager, I was finally allowed more independence, was free to travel on my own and think about what I really wanted to do.

My fascination with characters and storytelling has led me to comics which in turn led me to illustration. Everything came together then. Following a few years of studying (and many hours of sweaty work) I'm now freelance as an Illustrator in London.

I think my work is adventurous, enjoyable and a bit messy (in a good way!). It can be straightforward and sometimes it's incredibly detailed; but the illustrations always feature a figure or animal or some nice piece of nature. I love to believe that every illustration I draw is part of the same universe.

The key for me is to have fun with it. I think of the aspects that made me smile growing up: really vivid colours and characters that are sneaky, hilarious moments, and tiny little details that I could get lost within. The goal of my work is to capture as many of these elements whenever I create something new. If I am able to make the viewer feel excited or happy and feel as if they've discovered something interesting, then I've accomplished what I wanted to achieve.

"Another important aspect for me is humor. I realized over time that I'm not an competent person to create abstract or serious art However, I'm fairly adept in making something fun and light-hearted to bring a smile to someone's face. I am a good player currently."

You can follow Marianna's artistic journey on her Instagram Discover detailed artwork from her children's book she created in lockdowns, as well as some behind-the-scenes photos of her redoing her Skillshare class to name just a few. The links to the class as well as Marianna's books you can find on her web site.