The White House’s Digital Creative Director Ashleigh Axios. The Coca-Cola Company’s Design Manager Alex Center. HDL’s In-House Management Programming Partner Ed Roberts.These are your judges of the 2015 In-House Design Awards. Enter now. Final Deadline: TODAY.
Meet Print’s latest Designer of the Week, Mia Charro, whose book design is as charming as her nature-inspired illustrations. Read on to discover what source of inspiration led to her best work.
Name: Mia Charro
Location: Lurreta, an adorable town in Vizcaya, Spain, surrounded by mountains and woods
Education:I did not go to a design school; I have a BA in advertising and public relations. There, we were taught a little about graphic design, but it was at my first job, as an online courses designer, where I developed all my illustration and design skills.
How would you describe your work?I describe my work as a mixture of positive mind, colors, nature and magic.
Where do you find inspiration?In nature, always nature–trees, flowers, plants. I practice yoga and meditation, and I like to walk in the woods and mountains near my town. I think that nature is the greatest source of inspiration.
I love the complexity of a little flower. Flowers have an amazing design; they are so simple and complicated at the same time, and the most important, when you see flowers you can feel some kind of inner peace, joy or good feelings. That’s why I love to draw flowers; they are really inspiring for me.
Who are some of your favorite designers or artists?I love the work of Katie Daisy, Geninne, Becca Stadtlander, Adolfo Serra and Iratxe López de Munain
Do you have a favorite among all the projects you’ve worked on?Yes, my favorite project is my children’s book “La Canción de las Nubes,” the first one of the “Los Cuentos de Mia” series, published by Ediciones Fortuna. It was one of those projects that comes to you pushed by the muses. I wrote the story in an hour, and then I enjoyed very much creating the illustrations. In 15 days it was finished! When I illustrate children’s books, it’s like getting into another world. I put on some music, I make myself some tea, and I’m ready to illustrate for hours.
I’m also very proud of my Etsy Shop “Oh Mamma Mia,” where I offer positive and colorful printables to decorate nurseries or any room in the house.
Is there a project that stands out to you as having been the biggest challenge of your career so far?Yes, it’s the same, the creation of the “Los Cuentos de Mia” series. At the moment, there are 3 illustrated children books: “La Canción de las Nubes”, “La Fiesta del Mar” and “¿Dónde están las cometas?”.
I’m the author and illustrator. I wanted to create empowering stories for children and try to illustrate them with positive colors and characters as well. It´s been my biggest challenge for the moment.
What do you hope to accomplish in the future?I’m always thinking about developing new projects. I’m creating more empowering printables for my Etsy shop “Oh Mamma Mia”. I’d also like to keep on helping and collaborating with designers on their designs with my illustrations, as I do with my graphic resources stores, as Creative Market and Etsy. And I’d absolutely love to create more books because I really like the freedom in designing stories and worlds. What’s your best advice for designers today?The best advice I can give is to be passionate, love what you do and try to create something helpful. That formula has helped me a lot in my career. Who or what is your greatest source of inspiration? If your list includes Debbie Millman, Milton Glaser, Chip Kidd or Matteo Bologna, you’ll love the Design Heroes Premier Collection. The collection’s 13 resources ranging from books and eBooks to OnDemand Designcasts to limited edition posters will serve as your muse to help you create projects worthy of joining the ranks with these design heroes. Only 40 available. Save 81% while supplies last.
