Gem story was written by: BOBO Marketing Services
“Just start somewhere.” – Jayshree Sharma
Gem story was written by: BOBO Marketing Services
Jayshree Sharma is a talented freelance illustrator, graphic designer, and artist with a passion for creating and expressing her views in true visual form through her company, Illustratio!
A Hidden Talent for Art
Born, raised, and based in India, Jayshree surprisingly didn’t have an early interest in anything related to art when she was growing up. Instead, she was passionate about excelling academically in her studies. It wasn’t until her second year in college that she found herself doodling and sketching in her free time. Slowly but surely, the creative wheels in her brain started turning. While pursuing a degree in media and journalism, Jayshree also studied digital art and practiced new tricks she learned on YouTube in her free time.
“I started practicing and practicing, and then I started posting on Instagram.”
Coming from a close-knit family with one younger brother, Jayshree found her college experience to be a very lonely experience. She especially missed her mom—the strongest woman she knows and her biggest motivator. To drown out the new unwelcome silence, Jayshree often found herself drawn by hand. That’s when she decided to begin teaching herself new digital art skills, and eventually, she decided to make a career out of it!
Advice for New Freelancers
Aside from running a successful creative digital art business, Jayshree also manages her own e-commerce venture. This Gem definitely knows a thing or two about being an entrepreneur! Her biggest advice to newcomers is to be true to your heart by identifying your passion and making sure you are always willing to learn new things. In addition, continue working on your skills, and start sharing your progress on social media. And although, it may be hard, try ignoring the number of likes when starting out. The key is to build a portfolio, not harvest likes and shares. Trust that as you get better, so will your content, and thus your following.
“Social media is strong if you use it right,” “Just start somewhere.”
says Jayshree.
Another takeaway Jayshree would like to pass on to budding entrepreneurs is that you will not succeed all the time. Along her journey, there were plenty of times when she considered leaving the pursuit of her passion behind and finding a more traditional job. However, she kept moving forward with her goals, and she didn’t stop until she succeeded—if you don’t, then you won’t.
“Just try to be consistent and practice, practice, practice … I was terrible at first. I was not good at all,”
laughs Jayshree. Eventually, though, she started getting messages from people asking her to draw for them, and that has been very encouraging.
“That’s when I knew; okay, I can do something with this”
If you find yourself struggling to get into the creative mindset, Jayshree actually suggests taking a break to relax and unwind. That way you can mentally recharge, and you’ll find that your creativity will come back to you. Here’s a pro tip that Jayshree herself uses: Start doodling until you get inspired!
Creative Workshops
It was a lot of work, but Jayshree learned so much as a result of her self-taught digital art education. By searching for and following online motivators and educators and purchasing the right books, she was able to get a firm grasp on how to expand her own skillset. Be ready to invest in some essential digital tools as well, such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator software.
To spread her wealth of knowledge, Jayshree hosts regular online classes for individuals interested in digital art. She teaches her students how to get started, the basic tools they’ll need, tips on how and when to practice, and even some basic marketing tactics.
No pun intended, but Illustratio has been drawing a big crowd, not just in India but all over the world! You can definitely go to this Gem for any illustrations and graphic design projects you may have.
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