Arts as Escapism The CreativeMindClass Blog

I'm from Venezuela. I was raised in a city that was very tropical with hills and palm trees. However, I unfortunately, I was not allowed to fully explore the world around me (partly because of the overprotection of my parents, but mostly because of the daily anxieties that my country has). Most of the time, television and reading became my primary forms of escapism - and drawing! I would spend hours drawing my favorite anime characters and my pets, as well as friends. I was not allowed to wear, costumes, or all sorts of things.

It was mostly a pastime, and I was somewhat conscious that it wouldn't extend beyond Venezuela. However, my family made the decision to relocate to the UK, and this changed everything for me. In my teen years I finally had some autonomy, and I was allowed to go to places alone and thought about what I really wanted to do.

My love for character design and narrative inspired me to read comics which in turn inspired me to draw. The pieces all came together then. After some years of study (and lots of hard work) I'm now freelance as an Illustrator in London.

I think my work is adventurous, enjoyable and a bit messy (in the best way!). It can be straightforward but it could also be incredibly detailed; but the illustrations always feature a figure or animal or even a beautiful piece of scenery. I like to think that every illustration I draw is part of the same universe.

My main goal is to enjoy it. I think of the things that delighted me growing in my youth: vibrant colours, sneaky characters, funny moments, and tiny little details that I could lose yourself within. It is my goal to encompass as many of these elements whenever I create something new. If I am able to make the viewers feel happy or excited and feel as if they've discovered something interesting that I've achieved what I wanted to achieve.

"Another essential element that I am looking for is the sense of humor. Over time, I've realized that I'm not an competent person to create complex or abstract artworks, but I can be fairly adept in creating something lighthearted that can inspire laughter. I play to my strengths currently."

You can follow Marianna's artistic adventure on Instagram; discover detailed illustrations of the books for children she worked on in lockdowns, as well as some behind-the-scenes images of her recoding Skillshare class to name just a couple. The links to the class as well as Marianna's books are available on the website.