"If I could just do this for the rest of my life, I'd be completely happy. It's just so much fun. It's just so new all the time."

Julie Solvstrom, an illustrator and lettering artist, shares her journey from Denmark to Vancouver, Canada, and her creative evolution. She discusses her background in graphic design, her travels, and the impact of curiosity on her creative journey. The conversation also explores her experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, where she traveled the world and found inspiration for her work. The conversation covers Julie's journey from graphic design to freelance illustration, her creative process, the influence of nature on her work, and the balance between outdoor activities and creativity. It also delves into the evolution of her style, the impact of collaboration, and the transition to full-time freelancing. The discussion highlights the importance of creative community, simplicity in design, and the joy of continuous exploration.

Takeaways

• Julie's journey from Denmark to Vancouver and her background in graphic design.
• The impact of curiosity and travel on Julie's creative evolution.
• Julie's experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and how it influenced her work and creativity. Julie's journey from graphic design to freelance illustration is a result of organic growth and opportunities that presented themselves over time.
• The influence of nature and outdoor activities plays a significant role in Julie's creative process and the natural elements are reflected in her work.
• The transition to full-time freelancing was a gradual process, and Julie's approach to her career is characterized by a balance between creativity and a love for the outdoors.
• Collaboration and the input of clients have a significant impact on the evolution of Julie's style, leading to a more balanced and refined creative output.
• The importance of creative community, simplicity in design, and the joy of continuous exploration are key themes that emerge from the conversation.

Daring Creativity. Podcast with Radim Malinic

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Julie Solvstrom:  [00:00:00] Yeah, I think more than anything, it was maybe a much needed kind of pat on [00:00:10] the shoulder. this is someone I've looked up to for a long time and for him to see something in my work that he thought was worth doing. Shouting about meant a lot to [00:00:20] me, just as much as what came out of it.

Radim: big moment and just such a lovely way of seeing, generosity [00:00:30] in the design industry. Hello and welcome to Creativity for Sale podcast, a show to help you start and grow your life changing creative career and [00:00:40] business. My name is Radim Malinich and creativity changed my life. You see, I believe creativity can change your life too. I even wrote a book about it and it inspired this podcast. [00:00:50] I've set out to interview the world's most brilliant creatives, designers, writers, musicians, makers and marketeers about their life changing experiences with creativity.[00:01:00] 

If you ever wanted to know how people go from their humble beginnings to the pinnacle of their success, our conversation should provide you with an intimate [00:01:10] look into triumphs, challenges and untold stories behind their creative endeavours. We also discuss the highs and lows of creative careers and creative life.

So [00:01:20] Thank you for joining me on this exploration of passion, creativity, innovation, and the boundless potential within us all. Let creativity change your life. Are you ready?

Radim Malinic: [00:01:30] My guest today claims she's not a risk taker, even though she's been traveling the globe from a young age and always pursuing creative adventures. [00:01:40] Right after graduating from the Royal Danish Academy of Island Design, she headed to Vancouver to pursue a career in graphic design. Her inquisitive mind and love for written [00:01:50] word, have led her to carve out a wonderful career as an illustrator, lettering artist, and all around creative.

Her work is instantly recognizable, full of vibrant [00:02:00] colors, often inspired by nature, poetry, and human connection. It's my pleasure to introduce Julie Solverstrom. [00:02:10] 

Hello, Julie. Welcome to the show. How are you today?

Julie Solvstrom: Thank you. Yeah, I'm all good. Thank you so much for having me.

Radim Malinic: so for [00:02:20] those who have made, never heard of you before, would you introduce yourself for them, please?

Julie Solvstrom: Sure. so my name is Julie. originally from Denmark, I'm an illustrator [00:02:30] and lettering artist and, wear many hats. and I live in Vancouver in Canada. 

Radim Malinic: you mentioned just something straight away. You said I wear many different [00:02:40] hats

and I just wonder, what is your background between, you discovering the creativity and because this show is based on the premise that creativity changes our lives.

[00:02:50] So how does Julie today. Meet the jury from the very past when creativity first occurred and, taking you on the journey where you are today. 

Julie Solvstrom: yeah, it has been [00:03:00] quite the journey. lots of twists and turns that you never really expect. but my background is in graphic design and I worked as a designer for 12 years. [00:03:10] I was late to the game. Like I, I went to art school quite late. I spent some time traveling, just exploring.

 figuring myself out and what I wanted to [00:03:20] do.And then, yeah, went to art school in Copenhagen, got a degree there in, in visual, communication and then went on to work as a graphic [00:03:30] designer for, the better part of 12 years with a little break in between. it's been a really slow, steady journey towards illustration.

I've [00:03:40] always drawn, I've always,been quite creative, like a creative kid, lots of drawing Pokemons and things like that. And, yeah, it's just something that's followed [00:03:50] me through my work as a graphic designer as well. whenever I wasn't working on that, I was drawing letters in my free time.

Radim Malinic: those 12 years, did you spend them in just [00:04:00] one employment or did you hover between different agencies or studios? How did you work for those 12 years?

Julie Solvstrom: so, I finished art school and then a little bit on a whim, decided [00:04:10] to go to Canada. and I got a job here with a small local agency focused on branding. all together work with them for about four years. And then [00:04:20] I had a little immigration hiccup, which meant I had to leave the country for a while.

And that brought me all over the world. I traveled around and then [00:04:30] eventually ended up in England and got a job designing greeting cards, which is very different to branding no logos, but it was so much fun and it [00:04:40] was super playful and it brought. a lot of things that I just couldn't have predicted.

just in terms of evolving my style. and I was with them for two years. [00:04:50] and then in between that have had little like times of, of freelance work. But yeah, mainly those two.

Radim Malinic: Where did Canada come up? Like, how, 

because obviously you're originally from [00:05:00] Denmark. you mentioned you went to school in Copenhagen. So are you from near Copenhagen or somewhere,else in Denmark?

Julie Solvstrom: so maybe a longer background, like I've [00:05:10] always traveled a lot and I've always done these longest stays. So when I was 16, my parents shipped me off to New Zealand for an exchange stay [00:05:20] there, which just. made me aware that I can go anywhere in the world and I can, just go and stay places.

So that definitely sparked,a travel [00:05:30] bug. so I went back to Denmark when I was 18, I went to Australia and lived for four years and, then back to Denmark, studied, and I just knew I wanted to go [00:05:40] somewhere after design school. I really wanted to go and work somewhere else.

 I was just, keen to get out of Denmark. And then, when I was doing my bachelor, my graduation project with, [00:05:50] was with magazines. It's really interested in that. And then I don't know if you know, the magazine ad busters.but it's like this kind of radical, very politically [00:06:00] charged magazine.

 I just fell in love with their design. It's super playful. It's like every issue is completely different. so much experimentation, lots of [00:06:10] type. And I was just really drawn to that. So when I found out they had an office in Vancouver, I thought I can get a one year work permit for Canada [00:06:20] and I'll just go.

and knock on their door. And I did that.

Radim Malinic: That's amazing. 

Julie Solvstrom: yeah, I really want to go back to when you were Sure.

Radim Malinic: parents shipped you to New Zealand. I [00:06:30] mean,

 I'm kind of trying to find out like that the Southern Hemisphere being obviously in New Zealand and in Australia, in those sort of formative years as a teenager and [00:06:40] obviously in your early twenties, what sort of effect did it have on you?

as a creative, as a person, as a human.

Julie Solvstrom: Yeah, I think at that point, so I was when I was 16 [00:06:50] and in New Zealand, I I didn't know you could work with like drawing or creativity. I didn't know there was a thing called graphic design. And even when I went back the second [00:07:00] time, I still didn't. I think I was just drawn. to different places.

I was so curious about the world. traveling that young, it felt like [00:07:10] unlocking a superpower. I can go, I can speak the language. I can create a whole life here. And I just kept coming back to that. I was [00:07:20] just really curious about, different places like that just didn't feel like Denmark like at that time in my life, that was a plus.

and just figuring out you could do [00:07:30] it was pretty exciting. And it was the smallest, like mundane things of you go when you get a credit card and you go and you can rent an apartment overseas. It doesn't have to be in [00:07:40] Denmark. And I think, I don't know how it played into my creativity, but I think it's definitely.

just broadened my world a lot. And I think that all [00:07:50] plays in together in the end, of just being curious. through my work, I think I'm curious. like lots of exploration. I think they probably interplay. And maybe if I hadn't gone to New [00:08:00] Zealand, I wouldn't have gone to Canada on a whim.

And travel has just shot me all over the globe to different creative opportunities. Like the [00:08:10] greeting cards company, when I was working there, I didn't know how that was going to play into my, own work, but it did like, they all added little aspects and [00:08:20] nuances to my own work.

And I don't know if I would have gotten that if I had just stayed in Denmark. 

Radim Malinic: you mentioned about curiosity. I think people like yourself and many people who [00:08:30] go on to do some amazing things. I always say that they've got eternal curiosity, like you want to know what's next, what's that, and I think, as someone who moved to the UK when I was [00:08:40] 21, I felt for the first two years, A, on Neverending Holiday, and B, I was like in the movie, I was like This is different.

this is all like fun. And I felt like I [00:08:50] was floating. I was just like, it was this feeling that you can never get back unless, I mean, I can't get it back because I'm, I will never be in a position to do that again. But the memories of [00:09:00] it,it's quite remarkable because it just transcends your whole thinking, like how you see yourself, how you see your space in the world.

So when you said. So far you said about curiosity and a [00:09:10] travel bag, and obviously that's just kind of almost gives you, as you said, superpower to actually unlocking new experiences because sometimes people move across to a different [00:09:20] country or, somewhere else, but like at that younger age,that's quite remarkable.

Do you have any siblings, brothers or sisters, or

Julie Solvstrom: A brother.

Radim Malinic: you got a brother? [00:09:30] And what happened to him? Did he get shipped to somewhere else? Just

like. 

Julie Solvstrom: did, he, well you're laughing, but he did. He got a, he was in the US, he was in Tennessee for a year. but then [00:09:40] interestingly enough, he now lives in New York and is also a creative. and he's an incredibly talented, art director. [00:09:50] but we were so different growing up. I was drawing all the time.

I was, yeah, you'd always find me with like crayons and I got a lot of praise for being like, Julie's good at [00:10:00] art and she's good at drawing and my brother bless him and he's going to hear this, but I don't remember him like being into art or drawing or anything [00:10:10] like that. and then he's just carved this amazing career.

Like he works with the biggest clients. he's just so good at it. It's [00:10:20] crazy. and was a big inspiration for me as well. And he, for my whole career was the support and the one that [00:10:30] believed in me. And he saw something, like he was the one that suggested art school.and has just been a cheerleader on the sidelines for the whole time,

Radim Malinic: So having a [00:10:40] brother that's been your cheerleader, and also sort of revelation of creativity, I think it's quite remarkable because you need that in your life. Obviously, 

you need someone who And that's the thing [00:10:50] that you want to believe in. So we're in New Zealand, yeah, in Australia, and then you're knocking on the door in Vancouver.

so I guess that's the [00:11:00] connection, why Canada? Because of the magazine. Is that right?

Julie Solvstrom: yeah, mostly. I'm also into the outdoors and Vancouver is like a Mecca for [00:11:10] anything outdoorsy, but it was the main driver was AdBusters, the magazine.

Radim Malinic: So you went to Canada, 

did you knock on the door

Julie Solvstrom: Yeah, I did. Well, I [00:11:20] actually, I made them this huge poster that said, Adbusters, I really want to work with you in like this big [00:11:30] lettering work.

it was huge. And then I folded it and it had my resume in inside and it was this massive thing. And I went down to their office [00:11:40] and handed it in and went on my way. And then a couple of days. Or very shortly after, the founder called me, who's a really interesting [00:11:50] guy. And I went in for an interview and, yeah, realized I was not quite radical enough.

I think they really wanted someone like people with a [00:12:00] political bend. but it was kind of nice. Like I walked into the office and they had this, My, the application like hung on the wall. So I think that alone made enough of an [00:12:10] impression that they called me in, but unfortunately it didn't lead to a job.

Radim Malinic: so this is interesting. so you find yourself in Vancouver, you made this statement.I want to know two [00:12:20] things. So you waited for two days. How did you feel like, because obviously like you almost put all your eggs in one basket. You were like, okay, I'm here for this reason. And this is, why I want to [00:12:30] work with these guys.

And then you wait because there's nothing worse than waiting. Is there? you just don't know, like, So what did you do waiting and what did you do afterwards? Because obviously [00:12:40] it feels like everything sort of points in that direction and that direction is, in your own words, not radical enough 

for 

Julie Solvstrom: Yeah.I mean, yeah, waiting was not fun. I [00:12:50] had a, I worked as a barista at the time. So I had something to keep my mind off thing. Like I've worked in hospitality for most of my life at that point. but yeah, definitely threw [00:13:00] all of my eggs in one basket and I made it into this big thing by making the application.

Like I just put so much time into it. And I remember being so excited when [00:13:10] they called, I remember standing in the kitchen at the restaurant being, yeah, just being like, this is it, I, this is my time, they're calling, I'll definitely get [00:13:20] it. There wasn't, I think I was quite confident I was going to get the job. And it was like a minute into, to meeting the founder where I realized, yeah, this is, I'm not the right [00:13:30] person.so it was, yeah, it was a hit to my confidence for sure. Cause I think I hadn't had a job before, like in, in graphic design. And I [00:13:40] probably hadn't had that kind of rejection, either.

Yeah, it was tough, but I just, applied for other jobs, found other positions, and [00:13:50] sent out a lot of applications and nobody got back to me for quite a while. And then, in this cafe, I had two [00:14:00] regulars that I really liked this, older English couple, they would come in every day.

They got the same drink. And when it was quiet, I would go and sit with them and just have a little [00:14:10] chat. And then I mentioned this to them and they were like, Oh, our daughter runs a design agency. we'll put it in. And they wrote on a little note. I still have it, like [00:14:20] wrote down their names and I called them and went in for an interview.

 maybe a week later and it got hired on the spot. It was me and [00:14:30] the art director there just hit it off from the moment we, he's from Germany. So maybe there was like a European, kinship, but yeah. And [00:14:40] that is to this day, the best place I've ever worked. it's an

Radim Malinic: That's pretty spooky the way you say the story 

Julie Solvstrom: Yeah.

Radim Malinic: finding the opportunity in the most unlikely [00:14:50] places, because it seems to happen. Yeah.I can attest to it that the most work I got as a freelancer at the beginning of my career was because I told everyone what I was [00:15:00] doing. I was like, this is what I'm doing.

This is how I do it. And this is why I believe like when you live and breathe, what you do, you want to talk about it all the time. It's like, this is what I can do. and I,still do it even now. 

[00:15:10] You know, because I think half of the. Battle in a way or half of the equation is that you want to like people. And as you said, you walked into the office and within a minute, you [00:15:20] knew that was not the right fit. Like, Oh, you know, and to deal with rejection that early with the experience and the resilience, that's quite hard because when you think about [00:15:30] rejections now, 

slightly, a bit more experienced, you're like, it's okay, there's another thing to do. whereas our younger years, like, we like, we believe that every time we show up for the train station, the [00:15:40] train should be waiting, because it's not, 

it always changes. So I like that connection was made.

in a totally different way because I think there's a lot [00:15:50] of CVs still being sent out to lots of people 

and the world makes us believe that's how we should be applying for or opening our doors whereas it's the [00:16:00] manifestation like I always believe that people hire people because of who they are as a people rather than, what can you do and what like of course you need a skill.

Sometimes you just need a [00:16:10] skill of someone to do something, you know, we say like plumber fix a leaky pipe, and I don't know, artwork, two pages of a magazine or something. So I think there's definitely [00:16:20] things where, don't have to have a huge personality or be obsessed and sort of conviction, but.

it's that human connection, so I like that you still got some of the piece of paper. [00:16:30] And, yeah, maybe the European kinship was potentially something though. It was the 

Julie Solvstrom: glue in the mix. so you mentioned hospitality, you mentioned obviously working in Canada, and obviously then you mentioned that there was a, [00:16:40] visa hiccup

as someone who's from Europe originally, you know, traveling to Canada, I've seen, I think maybe four or five different sort of immigration systems

Radim Malinic: you have to have a visa, you have to have this, you have to have that, you don't have to [00:16:50] have anything now, you have to have this now.

What's going on? 

 so what happened was because mostly you were working for an agency, obviously everything was going quite good. And then

Julie Solvstrom: Yeah. and then there was a [00:17:00] big hiccup. And it's just, funny because life just throws these curveballs at you. and I just had my little life and plan in Canada planned out. [00:17:10] And I was working with the agency and they could sponsor me for a little bit but at some point I needed to apply for permanent residency instead of being on these work [00:17:20] permits.

 but basically there's two language tests that you do to in your application. And I had previously wanted to study there. So I had done the language test. [00:17:30] for the study visa. When I then applied for the other visa, I thought it's the same study test, it's the same school.

So I just put that in my application, sent it [00:17:40] off, and then it got knocked back. And it just so happened with timing and it was a matter of days where, I couldn't stay in the country. Like I had to be [00:17:50] outside of Canada to apply. So,Yeah, I was looking at a three month window until it would go through.

So I wasn't too bothered. I like traveling. I thought [00:18:00] I'll go travel the world for a little bit. And I left Canada in February 2020. And then I'm sure everybody knows what happens next. Cause [00:18:10] then COVID happens. And, And I'm in New York at this point and it's getting pretty hot. people are starting to talk about it.

but I managed [00:18:20] to travel around the world for a year during COVID. and just was hop skipping to whatever country would let me in. and it was incredible. [00:18:30] I think I had, of the people I know, probably the best time during Covid yeah, I had a 

Radim Malinic: That sounds remarkable. I mean, wow. I didn't know this part and I'm really [00:18:40] intrigued because we're going to go into detail on this because It just revealed that you spend most of COVID traveling, which 

obviously we all sat at home looking out the window, potentially being allowed for [00:18:50] an hour.

So, How do you get from country to country when pretty much no one was allowed to go anywhere and 

you managed to spend the world?

Julie Solvstrom: it is a good question and I'll try and make it short. [00:19:00] Cause it is a long story, but I was in New York for I think a month and throughout my life, I've done this thing called Workaway, which I don't know if this is familiar to [00:19:10] you, but it's basically a work stay in exchange for work.

So this can be anything. So I was in New York, Buddhist Monastery in like upstate New York, and [00:19:20] then managed to get out of New York to Japan, like the week after the whole world shut down. and then I was working in Japan at a [00:19:30] broccoli farm for a month, and after that, I had nothing to do, like everything was closed down, there was nothing going on, like all tourists were leaving the country, and I [00:19:40] had a three month.

Work permit. So I decided to go on the pilgrimage, in Japan, which ended up being two months of walking. It's like [00:19:50] you go from temple to temple. and I did that. And then when Japan didn't want me anymore, I went to Norway and was there for a while. And [00:20:00] then when it got too hot in Norway, I went to the Balkans and was there for three months.

so what the thing that happened, which is kind of tying it back to creativity was that [00:20:10] I had such a great time, but creatively, I was just so hungry. All I wanted was to like work and make I had a sketchbook [00:20:20] along the way, but everything kind of had to fit in a backpack and, and I was never staying anywhere for very long.

And I just found at the end of 2020, [00:20:30] I couldn't look at another, new bed. It, all I wanted was just to sit down and draw and create.so, When this year kind of drew to an [00:20:40] end, I decided to go to the UK and I had some friends over there. so then I found myself in England and settled in there.

Radim Malinic: I feel like there's a book like how to [00:20:50] travel in pandemic when everything's impossible, because it just goes from intriguing to crazy. Like, Did you say monastery in 

upstate New York? and then you go to Broccoli [00:21:00] Farm. I'm like, how do you even find it? I mean, this is remarkable. And then you go to Norway and then you go to Balkans and then England. whilst everyone was struggling, to [00:21:10] come to terms with 

everything, you'd be like, yeah, 

we're going to travel.

This is going to be all fine. This is incredible, absolutely incredible. So, let's talk about the creative part because there's bits and bobs [00:21:20] that you've done and 

obviously you were hungry for work and you were, looking where to, head next. So,this evolution of what is currently your style, what you [00:21:30] do, it almost feels like the little sort of pieces that you picked up from various places and put them together because, the more I think about it now, like maybe your flowers [00:21:40] are the Japanese blossoms or,

 your type is sort of Viking type and I'm just trying to think like, how did it all come about?

Because, this is not a portfolio review, but now it's beginning to make sense to me [00:21:50] because, you and I worked on a branding forum. coffee brand that we put together. And obviously we run sketches back and forth and come to a [00:22:00] solution by you helped me to decipher what the brand could be and how we can do this.

And I think for the process of back and forth, we realized like the beautiful simplicity of how we [00:22:10] can do stuff. So I can totally understand when you said, I don't want to look at another new bed, because there's something about being able just to say, this is my home, you know, like, this is what I [00:22:20] want to do. So from. England, you managed to get back into Canada because we're here now. And where does this evolution of your [00:22:30] current work start? Because one thing I actually haven't asked at any point, like your parents, were they creative or was there, what was their professions? Because this is what I'm trying to [00:22:40] join the dots.

Julie Solvstrom: Yeah, and they're hard to join. No, neither of them. I know my grandmother was a, she was a painter, but my mom was a system [00:22:50] planner and my dad worked with computers but they were always encouraging They always encouraged drawing and my dad was, always encouraging that part of my childhood.

But them in and [00:23:00] of itself, I didn't see creativity there. and especially I think where I grew up in Denmark, I don't know anyone at the time who worked. but traveling, [00:23:10] like I think traveling opened my eyes. I met people that were graphic designers and.and then when my brother went into it, that helped a little bit.but yeah, I think in terms of [00:23:20] what I do now, something that's been interesting and, I'm giving a talk soon, so I'm gonna kind of walk people through my journey. [00:23:30] And it's such an interesting, like task to go through, like, when did this start?

And what I realized is that typography and [00:23:40] type has just been a part of my life forever. Like way before art school, way before I knew what lettering was or graphic [00:23:50] design. I can see looking back through my camera roll, the stuff I did, everything kind of came back to type like in school, I had these journals or like these [00:24:00] calendars that I was just filled with like boys names and like lyrics to songs I liked.

then after that, I had this thing where I would read books and [00:24:10] when something. really inspired me, like it would be a sentence. I just needed to write it out myself and make a piece out of it, [00:24:20] not just write it out, but what I would now call, do a lettering piece about it.

And it was almost like a way of. consuming it more, if that makes [00:24:30] sense. when there were words that really spoke to me, I just had to draw them And that's something I've done for so many years. But if you saw my work then and my [00:24:40] work now, you would never think they were the same. It's been such a long process, but letters have always been at the core of it.

Radim Malinic: And up [00:24:50] until maybe three years ago, everything I did was black and white. It's only very recently that I even started working with colors.It's a very good [00:25:00] observation because I like finding in people's stories the genesis, like how it all begins and how it sort of continues because, some of our previous guests and I've been in [00:25:10] magazines and like, I wanted to find out like how did they find out like that?

 when the magazines actually entered their life or like, what did they do? what, you know, where comics came from and that kind of stuff. And I think that [00:25:20] added curiosity about the world around you and actually what it is and actually absorb it and what's happening around, around you in your world.

I think that's the sort of ingredients that if you look for them in a younger [00:25:30] age, that's kind of almost like a signal that, there's something's going to happen at a later age. so I like the idea of your lettering pieces and mostly how it's sort of taking you on.

Because when you mentioned black and [00:25:40] white, that's really interesting I used to be scared of black and white, I was like, I came from rave culture, like club culture. So there was lots of, especially in England, lots of black and white [00:25:50] posters printed on day glow paper. And I had to start them in color.

 my inexperience was that a sense of color would actually make me feel something, make me feel I'm going the right direction [00:26:00] and don't know how to make it into black and white. And that was the very beginnings, but where you've. evolved and with what you do now, like the style that you've created is [00:26:10] pretty unique for what you have and Obviously we need to thank our pretty much mutual friend Aaron Draplin for doing what he did so selflessly because it's quite a [00:26:20] talking point of what he's done for yourself and for many others like actually showing your work and being very generous about it and say like look this is the stuff I don't know [00:26:30] how to make and this is the stuff people should know about and that moment Must have changed your life in a way.

Is that right?

Julie Solvstrom: Yeah, I think more than [00:26:40] anything, it was maybe a much needed kind of pat on the shoulder. this is someone I've looked up to for a long time and for him to see something in my work that [00:26:50] he thought was worth doing. Shouting about meant a lot to me, just as much as what came out of it.

big moment and just such a lovely [00:27:00] way of seeing, generosity in the design industry. Like, I just love that he included that in his talk as well. And, instead of going on [00:27:10] about him and all his work thought there's also, I want to shout about these. It wasn't just me.

there were like a handful of us that he mentioned. and there are just like yourself [00:27:20] and Matt Haynes, and there's just people that are so generous in our industry. And I love that, lifting each other as we climb. and the fact that people [00:27:30] help each other and want to see each other succeed is such a beautiful thing.

And I think there are enough work for all of us, like, there's nothing competitive, and I think [00:27:40] sometimes I see that in illustration, there's almost a sense of competitiveness, and I just don't think that's the case, I think We should help each other [00:27:50] because you're going to just expand the industry.

Radim Malinic: You're just going to create a need for more work, for more art. I think the more we can help each other, the better. And there's not [00:28:00] this scarcity of creativity. comes with age and confidence. And I can attest to the feeling [00:28:10] when you're an illustration, world, that, It feels like your every job is your last job, you know, it feels like that insecurity and that, anxiety about work, [00:28:20] because when you think about it, there is so much attached to your personal style.

So when you put it out to the world, it's like, this is me, I want to be known [00:28:30] who I am, how I illustrate. So this is what I'm going to put to the world. I hope that the world will like it. Not only like it, it'll actually give me some money for it, and then we'll go somewhere else [00:28:40] and then somebody else will see it and do that again and again.

So I always say that we have, all horses in the same race, like we all, right side by side going, this is [00:28:50] amazing. And how can we do this together? But it's that realization that everything will be fine. you can actually recommend somebody, you can be generous because these kinds of [00:29:00] things come back to you, like 

I'm a big believer in karma and, It doesn't always come to us naturally, especially at the beginning or mid stage of our careers where we [00:29:10] haven't established our sort of personal brand.

we don't know what to do yet. We still don't, may not even be sure about our style, It can be quite daunting for people to even think like, do I need to re imagine my [00:29:20] career? Do I need to sort of change my style? Do I need to do something different? Because, I'm still trying to sort of work it out.

And, 

from point of view of someone that I've sort of reinvented [00:29:30] my career in the last 24 years about four or five times. And now just everything feels okay, I'll do whatever I can for people because I'll no longer need to be knocking on the door and [00:29:40] being the first in the queue because I know that what I'm creating is not waiting for the opportunities of others to come to me.

It's actually creating the opportunities of my own self. I'll [00:29:50] call it like inventing the dream future because. You can be waiting and hoping that, you know, if you keep your cards really close to your chest, that someone will just see through the gap and go, well, [00:30:00] I really want that.

 I think as a part of getting older and growing up, because, the more we know about ourselves and what we know about industry and work and opportunities, we [00:30:10] realize, Everything's fine. There's plenty of work. And when you look beyond the layers, and we talk about work, which is obviously of a higher standard, but there's something that sort of celebrates [00:30:20] in a spotlight.

But when you look at the medium quality work to low quality work, there's so much more of it. 

 And you realize, Oh my [00:30:30] God, if only these people, if you encourage them to actually say, you know what, you can make it better. You can actually do it. Just tweak it by 1 percent every day you can come up with something more [00:30:40] remarkable, but it's about that sort of communication of like, how do you educate your client?

Or how do you educate the opportunity? Because we all take on work that. could look good in our [00:30:50] portfolios. Everyone's guilty of it. And always those projects turn out to be utter garbage. You're like, Oh, the client promised me this and that never happened because it's a faulty promise. And I [00:31:00] say, it's like, how do you guide your light?

And how do you guide the direction of your work? Then, that's what happens. And that's when you direct your universe in the place where you want to be. [00:31:10] So, Having seen Aaron's talk since 20, I think I spoke with him 2012 or 2013, and he was doing like the classic Aaron talk, like this is me, this is my [00:31:20] dad, this is my girlfriend, this is my mom, whatever.

And it was nice that he opened it up because you want to do that for others, you know? And not [00:31:30] everyone can do it, but I think it was nice surprise. did you watch it live or did someone send it to you and say, watch this, what happened? Because that I'm really interested in this.

Julie Solvstrom: he did message me and [00:31:40] just asked for my permission and said he wanted to do this and if I could send over some, just some like visuals and he had messaged me like prior to this, he [00:31:50] just wrote me a really lovely message on Instagram and I think he just said, I like your work which, felt like a pretty big deal to me.

And then this was months later, but what happened? I was sitting [00:32:00] in. in a cafe, drawing, and I looked at my phone and I had gotten like 8, 000 followers on Instagram. And, and I [00:32:10] was like, oh yeah, there was that thing that he said he would do. So yeah, then I went home and watched it.

And, he made people follow [00:32:20] us he forced people to support us, which I thought was a nice thing. I don't think they had a choice.

Radim Malinic: well, you still have your followers. I think it was a good thing to do, but I think, yeah, that sort of act of kindness, I think is [00:32:30] really well remarkable. And somehow I watched the section and your work stood out because. He was like, I don't know how to make it.

And I'm like, Oh, I know how to [00:32:40] make it, but I don't know how to draw it. there's a technical aspect on this and that. And I have to say, I was sitting on this email to send to you for a couple of months, I [00:32:50] was like, how did we do this? I really want. this to happen, but I couldn't really see the style and what, obviously what we finally achieved is exactly what I wish [00:33:00] we'd normally achieved.

But at first, like, do I need to contact her? Do I need to know that? And so, I'm glad I did because we made it happen. 

Obviously you've showed up in my inbox, like I think [00:33:10] seeing, or if you follow me on LinkedIn, I was like, maybe that's the sign, but let me take a couple of steps back. So you had a sketchpad and I think, did you always work on your [00:33:20] iPad or did you get iPads for the travel?

So how did you get to do what you do now technically and sort of the evolution of a style? Because I think that could sort of be interesting to people because we're going from black and [00:33:30] white, 

traveling in COVID. Doing all of this. So how did you even come to your the textured style and the style of illustration?

How did you do that? What's the [00:33:40] A to B?

Julie Solvstrom: It was,the iPad was introduced in 2021. that was one of the reasons or not one of the reasons, but that was one of the things that happened once I stopped [00:33:50] traveling and settled down. I knew I really wanted an iPad just to ease the workflow and everything I was creating were in notebooks.

I, like a [00:34:00] big. like a big kind of piece of momentum was participating in 36 days of type, which is, if you're, if anyone doesn't know, it's a type [00:34:10] challenge. It's a yearly one. It's run by,a design duo in Barcelona, I think in Spain, and It's gone for, I think 10, [00:34:20] 10 years or something like that.

Radim Malinic: They've actually killed it

now. 

Julie Solvstrom: It's such a shame and I dunno what to do. But I did that in 2021 [00:34:30] the first time and that changed everything. 'I think it was the first big project where I started working in colors and I had so much fun with it. it was just, I think the [00:34:40] beautiful thing about it was you couldn't be too precious about anything because you basically draw all the letters of the alphabet. And the numbers. And you post it every day. it [00:34:50] was challenge on Instagram. So you would post on Instagram every day. So you couldn't like, you couldn't sit with work for too long. you had to get on with it. And it was a really [00:35:00] good exercise of just not being precious about things.

And, so I worked in color for the first time and just realized I really enjoyed it. [00:35:10] And I think after that, it just got me. really fired up to do more. and it was definitely like a momentum. Like I just started, I just [00:35:20] drew all the time. It was like a mad race. And I was still working as a, at like full time as a graphic designer, but every moment in the morning, [00:35:30] like after work on the weekend, I would just draw letters.

And in terms of style, there was a moment where I knew this feels like [00:35:40] me. It was when I stopped looking on Pinterest for inspiration and kind of semi copying things there and it just, it was just flowed out of me [00:35:50] without needing any kind of external references or inspiration. The grain, I don't even know when that came in, but it was just a fun thing I tried. [00:36:00] It was just experimenting. This could be fun. I have this random brush on my iPad. Let's try it out. And there was just something about it. I loved applying it. It was this [00:36:10] meditative practice that Like, when you had done all the sketching and decided on the color scheme, I could just relax and just add this [00:36:20] grain.

It takes forever. It's not great in terms of time, but it's one of the nicest things about the stuff I create. It's just the last bit where [00:36:30] you can add the grain. It's lovely. You can have a coffee, I'll plan it out. So I'll have a nice podcast and then, I don't have to think too much, I can just [00:36:40] my brain.

Radim Malinic: That's amazing because it's that sort of magic fairy dust that just elevates it because obviously I know from the process of working together, of looking, seeing the flat [00:36:50] vectors, it's like of the flat shapes, like that little element just makes it and it's interesting what you said that I stopped looking at Pinterest for, for ideas and the things because [00:37:00] that's just a beautiful evolution of a creator because We pick up guitars because we want to play like Angus Young, or we want to play like Slash, and then you try to learn the bits, and then you're [00:37:10] like, okay, I've done this bit, where do the fingers take me now?

So, what you describe, and it's just that next phase, and I think what you've described, your sort of [00:37:20] exploration of the pandemic world and seeing different influences and going back to your childhood and making the type posters.

It feels like that's always going to sort of [00:37:30] happen because it's just almost like the ingredients come together and this is what happens. a nice story in a way that. you can feel [00:37:40] comfortable, even though you're trying to say that this is a bit stressful to create the basic shapes, but I don't believe you.

I think now you've got it pretty sorted out. so with this sort of evolution, [00:37:50] obviously through 36 days of type, we used to do it for my studio and actually I did as a freelancer before. it was a nice challenge for sure. It was nice, but then some people were [00:38:00] like, not surprising because they're like, this is my style.

This is the 36. elements. And I'm guilty of that myself. And then you had people who were sort of wildly different and [00:38:10] you're going to just pick up some ideas that you didn't, you couldn't even know existed. But when your sort of magic formula started taking shape, your ingredients, your grain brush and the [00:38:20] typography, what was the kind of next step?

Because you said you were still working as a graphic designer, but I presume you no longer do that.

So how did you go [00:38:30] from being employed and longing to have a freelance career to actually having freelance career?

Julie Solvstrom: Yeah, it was a long process because I'm not a risk taker, [00:38:40] like I'm not somebody that's going to go and, I don't know, be like reckless and give up everything to pursue my art. I seek comfort. [00:38:50] I want to know I can pay rent. And graphic design was that to me, like it was something that let me explore my own [00:39:00] creativity.

in just not having to worry about financial stress as well. And, so it happened really slowly while I was working, as a graphic designer. I just slowly [00:39:10] started getting work and it was mostly like smaller projects, but like the first time somebody messaged me and wanted to pay me to draw.

It [00:39:20] was, I just hadn't even, it was not something I worked towards. At no point did I sit down and be like, I'm going to start working to do this full time. I would just create things, put it [00:39:30] out in the universe. And then that one time someone messaged and said, how much would it cost to do this? And I was like, Oh, maybe this could be something I [00:39:40] could get to do even more. And then that was in. I started like late 2022 and then it just happened quite organically, [00:39:50] like more and more work would come up. I started, like I then went to part time working for the design agency here in Canada. And then, [00:40:00] middle of last year, 2023,the agency, I had to stop working for them for a few reasons that I won't go into, but then I was faced with, do I do this full time [00:40:10] now or do I go out and get another graphic design job and I have built enough of a, base of work that I felt comfortable. Okay, I can try and do this now. And [00:40:20] so I did like about a year ago. I then went full time freelancing and just doing lettering.so it's an, it's a new journey. it's still very [00:40:30] fresh,

Radim Malinic: yeah, you said, you're not a risk taker. And this is I can't, these two things together because. you travelled the world in a time where no one could even imagine travelling the [00:40:40] world. But then, you see another risk taker. it's just that eternal curiosity. I mean, I understand. from my personal point of view, like when you plan to go on your own, because you will [00:40:50] really want to do the thing that you've, what you do in the evening, what you do at night, that's what you should be doing in the daytime, even though it's going to take you many hours to do the business admin, [00:41:00] just to make sure you can do those things, for a few hours a day. But sometimes those sort of the universe points you in that direction, because you say, well, you have to stop and you're like, okay, what do I do now? But. It's [00:41:10] that element of actually preparing yourself almost mentally and creatively that, you didn't pick up an iPad and an Apple pencil and you're like, Oh, maybe I should be illustrator now because I just know I can't [00:41:20] work for this company anymore.

So I think that element of development is so important. And I think it's almost like you can't teach that to people because some [00:41:30] people would be like, I just gone freelance. What do I do now? I'm like, well, that's the very wrong question to ask. like I'm just flying out of this plane. I've got no parachute.

What do I do [00:41:40] now? it's the people who are desperate to leave their jobs. There are people who are desperate to do that thing all day, every day. That's when it happens. I wrote about it in a book, Creativity for Sale, [00:41:50] like that element, if you really wanted to do it, it's just a question of when, you know, it's not a question of if, but it's a question of when.

So it's great to hear that sort of. it [00:42:00] led you to where you are today. And that magic of the magic element of Oh, I got a message. Someone wants to pay me and then somebody else wants to pay you. yeah, it's like this irreplaceable feeling. you [00:42:10] can't substitute it with anything else because it's just Oh shit, like actually everything I worked, on everything I wanted to do.

It's here. And I think that's pretty remarkable. So start [00:42:20] it on your own. you've got your little float of work and I want to know where you're heading. what is the inventive future? Because I always say that [00:42:30] if somebody's asking for, positioning brand new, or if somebody's asking, like, how to apply for jobs, I always say, create your vision board.

 what do 

you want to do? Because people will be like, this is my CV. This is what [00:42:40] I've created so far. I'm like. That's cool. But show me what you really want to be, because I don't know how much you had to compromise now on this stuff because we never really asked ourselves, but especially when we tried [00:42:50] to pretend to be like, yeah, really clever or really talented.

You're like, no, you don't necessarily all these things, but where do you think this is going to take you? what is the next [00:43:00] ambition or what's the future of, Source from trademark illustration,

Julie Solvstrom: it. Yeah, that's a great question and part of me doesn't really want to [00:43:10] know, it has just happened without too much planning. I know I say I'm not a risk taker, but I'm also not a planner either. I do really just go with the flow [00:43:20] and so far it's worked out really nicely.

there are a few things I definitely want to explore. I'd love to work more practically, like I would love to work [00:43:30] with sculpture. That's definitely something more analog than moving away a little bit from the iPad.and then I would love a creative community. I would love to set up [00:43:40] a creative community here in, in Vancouver and have that be a part of my life.

It's something I've thought about for a really long time and just trying to fit it [00:43:50] in. But I just hope I can get to do this for a really long time. If I could, and maybe I'd get bored, I don't know, but in like today, [00:44:00] if I could just do this for the rest of my life, I'd be completely happy.

It's just so much fun. It's yeah, it's just so new all [00:44:10] the time. And you get to work on different, you get to work with amazing people. Like our project was just, it was just had so many elements of what I like and how it came about [00:44:20] with this, creative generosity with Aaron introducing us and then getting to work with you.

And I think for the first time, like you as a client [00:44:30] were like questioning things. and you didn't just take the first thing I threw at you. Like you said, how about this? And we just figured it out together. and it [00:44:40] became like a bit of both of us. It wasn't just. It looks like my style, but the idea is both of us.

And I think more, I would love to just [00:44:50] be able to keep working on projects like that, where it feels like a collaboration and my work is expanded because of it, it, if I had full range, you know, this, [00:45:00] cause you saw the first sketches, it wouldn't have looked like this at all. And I like it so much more for it.

I love what it looks like now. It's, I think it turned out so great.

Radim Malinic: [00:45:10] I'm glad you're happy. I'm glad you're happy because I'm happy too. And it's just that, as you know, from the talk in Barcelona, I was like, explaining like how to make things simple and simpler because. The [00:45:20] most amazing things in life are the simplest and it's just like you helped us to work it out because when I spoke to you for the first time, I was like, I've got no idea.

Like [00:45:30] I've been working on this for so long and I, at one stage, it looked very polished and, complete, but it didn't feel quite right. There was limitations and luckily, because I've already had this sort of [00:45:40] pre history of trying to make it happen, so that's what actually helped us to do this really well.

And I was like, it was the simplification because on our call at first, I found elaborate piece of your [00:45:50] work, it was like, had like different elements and we talked about different, like how we can make sort of stuff. And I hope that. Having been on the receiving end of really bad [00:46:00] briefs and really bad direction from our directors for many years, it was like my whole journey now is like, how do I can create better environment?

How do I can create better [00:46:10] collaboration, understanding, and actually be open and selfless about it? Because we could have easily just be, you know, Still working out the little details, but I'm like, how did you make something that's so [00:46:20] simple? That's gonna surprise people and the result luckily is working, people are saying really nice things about it But going back to you and what you said, I hope this lasts for a [00:46:30] long time I think it will I think with what you would you sort of uncovered and what you tapped in It's like there would be evolutions of what you do, but it's remarkable.

[00:46:40] How you balance your social life and your, the what not, the life of the outdoors with what you do, because some people, sometimes they, when they discover this work, [00:46:50] discover this style, discover their thing, they just do it a lot. And they're like, I want to work with all the big brands. I want to do it with this and that.

And I think that style can burn bright for [00:47:00] quite a while, but then, the light will disappear because you see people who really take off and they do really amazing things. But that longevity, that endurance sometimes [00:47:10] can be lost because if you work all day, every day on the same thing over and over again, you don't really get to see.

side of your work and you don't see what you're trying to achieve. [00:47:20] So before I let you go, so you're in Vancouver and I mentioned to someone, it's like, oh yeah, this illustrator I work with, she's in Vancouver, like, yeah, I know the island. [00:47:30] Everyone goes to the island. Because I said, she's always on an island.

She's always on a kayak or something, So Tell me, is there influences from people, surroundings, that kind of stuff in [00:47:40] Vancouver that actually fuel your inspiration and creativity?

Julie Solvstrom: I think in my work, you see a lot of natural elements. I think that's the part of me that, that [00:47:50] loves the outdoors and just have a huge appreciation and love for nature. I just think. living a balanced life is, has worked really well for [00:48:00] me. I've had this split personality of,the creative part of me, but also the one, that needs to be outside and using my body [00:48:10] enjoying nature.I would be so unhappy missing either of those.I don't know in terms of like how they influence each other, I would love to work with [00:48:20] some sports brands and maybe kind of mesh them together in a way. but I'm also completely happy that they're just two, two different parts of my life.

And Vancouver is [00:48:30] just incredible in that sense. It is like a playground for people that enjoy being outside and yeah, it's a huge privilege to. [00:48:40] to have found two big loves of my life and get to enjoy both of them as much as I do.I hope I can keep doing that.

Radim Malinic: I don't think there's [00:48:50] any reason to ever stop, is there? on that note, thank you for sharing your incredible story with me. I knew some of it, but I was saving myself to find out more in this [00:49:00] conversation and congratulations, everything that you achieved so far and where you're heading.

I was like, for that natural curiosity and passion for your work, because it shows in every post, I [00:49:10] think. I don't know if it's a generational thing, but, we produce creativity. We produce artwork. We produce imagery. We produce something that you can fall in love with. you're not a content [00:49:20] creator.

Obviously you're creative. And I think hopefully that's the craft that won't be ever missed because the world is changing and we can't stop it changing. Obviously we just need to fit around it [00:49:30] or, have the world fit around us. But Yeah. I have to say that every time a post from you shows up on my timeline, I was like, I think we need to do more coffee labels.

there's, there needs to be some more stuff because, it's [00:49:40] actually, it's the colors that. surprise and make you feel something yeah, remarkable. So I congratulate you on what you've done. And I still feel that there's a book about pandemic [00:49:50] travel, 

truly 

believe it, But, yeah. thank you for your time and good luck with everything that you're doing.

Julie Solvstrom: Yeah, and just a big thank you to you. Like you [00:50:00] do so much for the creative community. you do so much great work and you've definitely been one of the highlights of my year. so yeah, a big [00:50:10] thank you to you as well.

Radim Malinic: There's more to come. I'm excited about the next part. Thank you. I'll see 

Julie Solvstrom: Thank you [00:50:20] 

Radim Malinic: Thank you for listening to this episode of Creativity for Sale podcast. The show was produced and presented by me, Radim Malinic. Editing and audio production was masterfully [00:50:30] done by 

Neil mackay,. from 7 million Bikes Podcasts, 

Theme music was written and produced by Robert Summerfield. If you enjoyed this episode and would like to support the [00:50:40] podcast, please subscribe and leave a rating or review.

To get your own action plan on how to start and grow a life changing creative business. You can get a copy of the Creativity for Sale book [00:50:50] via the links in show notes. burning, and until next time, I'm Radim Malinich, your guide through this exploration of passion, creativity, innovation, [00:51:00] and the boundless potential within us all. [00:51:10]