A monthly theme inspires new conversations and ideas that we otherwise wouldn’t think about. At our virtual events, speakers are invited to share a story around the theme and what it means to them. After a month, we are excited to see the talks and inspiration that are born out of the theme.

Given that these monthly illustrations are at events all around the world, it’s only right that we get to know the illustrator. It is a tradition at CreativeMornings to work with an artist in our community to create an illustration for the monthly theme.

The global theme for January is Promise. It was illustrated by designer and illustrator Jolin Matraku. We sat down with Jolin to talk about her journey to where she is today and about her interpretation of Promise.

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Meet Jolin Matraku

Jolin Matraku is a designer and illustrator living in Tirana, Albania. She is an avid coffee drinker and a passionate fan of books, art, movies and everything pretty. Naturally, Jolin developed a noticeable love of the digital arts from an early. Her work is a mix of digital illustration, animation, and design. Since completing her studies, Jolin’s artwork has been featured in many exhibitions and articles all over the world.

When you reflect on your journey to becoming a designer and illustrator, what do you remember?

From an early age, I drew inspiration from anything I could get my hands on. I drew a lot of inspiration from book and I was subscribed to every creative publication that was out there. But if someone told me 10 years ago that I’d be pursuing a full-time career in illustration, I would have told them that they are delusional.

Along the way, I was blessed and was lucky enough to work alongside experienced creative professionals. They each pushed me to have confidence and to keep persevering.

Having a support system and network is an important and beautiful thing…

Sometimes, I still find myself having to take a step back to deeply appreciate that I get to do a job that I love. It hasn’t always been easy and truthfully it still isn’t sometimes. It’s my love for the job that pushes me to keep going.

How has the creative city in your area impacted you?

I witness more and more people doing creative work and it brings me great joy. In Tirana, I’m the co-host of an event series and community called LadiesWineDesign. We normally meet up with other creative ladies and discuss all sorts of design topics. These meetups are wonderful in that they let me feel a kind of energy that inspires me to stay committed to doing my work.

As you know, the theme for January is “Promise.“ How did you go about interpreting the theme?

I actually reached out to my friends to hear what the word means to them. I began with the most recognizable symbol of a promise: the locking of pinky fingers. Later, I added a ribbon to not only create the word, but also to show the bond and commitment that a promise enforces between two people. I feel like promises can be so intimate and I tried to convey that in the piece.

After a tough year, I’ve realized promises you make to yourself are the most important.

What’s something that you recently learned that’s influencing your work or life?

I’ve recently started to feel that I shouldn’t let the fast pace of social media affect me, especially creatively. I see the pressure amongst my peers to do work for the sake of posting and being relevant on social media. Personally, I find it exhausting and not a rewarding way to create.

We all need to take time to do things right, to progress, and to simply enjoy the process.

This is a viewpoint I’ve developed from my own mistakes and insecurities. As Greg Gunn so nicely puts it, “do less, but better.”

It has been difficult for many due to the pandemic. What has your experience been like and is there anything new you’ve realized or learned so far that you’re carrying with you into this New Year?

One thing that I’ve definitely started to appreciate more during this time is the importance of mental health. I focus on trying to keep myself in a positive state of mind although it is a challenging chapter.

This is the first time that I’ve work remotely for such a long period of time. Surprisingly, I’m really enjoying it. There have been a lot of learning moments so far. Now that I know that we don’t nee dot have an 8 to 5 job in an office to get things done, my hope is that there will be a collective shift in thinking that is more open to remote work.

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You can explore more of Jolin’s work on her Instagram.

A special thank you to Jolin for her time to thoughtfully answer these questions. Please note that some of the responses have been edited for clarity.