Drawing On Life

Visual artist Taarika John gave up a career in advertising to chart a freelance path where she’s inspired by all that’s happening around her!

Tell us about your journey in design.

TJ: I’ve always had an inclination towards the arts. My parents read to me a lot as a child and I grew up surrounded by books. They were always keeping me occupied with art supplies and sheets of paper to draw on. My brother and I were always encouraged to engage our curiosity and I’ve spent much of my childhood designing and creating hand-made books on everything from ancient Egypt to African tribes.

I think because art and design was such an integral part of my everyday life, I never really considered it as a career option.

As a child I initially wanted to be a herpetologist after which I decided that I would be a writer. It was only in Class 10, when my mother showed me some college courses she had found online in Graphic Design and Visual Arts, that it dawned on me that this is what I wanted to do with my life.

I did my undergraduate studies in Visual Communication at the Srishti School of Art, Design & Technology in Bangalore. My time at Srishti was definitely a transformative experience. I went in thinking I wanted to be a graphic designer, and by the time I graduated I was an illustrator.

I first started working on freelance projects while I was at Srishti, so by the time I had graduated I had had a taste of what it was like to work independently. However, I thought it was important for me to first work at an agency and learn how to work in a studio environment. I wanted to develop my skills and network, and the security of a monthly salary is comforting when you’re in a new city (Mumbai) and bills are always menacingly looming around you.