Stuti Uniyal, a Dehradun-based illustrator and the creator of ‘I Am A Pansie Person That Way’, tells us about the beautiful journey her art has taken and how she grows and blooms as an artist.

I Am A Pansie Person That Way

Can you recall a specific moment or event that inspired you and sparked your decision to become an illustrator? 

I don't think I have a specific moment that made me decide to become an illustrator, but since I come from this beautiful place and have lived around the hills for most of my life, that itself has been an inspiration to me, seeing these beautiful landscapes and always having the urge to sketch them down, see how they look and take that memory back with me. I've always wanted to sketch them out and be able to carry them with me wherever I go.

What was the very first thing you remember drawing, and how does it compare to your latest masterpiece? 

The very first thing that I quite vividly remember drawing would be flowers. I have always drawn lots of flowers. All shapes, all sizes, all colors, all my childhood. There is no specific masterpiece that I've created yet. I think I'm far from creating a masterpiece, but if I look at my current work and the flowers I am drawing now as compared to when  I started working as a illustrator, I would say I see a lot of growth and changes.

How has your artistic style evolved since you first started illustrating? Are there particular influences that shaped this transformation? 

If I have to look at my previous work and compare it to my current, artistic style, I would say I have evolved as a person, and so have my emotions, which is pretty reflective in my work. And I think that also answers the question that this transformation has been shaped by all those emotions and life in general.

What's your go-to remedy for overcoming creative blocks? Any bizarre rituals or techniques? 

Working in the creative field, I believe creative blocks are a must since they give you more than they take from you. My go to remedy for overcoming creative blocks is to take a day off and, you know, just reward myself. Give me those little rewards in the form of anything If I've been wanting to go out and eat something, I just do that. If I want to go on a drive, call a friend and talk to them for a long time Or just watch a lot of movies. That is what I do. A mix of all of this and my day is sorted. So yeah, take a day or two days or three days, whatever helps you get out of the creative block. 

If you could go back in time and give your beginner self one piece of advice, what would it be? 

If I have to go back in time and give my beginner self one piece of advice. It would be to observe as much as possible and just go take that class. There is no time to not learn. I mean, you could always just take a class, learn whatever you've been wanting to, and polish your skills and practice as much as you can. 

I would also like to share, the one piece of advice that I received on my artistic journey which was from one of my teachers, who told me that you should never judge your art. You should never put it, in between something that is good or bad, because it is something that you have created with a certain set of emotions that you felt at that specific time. So yeah, never judge it. And just give it some time, let it process and you will see the results that you wish to at some point of time. 

What's your go-to snack or drink while working on illustrations? 

My go-to snacks while working are a lot of podcasts and warm water. Nothing more than that.

Share a guilty pleasure when it comes to art supplies or tools.

My guilty pleasure when it comes to art supplies would be lots of embellishments and collecting as many textures from wherever I can.

If you could collaborate with any artist, living or dead, who would it be?

If I could collaborate with any artists I would wish to collaborate with? I think people who are just starting out, as compared to somebody who is known and renowned because I would wish to understand how one works or how one thinks as they are beginning in the space. And also at the same time, I would love to collaborate with people who come from different cultures, different backgrounds, and have a completely different perspective than me.

If your art supplies rebelled against you, what do you think they would protest about?

Oh, my art supplies would definitely rebel about wanting some space. Right now, most of them have to accommodate with each other in some way or the other. So I think wanting some more space is something they would definitely rebel about.

What's a common misconception about being an illustrator that you'd like to dispel?

The most common misconception that I have come across as an illustrator is that being an illustrator is not a proper profession. So that is something that I would more than like to dispel.