Meet Maheswari Janarthanan | Artist, Illustrator and Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Maheswari Janarthanan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Maheswari, putting aside the decision to work for yourself, what other decisions were critical to your success?
Quitting my day job and becoming a freelance illustrator was the best decision I have ever made. As someone who is passionate about art and design it is important to me to work on projects that I am passionate about. Freelance gave me that flexibility of choosing the projects that I want to work. Freelance career can be challenging, especially the initial years when one is building the connections and the client list. I have faced many challenges and there were moments of questioning whether I should choose a more stable job. I am happy that I didn’t.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I have always been a dreamer. Growing up I was a silent kid and I enjoyed being buried in books, and I spent all my time drawing houses, flowers and people. Fast forward, a hobby turned into a passion. I am passionate about art and design. Art excites me and gives me a purpose. Art is my calling. Inspired by people and nature, I create illustrations that blend the real world with my imagination. The development of my style took me years, and it was not a straightforward process. There were many times when I contemplated whether to continue freelancing or look for a more stable position. Glad I didn’t give up. I love my job. To have a career that feeds my passions and excites me every day is a blessing! Although there may be moments of uncertainty or even doubt, I strongly believe if you are passionate about something you should throw yourself into the process, and something magical will happen!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I am new to Baltimore and haven’t explored much! So, I would like to talk about favorite city San Diego where I used to live before moving to Baltimore for my masters.

I would first take my friend to my favorite winery, Bernando Winery. Even though I don’t drink it, it is my favorite spot because it is like a small town with cute cafes, village shops, Friday farmers market and my favorite pottery studio – Clay artists at the vineyard. I learned pottery from there when I first moved to San Diego and I have a lot of memories of the place and the people. After an afternoon at the winery, we would go to La Jolla beach to watch the sunset and then eat at La Dolce Vita Ristorante.

My next stop will be Balboa park, where we will check out the botanical gardens and the nearby museums, including the Mingei International Museum and the Spanish Village. For an early dinner I will take her downtown to explore the night life and to experience the diverse food culture. For dessert I will take my friend to Stella Jean’s Ice Cream in University Heights. My favorite are their double chocolate and burnt orange ice creams.

Another great place to visit if you’re a fan of Mexican culture is Old Town San Diego. They have a wide variety of unique shops. You should try hot chocolate from Nibbles Chocolate. So good! Be sure to also visit Tienda de Reyes for souvenirs and Mexican art and crafts.

For good food one should visit University Heights and the Downtown area to explore the diverse food culture. One shouldn’t miss San Idli restaurant in Poway for authentic south Indian food and their iconic filter coffee.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would say ‘The Jungalow’ by Justina Blakeney. The growth I experienced after selling my art prints in their shop was phenomenal. I began to receive a lot of attention for my work. It has led to me collaborating with many wonderful brands like LUSH, Carolina K and Creative mornings. I guess I could say that it opened a lot of doors for me.

Website: https://maheswarijanarthanan.com

Instagram: @maheswarijanarthanan

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maheswarijanarthanan/

Image Credits
N/A