Meet Annie Nguyen | Freelance Illustration Artist

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

Hi Annie, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
My favorite quote is from Charlie Maclesy’s book called “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse”:

“What do you think success is?” asked the Boy – “To love,” said the Mole

This part of the book completely changed my perspective and redefined success for me. I have learned to let go of my insecurities and embrace my pace. Once I have a more evident mindset my works become less forcing. It’s important to stay grounded and acknowledge your blessings, as right now I’m thankful to be able to earn income from doing something I love.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I think it would be pretty arrogant to say I have something so unique that people would prefer my work over others, what I’m trying to say is, my work comes from the heart, everything I create whether, for a commission or personal, I give them great care and consideration. And, I believe all great artists I have known and admired share the same love and passion, and I believe as long that you still have that flame in your heart your work speaks louder than anything.

As an illustration artist, I’m grateful for the privilege of having private art commissions as part of my full-time job. My clients reached out to me for customized semi-real portraits. My most proud work is still in the making, which is my online art shop. Bringing back many people’s childhood I created paper doll sets, and sticker collections featuring iconic characters in the 80s-90s. There will also be collectible adult cat sticker sets, print art and wedding invitation templates, and fabric print on demand.

I’ve always believed having a strong supporting system is a huge privilege, especially emotional support. My biggest obstacle was the lack of my parent’s approval. Like many other artists, I struggle a lot with building my confidence and finding my own voice in art. It took me a while, but now I can finally say (and really mean it) that I’m proud of the progress that I’ve made, that looking back, I appreciate more the little milestones that pushed me forward as an artist and business owner. My biggest achievement recently is getting feedback that said “You have a variety of styles, but still I just look at the artwork and I know that it was created by annie1studio.”

The lesson that I’ve learned is: Give yourself a little more credit, even if you’re the last person on the planet who can offer it to yourself, a little spark goes a long way. One day before you even realize it, you’ve already become the blazing fire that burns so fiercely.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would take that friend to try the coffee and pastries at In-sit Coffee for breakfast. I’m an introvert and prefer quiet spaces with a bonus of books and visually pleasing interior design, so for hanging out The Huntington Library- Art Museum- Botanical Garden would be my first pick. I enjoy the artistic vibes of the CAMP and the LAB Anti-mall in Costa Mesa, they feature anything from coffee shops, restaurants, bars, concept stores, spiritual tools shops, etc.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to give this shoutout to @mydcalbae owned by Megan Li Wang and Renée Banks. I’m following Megan’s TikTok account and she’s such a talented, hard-working, consistent artist and content creator. Her stickers are funny and vibrant and she’s always generous with her drawing tips. I enjoy watching her “small business haul” posts where she would support other small businesses by purchasing their products and giving them shoutouts in her unpacking video. Whenever I come across her posts I feel more motivated and inspired.

My honorable mention would be Charlisey’s Crochet Closet, if I had more budget I would buy all of her plushies, they are all so adorable and colorful, my favorite from all her works is Amora The Hug Me Fairy Axolotl!

Website: https://annie1studio.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annie1.art/

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@a1111ie