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

Hi Imma, how do you think about risk?
As an immigrant, I have a natural aversion to taking financial risks. It’s funny, because the act of immigration, in and of itself, is a major risk. Having lived through the hardship of starting over from scratch in a new country, I found it difficult to put personal creative goals ahead of my family’s security. My solution was to gear up and go into full work horse mode – have a full time design job while simultaneously working to grow my personal freelance career. It’s not for everyone (and I got lucky in landing a full time position still relevant to my field), but it’s an option for those who need it. After two years for working two, three jobs at a time, I’ve finally made the leap. Yes, it’s still a risk, but not at the expense of anyone else’s security. Perhaps this is not the message everyone wants to hear (“Take the risk! It will pay off! Plunge yourself into the unknown!”) but for those of us living with heavy hearts in their creative quest, my advice is work like a maniac on your parachute, and take the leap once you know its seams are tight as hell. 

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I grew up in Moscow and practiced visual art since age 2 – my entire life. Drawing, painting, playing piano, and making things out of clay was the start. After immigrating to the U.S. I got into film and photography. I then studied industrial design and furniture making in college and only after graduation discovered my love for animation. For the last 8 years I’ve been experimenting with the medium and have found it to be an incredibly powerful tool. Having delved into so many varying creative fields has made me into the well rounded designer I am today.

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?
A Covid conscious outing is a bike ride on the LA river – grab a pair of binoculars and go bird watching – great blue herons! black necked stilts! Concrete river walls overflowing with wild green marsh make for an exceptionally striking and beautiful sight.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Please check out Dogknitsweater – they’re an independent studio specializing in illustration, murals, and graphic design.

Website: https://radcomrad.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/radcomrad/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/imma-almourzaeva-97a241169/

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.