7 am: I am still sleeping. I usually work late hours and then sleep longer in the morning. 

8:30 am: Waking up and staying in bed for 15 minutes, checking my Instagram or just procrastinating.

9 am: It’s time for breakfast! I usually have some oatmeal from the farmer’s market with fruit or a croissant and a cup of warm coffee.

9:30 am: I begin my workday by answering emails and messages. After that, I plan the rest of my day out.

10 am: When I am done planning, I start doing my research for the next project or continue where I have left off the day before.

10:30 am: It is time for work! After the research is done I am moving onto making sketches for new illustrations.

11 am: Working on new illustrations.

11:30 am: Working on new illustrations.

Tell us about how you became the woman you are today. Where did you grow up? What moments in life have influenced your character most?

I use to live in three Serbian cities throughout my childhood and adolescence. I was born and raised in a small city of Novi Pazar in Serbia, attended High School of Arts in Nis and then moved to Belgrade where I graduated from University of Arts. I lived in Belgrade for nearly seven years prior to moving to Canada.

I believe that these exact moments and movements made a significant impact on my personality. Also, I was working in the film and theatre industry for some time during my studies and after graduation. I believe that this background influenced not only my character but my work as an illustrator in a great manner as well.

Tell us a little bit about what drew you to your medium. Did you choose to work with this medium or did it choose you?

I was always prone to experimenting with different drawing techniques. I liked trying different things and pushing myself to do more. At one point I started scanning and editing/coloring drawings digitally. The efficiency and possibilities of the digital media drew me to keep exploring it further. After I’ve bought my iPad I started drawing digitally from scratch. It made my work more precise and detailed. Although my work is primarily digital, I always keep a sketchbook and some pencils/markers on hand. That way I can draw down the ideas and details that inspire me right away.

A lot of women believe they need formal training in order to succeed as a Female Artist. What’s your take? Did you have formal education or are you self taught?

I believe that is the matter that depends mainly on one's personality. I know both artists with and without formal education and I must say - in the end, it all comes to determination and how hard do you work. While I do believe that formal education has certain benefits such as forming contacts, friendships, and working habits, I think that being a self-thought artist can give you a wider understanding of your own art practice - without having any boundaries that art training often sets. Either way, I strongly believe that you can succeed as an artist as long as you know your goals and work really hard to achieve them.

What is the message you're sending into the universe with your work? Why do you feel so strongly about this message?

Since the beginning of this year, I have been working on a series of illustrations about womanhood. Within that project, I explore the image of women and their bodies as well as my own personal response to the period of transition into a woman. I was triggered mainly by how my emotions changed and how different I was feeling about the simple everyday things. Then I noticed that these changes and confusion were present not only within myself but within my friends as well. That is why I decided to investigate and try to understand the matter through my work and show that these emotions and stages are completely normal and that we are not in it alone.

How do you stay motivated?

Motivation can be a tough one to hold onto especially during the periods when there is too little or too much work to do. Usually, bringing back fun into work is what keeps my motivation going. When I feel the lack of it I try to do creative things that will help me get back on track. I often turn to work on my personal projects and start using a different technique or change the subject of my work and try to experiment with new things. Sometimes, I would read an interesting book, go to a museum or an exhibition or simply talk to fellow artists. Connecting with other creatives and exploring new themes and techniques reminds me how much fun your job can be and keeps me highly motivated.

What is your biggest focus and/or goal in your career right now? What plans do you have for yourself 1,3,5 years from now?

I hope to keep exploring the emotional response to the transition into womanhood, its meaning, and perks. Along the way, I would like to experiment with different techniques and try to develop and upgrade my artistic style as well as figure out who I am as an artist and a professional. In the end, I hope I could communicate with the audience on a level where they would be able to relate to the themes and feel the emotions I am exploring through my work.

Big or small, what’s the single best money making tip or piece of advice you can share with up and coming artists?

Try to not underprice your work. I know that this one is hard. I myself am still learning about it and pricing still gives me anxiety. However, I think it is important to learn to value your time, ideas, skills, and price your work accordingly.

What specifically gives you the most anxiety when it comes to talking about money? Explain.

Pricing. Like I have said before, I am still learning to value my time and work. Pricing always makes me worried if I priced it too much or too little, what would that mean, if I would offend someone if the price is too high, etc. But as time goes by, I keep learning that my time and skills have a certain value and understanding that the job I choose is precisely that - a job and not a hobby.

Give us three of your favorite/ most inspiring things right now. It could be a book, a food, a destination, a song, a person, etc.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

Finish this sentence. I never leave home without my…

Umbrella, a sketchbook and my phone.

 To learn more about Rialda Dizdarevic please visit rialda.com