Published by Leonardo Calcagno
Who are you:
My name is Mari and I’m 23 years old. I got my Bachelor’s Degree in Advertising, and during the last semester of my studies, I started to learn calligraphy & typography. I remember when accidentally got on an open lecture of “High On Type”, calligraphists from Amsterdam.
I can say for sure that this was love at first sight 🙂 I was so impressed and interested in this kind of art, so by the end of the lecture I already knew that letters will become an indispensable part of my work.
Your current job:
Currently, I work as a freelancer with a concentration in calligraphy and graphic design.
In which city are you located?
I live in Yerevan, Armenia.
A word to define what kind of worker you are:
I’m very picky about work and it affects my life and even sometimes makes some difficulties. I truly love to focus my attention on small details, I continuously seek for inspiration from various sources, as some people might think I’m a perfectionist. Everything just has to be perfect, no matter time and energy that process would demand.
What tools are essential to your life (app, software, etc..)
Taking into consideration my specialization, the huge amount of work I do manually. I like working with materials, picking up the high-quality paper, trying to develop new techniques. My main tools are stacks of white paper and calligraphic pens, as well as a variety of brushes and markers.
What does your office space look like?
For a freelancer, every place can become a working space, the main thing is to create a creative atmosphere around yourself. Depending on the mood and weather, you can work both in cozy cafes, and in open-air parks. Such a frequent change of a venue can positively affect a creative process.
What kind of music do you listen when you are working?
Music is with me everywhere. Properly matched track invigorates better than a cup of strong coffee because the endless inspiration is derived from favorite sounds and voices. What about my favorite music, it fluctuates and depends on the project I work on, but I can list some of them: Moderat, Apparat, Woodkid, Imagine Dragons, Linkin Park, Royksoop, Coldplay, The Deenjes and much more.
Do you have a way to organize your day to maximize your work?
I try to write down all tasks and dates of deadlines. It’s important not lose that deadline list
What tips would you give to improve productivity?
First of all, you need to love your job and enjoy the process, devote as much time as possible to it, show diligence and patience, be self-critical, always find something new and try to develop your skills.
You’re better than your colleagues to:
It’s a difficult question to answer. Every person is an individual and his own strengths and weaknesses.
What is the best advice anyone has given you?
Do not dwell on past mistakes and always move forward. Try again, again and again till you reach the perfect result. In the period of creative crisis, this kind of motivation can help me a lot.
What is your best tip for saving time?
Time can’t be saved. All you can do is spend it for your good, not harming others.
What is your routine start and end of the day?
There are no rituals or specific rules. Every day is built spontaneously. The most important thing is that the day should bring something new and exciting that will help you think outside the box and go beyond. It is necessary to load your day with productive work, gigabytes of music and pleasant communication with close people.
Aside from your computer and your phone, what gadget can you not you go without?
Earphones and my notebook in which I write down all my ideas.
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