We have another great special guest interview ahead of Saturday’s JUNIOR.SENIOR event this time with Maja our junior speaker!
Can you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your business?
Hello! I am Maja Szotkiewicz, I am 22 and I have just finished my Illustration & Graphic Design degree at Ulster University (I specialised in Illustration).
I started my business, Majukooo, when I was 18, in lockdown with £60 to my name. At the start, my business was centered around illustrating plants and nature, and selling a range of stationery, jewellery and art prints. My social media pages focused on talking about plant care and not necessarily illustration.
This year, I realigned my brand purpose, as I felt like I was restricting myself with just illustrating plants (during my final year of illustration I started finding joy in illustrating fashion, buildings and furniture, and it felt frustrating not being able to share this side of my work for a while, while I was rebranding). Now, my brand purpose is to bring you joy from the little things, as I believe true happiness is found from every day, imperfect, moments. I have just introduced a new range of prints, bookmarks and made to order giclee archival quality prints in larger formats. I also take on client projects from businesses who also find joy from the little things (I have been working on a few new projects already and I cannot wait to talk about them soon!).
Maja Szotkiewicz
Why did you decide to start your own business?
In high school, I completed 2 work placements and volunteered at a care home for a year, but none of this felt right to me, I knew I wanted to pursue art (at this point, I did not know if this would be illustration, or a different specialism). When covid came around and I was 18 (final year of A-Levels) I decided to just go for it and start selling my art online.
Going to be 100% real – I did not get a single order for the first 3 months! My first order was someone who found my Instagram page and really loved my work, which really motivated me to keep going. Resilience and perseverance always pays off.
What do you love most about working for yourself?
I am a bit of an introverted-extrovert so I love the days I can sit and work on client projects all day or have a day of doing admin work in my sunroom, with my cat Lucy by my side! But at the same time, on other days I can head up to Belfast, see an art exhibition and meet up with my friends and still call it work! Working for yourself is so versatile, and I love being able to plan out my days / working hours myself.
What do you find most challenging about working for yourself?
I have found that working for yourself involves a lot of high highs and low lows, which all happen unexpectedly! Some weeks you can be shortlisted for an award but also have a massive wholesale order go missing – both involve intense feelings which are tricky to navigate!
Any advice for other women starting their own creative business?
Trust your gut!! If you have a good/ bad gut feeling about a situation, or a potential opportunity – trust yourself.
Be curious & ask questions all the time! Remember, nothing is a silly question, and acquiring new knowledge will get you further than you may think.
Have integrity, be honest with your customers and if something goes wrong, own up to your mistakes.
Where do you see yourself and your business in 5 years?
I can see myself having my own studio (lots of plants & massive windows), selling a wide range of products with my illustrations on them (I would love to have my products stocked in Oliver Bonas and Anthropologie), and working on exciting client projects for businesses who also find joy from the little things.
What do you enjoy outside your creative work?
I love going outside – on nature walks, to lovely cafes, to art exhibitions. I believe that to find inspiration, you have to step away from your phone!
I also love cooking and find it quite relaxing, and it is a great way to completely step away from work. My favourite meals to cook are thai green curry and harissa prawn with rice and chickpeas!
Where can people find you online?
Website- Bringing You Joy From The Little Things – Majukooo
Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/majukooo/?hl=en
Email- info@majukooo.co.uk