B ased in Stockholm, Malin Gyllensvaan has been developing her lush, ethereal style since she was a child. Inspired by vintage botanical studies, her illustrations are a homage to the natural world, rendered in pencil and gouache.

Over the years, her creations have adorned everything from stationery, puzzles, packaging, textiles for both home and fashion, as well as illustrations for books.

Her clients include: IKEA, Eeboo, Anthropologie, Bespoke press, Design House Greetings, Holt Renfrew, H&M, Åhléns, Cappelen Damm and Berghs förlag to name a few.

In this podcast, you will get to know about
• The difficulties Malin encountered in her journey to become an artist.
• Her experience of visiting London for the first time
• How she copes with the thoughts that cause her to feel down
• Her methods, procedures, and collaborations in the art world
• How did she get her start designing for prestigious companies?

Follow Malin: 

http://www.malingyllensvaan.com/

Charuka Arora, Founder of Arts To Hearts Project

www.charukaarora.com

Arts To Hearts Project

https://artstoheartsproject.com/

www.instagram.com/artstoheartsproject/

AUTOMATED TRANSCIPTS

00:00.00
charukaarora
I forgot how to pronounce your name Malin  charruka charruka charruka Molin right my hello molin welcome to the vo cast.

00:03.70
Malin
It’s Malin Malin and your so ah yeah, and you sharuka Sharuka Sha Charruka yeah malin yeah hello thank you for having me.

00:39.88
charukaarora
Thank you so much she spoken quite a bit before this so we had to hold on to our conversation because I wanted to make sure that we record. Firstly thank you so much I have always always admired your work I told you this before. Also you are this I don’t know how I would describe you. Um, anyone who’s listening to thiseptor so it is like you know this this work. There’s this bird with blue um goshe pain. So it’s a watercolor painting or a wash painting with the patterns or floral patterns inside I think it’s one of the most iconic works I’ve seen on Instagram i’ve. I don’t know how many pinterest boats I have pinmed that on so I know a lot of other people would also recognize that so we have the Molin the artist the mind the heart and soul behind that and many much more like creative projects so mall and I would just. Starting and we were just talking about our journeys and before we get into this episode Malin we we we were just speaking about our experiences about like how I grew up in India versus yours. So let’s start there. Let’s talk about how what’s.

02:41.61
Malin
So.

03:11.64
charukaarora
Who you are ready to grow up how how have you come here? What’s your story and.

03:13.93
Malin
Yes, I’ll try to remember since it’s quite a long time ago. But um I’ll see what I can do and no but I’m grown I’ve grown up in the countryside in Sweden and I’m born 9 to 75 so you have to like think this is rural. You know.

03:41.66
charukaarora
Um, Wow Oh my god.

03:51.61
Malin
Um, just in the middle of the forest and I was on my own until I was six years old when my brother came so I spent a lot of time just in nature trying to entertain myself since there were no you know ipads anything like that. So.

04:22.74
charukaarora
Yes, absolutely.

04:28.50
Malin
And of course I had animals and I had it I had horses and these kinds of things but I spent a lot of time in nature and at our rabbits as well and cats and dogs and things like this and and and I think I just I sort of got by by making up my imaginary worlds and it’s because you just you.

04:37.12
charukaarora
Um, job it. Yes I get.

05:07.43
Malin
Just have to do that You know out of boredom somehow so I would just make up these stories about little sort of gnomes and things living in the forest.

05:12.98
charukaarora
Yeah.

05:26.20
charukaarora
But would you like you would do those stories were like something that you would could cook up in your mind and tell to yourself. Ah, but you also visually like painting or drawing at that point. Okay.

05:43.19
Malin
No I actually didn’t I would just keep them in my head and come back to the same stories every day I would just sort of leave it and come back in and and see what had happened you know and just continued so I did that but I I did start drawing at a very early age and.

06:15.84
charukaarora
Throughout.

06:22.97
Malin
That was also I think because there was not much to do so you have to come up with something and I I think from from maybe the age of None or None I decided that this is what I wanted to do like I wanted to be drawing. But I didn’t know I didn’t know how to get there I didn’t know is exactly what you said? How do you get a job like that I mean no one in my family we do. We do have an artist. My dad’s cousin. He’s an artist so I kind of knew that someone was an artist but but still there was like.

07:11.60
charukaarora
Um, yeah.

07:24.40
charukaarora
Yes, new but did you like but did you have like that image because I know like I said why I was growing up. There was this there was this notion that floated around that.

07:37.97
Malin
How do you do that? so.

08:03.30
charukaarora
You know you the starving artist notion one like if you’re an even if you’re an artist. So Even if you’re good at what you do, You are probably starving or you’re not making enough money and as a society that’s not a good sign. That’s not a good thing to go. That’s not a. That’s not a good example, you want to show to your childrenin or the other thing is um is like you know it was okay if you weren’t good enough to either be a doctor engineer or anything that remotely had logic and like you know like a reputed so you know you don’t have any other choice but you be like something like they did feel like that.

09:01.19
Malin
I.

09:15.11
Malin
Actually I that bit I don’t yeah yeah that that I don’t recognize in my time and the culture because I mean it was definitely something that you didn’t want to start art while going to high school because.

09:18.26
charukaarora
And you work there. Let’s see how much time has changed. Oh well.

09:54.80
charukaarora
Um.

09:53.31
Malin
Only looses did that you know like you only did that if you didn’t have the grades but then after that because getting into art school is quite difficult I went to London actually and did my degree there but because it’s quite difficult to get into art school and or design school in general that was like.

10:08.56
charukaarora
Um, yeah.

10:20.70
charukaarora
Yeah.

10:27.89
Malin
When I had reached a certain level that was just then it was something that was admired I think I felt but of course that was really poor but people I felt like I could get away with being poor because I had this sort of creative.

10:38.88
charukaarora
Um, you know? yeah.

10:55.38
charukaarora
Um.

11:00.33
Malin
Ah, journey that I was on and people forgave me for it. You know and everyone was poor Anyway, at that time but um, and but I think there was there was no pressure on me or from my family that I would get a certain um have a certain occupation or anything. So.

11:06.46
charukaarora
Um, yeah.

11:36.59
Malin
No one really encouraged me to become a creative but no one discouraged me either if you know what I mean like they just let me get on with it. She’ll sort it out. You know? So um, yeah, you know good luck to you.

11:45.42
charukaarora
Is we? Yeah yeah, do whatever you can.

12:09.32
charukaarora
But also growing up like like growing up in a suburban area and you know on the rural side. Um, did it feel like a challenge and even not like even not in today’s time I think with access to the internet social media a lot has changed a lot a lot.

12:10.87
Malin
No, but it was.

12:42.75
Malin
So much. No no, no nothing. Yeah and this a.

12:48.00
charukaarora
But at that point you didn’t even know what existed in. Let’s say what’s happening in London or you know you didn’t know that even if you go down this path. So how did you even take that leave like thinking of becoming an autism then going then when especially when you know it’s like. You don’t even have enough money so you put all your eggs in None basket and like you know let’s do this.

13:28.21
Malin
Yeah, no, but it was really like it was a really I Just knew it in myself that this is ah this is what I have to do but I was really really really scared all the time that I wouldn’t be able to make it you know so.

13:56.46
charukaarora
Well.

13:59.17
Malin
What happened what I did was that I went to the library I checked up you know I started going going to like watercolor classes with middle-aged women because there was nothing else. You know imagine if you’d have like skillshare or something like that it would be like such a such Paradise but.

14:21.24
charukaarora
Yeah, so got seriously.

14:33.63
Malin
So I did that and um, then I went on a language you know like a language course or whatever you call it when I was 15 for a month to bourmouth in ah south of England and we went on a.

15:01.68
charukaarora
Okay.

15:06.99
Malin
Like we passed with a bus and we went. We jumped up in and stayed like one night in Paris and then we went to London and like the first time I came to London I was like my mind was blown I was like why did not anyone tell me about this. Why did this exist and no one told me.

15:26.90
charukaarora
Watch the flow tell me about this all guy.

15:45.11
Malin
And I remember walking into the top shop at the pick you know at their Oxford sex like the really big one there that was massive in the 90 s and I loved it. So I think from there you know, like then I started to realize okay. There is a different world and I can I can be part of it if I want and and so um, so yeah I started like that then I decided I just took classes and I went to London to work for a little bit.

16:32.56
charukaarora
Um, yeah.

16:59.84
charukaarora
Um, yeah.

17:00.59
Malin
Like half a year to do work in a hotel when I was about 19 and then I heard about centraltic martins from the pulp. Oh do you know that do you know that pulp do no pulp. There’s it. What.

17:14.14
charukaarora
Yes, you sorry from Central Se martins. Um, yeah, yeah, yeah.

17:33.85
Malin
And they had the song that they said that March has mentioned and that is for real how I found out about that school.

17:44.12
charukaarora
Oh Wow Oh my goodness. But ah I’m um I do I can’t even imagine I feel like what what year was that.

17:51.35
Malin
So yeah.

18:05.41
Malin
That must be 9095 I think yeah.

18:14.86
charukaarora
Um, so it it doesn’t sound I don’t I’m sure it it. It wasn’t as easy as as it sounds right now because um I think even today to take the leap of um of investing.

18:33.55
Malin
Um.

18:51.48
charukaarora
Like a lot of people feel like art schools are expensive and they’re not even like a joke like like the hell expensive. It’s like oh my God see look at you. Yeah I mean people pay their debts all their lives and like and I think it’s so scary because a lot of people don’t even end up doing.

18:57.33
Malin
I Still I’m still paying off mine. I.

19:29.70
charukaarora
Um, why they went in the None place and it’s a very scary thought.

19:27.43
Malin
Yeah, yeah, exactly it is a scary thought and I think you have to be I think like with everything you know you have to be certain that That’s what you want to be doing. Of course you can change your mind but like. You don’t want to go to art school and not take it seriously. For example, you know like some people I I was I think because I had traveled I’d been out traveling for about 2 years before I went to art School. So I think I was 22 when I started.

20:10.82
charukaarora
Um, yeah I.

20:39.10
Malin
So that was in england a mature student and I was like you kidding me I’m 22 you know like people started when they were 18 and nineteen and I was just like that’s not you know that’s not you don’t really know what you want to be doing. You might not so I I was since I was so mature i.

20:55.40
charukaarora
Um, oh God you won doing? Yeah yeah.

21:18.49
Malin
I really I really put in all my efforts in my study you know I knew it costed money and I knew that I loved being in London and it was really hard I mean I worked as a waitress and all different kinds of jobs to just get through even though i. We have a good system in Sweden where we can loan money for education and we don’t pay so much interest on the actual loans. So that’s why I still have you know it’s a good system and um and.

22:00.30
charukaarora
Um, okay, over yeah, that’s so nice to you.

22:19.15
Malin
Yeah, but still the money was not enough because it’s an expensive education isn’t it just like because I did textiles and just like fashion Also isn’t expensive. You have to buy a lot of material.

22:25.38
charukaarora
Yeah, yeah, it’s not only I think it’s not only expensive in the sense of just the fee but also like not that creativity comes at the cost like but also it does like. I remember when I went to mila and especially I think it makes a lot of difference when so I had both the experience. So I studied fashion while I was in India and then I did a small course and I went for a couple of months to milan and with within India even I was I was on ah always on a tight budget. Even then I think just being familiar with spaces always knowing how to find alternatives and stuff like that. It was easier but when I went to milan and I I felt like I was I didn’t know space is I didn’t know where to go I didn’t know where to find like I knew where to find dump in India.

23:41.41
Malin
Well.

24:05.77
Malin
Yeah.

24:10.90
charukaarora
And I had the confidence like even with fashion you know I would Wendy would have these like shows and stuff we had to make so people would go to these these fancy shops where these they would have like these expensive fabrics. Best of the fabrics that are that can be available available and I knew I couldn’t buy them but I of of course wanted to do good. So um I knew spots where people would discard the extra fabrics of those expensive fabrics and that’s where I would go and I um I would source my fabrics from there. So you know it I think it makes a lot of difference and I’m back then I went to milan I didn’t have enough money and of course it was.

24:47.33
Malin
Um.

25:00.70
Malin
Ah.

25:27.14
charukaarora
In itself. A huge cost and I felt very I think under overwhelm with the thought that I couldn’t find things that you do that gives you access to make good work.

25:43.79
Malin
Yeah course of course and and and that’s what you always struggle with that I think and it’s like I think and it I just have to say imagine the people coming from milan going to India doing the same as you did.

26:15.20
charukaarora
Um, yeah, yeah, that’s true.

26:19.70
Malin
They wouldn’t have had a chance but no, no I agree. It’s like it’s It’s really expensive um classes to take I mean you have to it’s it’s.

26:39.96
charukaarora
Um, yeah.

26:47.15
Malin
Different I think people don’t take that into consideration. Always it’s like you can buy books are expensive as well. But you can buy them secondhand or you can borrow them at the library but this is this is different. You have to keep on top of things when it’s you don’t have to.

27:02.30
charukaarora
Yeah, um.

27:18.39
Malin
Have the best materials but you have to have a lot of it.

27:23.74
charukaarora
Yeah, and also I think opening up your mind. Um I think um, just knowing that you I think there is always this guilt or this voice on the side that oh if I had this then probably I would have made that I think just having the option. And then not choosing is entirely like another thing but with Milan I felt like there was I felt so restricted because I didn’t know spaces I was not familiar with environments and of course I didn’t have the money so I was short in all else. So I think these things definitely do make a difference.

28:23.39
Malin
Yeah, yeah for sure.

28:36.40
charukaarora
You tell me something when you went to London you went to central saint martins such as of course one of the best um schools how was your jury from there and how did how it going to an art school. Okay.

28:53.90
Malin
I did my I did my foundation yeah I did my foundation course there but then I actually I say that I choose because I actually I got into do a b a at St Martin’s as well. But I went to Chelsea which is part of the London institute so I did my care. My.

29:11.20
charukaarora
Okay.

29:22.50
charukaarora
Um, yes, yeah.

29:32.75
Malin
Bachelor there because they were a little bit more you have to like think Centrallip martyrs in the 90 s were very famous for their fashion right? and it was really fashion and graphics were the biggest ones then and and it was really bold. Everything was just bold and big strokes and just like. Big and I’ve been as you can see at my work I was still already. You know being a drawer so that it wasn’t I Yeah so so it wasn’t really I didn’t like I Really loved my foundation class classes and we experienced with different you know.

30:20.34
charukaarora
Yeah I I can relate to that.

30:49.30
Malin
I Had to choose that’s when I chose um Textiles Yeah and a address textiles because I did like ceramics and graphics and cinography and all different kinds of stuff but I sort of at Center same art.

30:58.36
charukaarora
Chasea. Okay.

31:10.84
charukaarora
So you your course what ports were you in in the beginning was it like a generalized course. Okay.

31:24.59
Malin
The foundation was like a general design course so we did loads of different things and um or I chose I think there was like None 4 or 5 disciplines and then I decided that I wanted to do textiles and Chelsea really had a reputation for being really fond of drawing and being sort of. Focusing on the craft and I’ve I’ve always seen myself as a craft space person. You know I think that’s a really beautiful thing to be like craft is something that I really value. So for me I’m not a conceptual artist. You know I like like I’m not a conceptual person I can of course have ideas of.

32:14.46
charukaarora
Um, yeah, yeah, yeah.

32:40.23
Malin
Along those lines but I don’t is that it doesn’t really interest me as much so because I’m really focused on the actual process. So Chelsea really was a really good fit for me because of that. Yeah I 3 years

32:54.94
charukaarora
Um, yeah, okay so um, how many years did you spend in Chelsea 3 years

33:20.70
Malin
So 1 year in St Martin’s and 3 years at Chelsea. Yeah, yeah, it was good I really loved going to college. It was fun.

33:29.00
charukaarora
Then what? Ah so nice to you So but was it like a particularly odds um, course.

33:48.27
Malin
It was um, you mean if it was free if it was quite free or.

33:58.78
charukaarora
No, no, No I think I’m just trying to understand because I feel like your your work is a very beautiful blend of art design Elas Illustrat I think like it fits I’m trying to understand how did like. You are technically very sound your your work is very fine and I think I personally have a I have data static myself and I Absolutely Love. Um I Just love that style and I love the Intricacy I think you can get lost in that forever.

34:54.90
Malin
And it’s it’s yeah and I I I totally know what you mean because the thing is I did not out my work was not like that when I was at Chelsea it was much it was much more ah, not as decorative.

35:18.58
charukaarora
Yes.

35:32.19
Malin
But then of course because I then went into the working environment and I worked as a textile designer for 12 years as an employed textile designer for for like quite a few different companies. So I am I see myself as a a decorative.

35:49.28
charukaarora
Wow.

36:11.14
charukaarora
Yeah, yeah, takes it. It’s not yes, absolutely makes sense. Yes, then that’s very and so interesting.

36:12.85
Malin
Illustrator or a um, illustrative textile designer if you know what I mean? Yeah, so it’s I I am at the root I am a textile designer I think it’s it’s That’s why my work is is decorative.

36:48.22
charukaarora
Tell me something I think I have figured like I I’m going to ask you questions for myself Alnna I think this is something um when I came I didn’t come from an art school I came from a design school so I was trained as a designer I always looked at things for me is startingtic even till today like um.

36:55.75
Malin
Yes, None

37:26.62
charukaarora
Is the huge part I like to make beautiful things I like to like you know like you said it’s it’s an important part for me but when I was trying to find myself as an artist. Um I constantly felt the pressure of um if I wanted to be an artist like. Today I think the word is way wider way different. Um, the the lines are so blued but and also I think we’re all, we’re all fighting for that and we will link that. Um, but at that point I think a lot of us get confused because people feel like um.

38:17.35
Malin
Button.

38:36.58
charukaarora
Ah, should I be a fine artist or we Okay, we know this is the skill I have you knew this is you were good at something but then how did you figure out that um that you you would you? you want to be an elasitor you want to go into the try not or like. Ah, both or like stuff.

39:10.63
Malin
But you know I think I have exactly the same thoughts now they sort of never go away because I when I yeah it’s it’s it’s I think you just have to befriend it. You know you have to just realize that it’s.

39:28.98
charukaarora
Really.

39:45.39
Malin
Exactly what you said there. The times has really changed because when I did textile design you were a textile designer. You were not an illustrator. You were not an artist and that’s it You know like you’re a designer of course. But.

39:51.56
charukaarora
Um, yeah.

40:02.70
charukaarora
Artist Oh my God Oh God Ah this hurts I can’t even tell you you know when I moved from design to art where I used to work with a couple of artists nip. They would never call me an artist. Never.

40:36.90
Malin
Yeah, yeah.

40:41.80
charukaarora
They they would always because for me I because for them I came from a design background and because I was a fashion designer. Um I wasn’t an artist and honestly it felt very bad to me because for me I wanted to break out of that box because as a designer I was always trying to.

40:48.69
Malin
Yeah, yeah.

41:15.94
charukaarora
Solve a problem like you know you have to be practical and like you know, um, like and I didn’t want to be that I mean of course I Love what I do even then and I love my identity as a designer but I also wanted to be more than that and I felt.

41:16.17
Malin
Yeah.

41:45.14
charukaarora
Very confused when people would say oh you’re not in artist. You’re you’re a designer or you you’re in lustito this work is not painting This is illustration or this is you know stuff like the hat and I felt very confused.

41:48.83
Malin
And.

42:03.89
Malin
And I think that is so normal of you to feel confused with that because it is still not. You know people people love to put other people in boxes as well. You can never forget that That’s like it’s very confusing for some people but you have to remember like I have the same.

42:28.26
charukaarora
Yes.

42:42.81
Malin
I I mean I’m obviously now my new goal after I haven’t I been freelancing for nine years and not being employed at all and my goal then was to like I Only want people to only want to do collaborations where they actually want my style truly want my style.

42:58.62
charukaarora
Yeah, like.

43:23.70
charukaarora
Something. Yeah, yes, that yes.

43:21.90
Malin
And not want me to do something else. You know so that was like None step and then to be to be able to do only exactly what you want that’s like another you know you I think you have to like divide yourself a little bit into and not constrain yourself and think that. Um, if you think you’re an artist you are an artist. You know you have it’s like with with a lot of other things like you have to really just keep it out. Keep the.

44:07.10
charukaarora
Yeah, yeah, yeah, but you know that’s not what? um, that’s not what we’re always surrounded with I feel like um when you don’t come from not School. Um. Or if you’re not sick like if you’re if you’re not in one of the top cities or the creative cities. Although you know art cities or if you don’t know not well I think um, it’s It’s really really hard to find yourself through that box and I think a lot of I think.

45:05.67
Malin
Yeah.

45:19.52
charukaarora
Very longtime artists. Especially I think and also women artists have been put into a box like okay this is this is your plates. This is ah you need to pay this is like even like if if if you see have all risk set this like I was in a fashion school. We were 80 people one boy similarly art schools like.

45:49.17
Malin
1 yeah.

45:59.40
charukaarora
Women are always more than men and when you go on the top have very few women. Um that that also changes like I think constantly when you keep moving forward. There’s so many things that make you feel oh this is not your place you you know you you really have to push so hard to move forward.

46:23.25
Malin
Wow. I think I I mean I agree with everything that you’re saying and I have all these experiences myself as well and I think regarding the men and the women thing as well is like if you when I went to school the graphic designers. There were lots of men right for text.

47:07.12
charukaarora
Um, okay now women.

47:11.30
Malin
Because there were lots of women who earns the most might who who earns the most money so than when they have jobs. It’s yeah, it’s like that and of yeah anyway, so I just think my solution to those thoughts has just been that I.

47:22.34
charukaarora
Um, of course the men. Yeah.

47:50.55
Malin
Just you know I Just keep my head down and do what I want to be doing and not concern myself too much. Yeah, and it just you know you might you get these feelings that I shouldn’t do that I should do that but just get your head down and do the work that you want to do and then see afterwards.

47:54.90
charukaarora
Um, yeah I Love that advice.

48:30.26
charukaarora
What happens? Yes I yeah I think I think that’s that’s that’s such a practical and good advice because I think even if I look back today. A lot of projects I did in in the past I felt cold but I didn’t know how it would fit but I did it.

48:29.79
Malin
Where it fits in. You know.

49:04.10
charukaarora
And today I think when you look back and you oh this makes sense like oh yeah, this and I think with time to the definition and the idea of being an artist has evolved so much and it feels even more liberating. So I think that’s also been a relief for a lot of us.

49:07.65
Malin
Yeah.

49:33.65
Malin
Yeah I think so and I I think it will be even more like that I mean it’s just it’s just all the disciplines are just intertwining now in in a way that I Mean. It’s really changed for these 20 years that I’ve been working. It’s like it’s so something completely different and also of course social media makes it more democratic because you don’t have these gatekeepers saying you know you can’t get in here or whatever. So at the same time. It comes with a lot of responsibility because you are.

50:17.62
charukaarora
Um, yeah.

50:32.00
charukaarora
And the willet. Yeah, right at.

50:36.59
Malin
You You are yourself responsible for being out there all the time which is really hard I mean I see myself as that as an Introvert I like an a social Introvert you know like but I don’t like to sell stuff like I think that’s awful. But.

51:03.60
charukaarora
Yeah, oh God That’s so many of us so many of us like I can I can definitely? yes.

51:14.15
Malin
Yeah, it’s horrible and I mean I have an agent that does part of it but but it’s it’s also putting all your putting all that kind of stuff with an agent is also risky. You know, putting all eggs in 1 basket is risky so you have to try to.

51:42.58
charukaarora
Is yes.

51:56.00
charukaarora
Yes I think okay, that’s such a great one. Let’s also talk about Let’s also talk in this direction. Firstly how how let’s firstly I want to just share shed light on the idea of what’s possible I Also said this in the beginning of the call like.

51:53.50
Malin
But yourself a little bit. So.

52:34.20
charukaarora
Can you talk a little bit about how how your practices expanded the kind of projects that you do like as an artist. What I know you’ve done books I Know you do textile you’ve done so many collaborations with Anthropoology Ikea. Ah.

52:45.17
Malin
And.

53:11.92
charukaarora
I mean I know I have a long list of that So I’m not you you talk about it then I should talk about it.

53:20.71
Malin
Ah, yeah I mean and after resigning after been working with fashion and clothes for 12 years because that was my business also so I know this not that like obviously based based in there.

53:40.62
charukaarora
Um, yes.

53:53.91
Malin
In London and in ah, anterp in Belgium and some in Sweden as well and I worked for h and m um and you know as people do when you live in Stockholm because it’s here at the headquarters and they just swallow you swallow lots lots of people. So I’ve been there and that was of course a.

54:11.56
charukaarora
Has yeah.

54:26.39
Malin
Ah, very good school to go to as well because because I didn’t go to art school in Sweden it was really good to work for 8 and m because then I got to know quite a lot of people working this I got like good contacts that either stay there or moved on to other ventures so that was.

54:40.40
charukaarora
Um, yeah, um, right.

54:58.89
Malin
That was a good call to to be there. But how I ended up here and doing this is like it’s been long. It just feels like so long so long and hard work. But I am.

55:21.62
charukaarora
I.

55:36.47
Malin
Now I you’re more interested in what I’m doing now and I I work a lot with the American Market with the American Market with my agent. Yeah, it’s like um, yeah, exactly and I started. Ah.

55:43.32
charukaarora
But you can go yeah, you can go wherever you want? Yeah, you are. You’re represented with by Jennifer Nelson

56:12.30
Malin
With her maybe about None and she found me on Instagram and I was like you know I didn’t know who she was I didn’t know how it worked we have agents I had no clue so we know we have agents in Sweden but they are more like agents.

56:27.98
charukaarora
Um, and she’s one of the most top agents and I mean Jennifer um.

56:48.75
Malin
Towards illustrators that work with big like advertising campaigns and things like this so they’re not so like I did I felt like I didn’t fit in there at all. So she found me and I was so suspicious I’m like but who are you ah she was.

56:55.90
charukaarora
Yeah, um.

57:12.86
charukaarora
Um, what’s happening.

57:24.50
Malin
So she’s so good and like really difficult you know, ah like friendly and the way she put it and the way she explained to me how it worked and everything and then I had the opportunity to because she was going to Lake Como in italy with some of the illustrators for an art retreat. So so she invited me so that was really good because I could meet her in person and spend a few days with her and that that it just felt like really natural thing to do to sign with her and um, it’s really It’s really lovely to have someone to like bounce ideas off and ask for advice and I would.

58:08.18
charukaarora
Um, yeah.

58:20.52
charukaarora
Um, ah wow.

58:39.47
Malin
Not be working I think with the American market if I didn’t have her because the contracts I don’t understand they are so long and weird and also and I have a license gallery with her so and we don’t do license really andween either people buy you do commissions mostly.

58:51.80
charukaarora
And enter.

59:12.66
charukaarora
Um, oh oh.

59:17.87
Malin
So I have a license gallery with her which is kind of something I didn’t have before so that’s that’s that was quite interesting.

59:27.18
charukaarora
Yeah, that’s also um versification of your income stream because licensing gives you an option of expanding your income versus writing off just one time and sometimes it’s It’s even hard to do that I think.

59:57.23
Malin
Yeah, it’s like I really I mean it’s a it’s quite enjoyable because it’s like of course some images you can sell 5 times you know and and quite a few images you never sell but it’s like you can do you can do these things in between projects and you can.

01:00:02.22
charukaarora
Um, yeah.

01:00:16.66
charukaarora
Um, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yes.

01:00:36.65
Malin
Can see them as your own personal work and you can get them out of your system and then put them in there. So I quite like that actually.

01:00:48.70
charukaarora
So with Jennifer um, you create a body of work on your own and then you share it with your agent and that’s like that’s how it works if I got it right.

01:01:07.11
Malin
Yeah, yeah, and then she’s got a um gallery for each and every artist and we have we. It’s quite complicated system when it’s done. It’s done but like you have all these code words for every image and you know we set them up a certain way and so. If people are looking for Mermaids with pink hair. They can write that in and then it sort of comes up and it works really well for well organized which I would if I did it myself. It would just be take too much out of my.

01:01:52.40
charukaarora
Um, yeah mind. Amazing. Yeah yeah, I do’t finding great like.

01:02:20.49
Malin
Anything time you know.

01:02:31.68
charukaarora
Um, align collaborators is also one of the very important points necessities. Also I feel like today as an artist because we we can’t do it all alone? Um, even if we did it would take away so much of a time of why we’re doing it.

01:02:48.85
Malin
The.

01:03:09.84
charukaarora
And if we find the right people I think it makes a lot of difference in attorneys.

01:03:14.85
Malin
Yeah I think you have to be really and I I try to be more proactive in my working life than I What that I have been before. It’s like. In the beginning I think I was just like oh thank you, Thank you, You want to work with me. That’s great I’ll just take anything you know, like most people and you just try you just work and work and you you don’t know where when it stops you know and suddenly it stops and you get really nervous. But now I like I try to plan my work I know a little bit.

01:03:52.76
charukaarora
Um, yeah, um, yeah.

01:04:15.66
charukaarora
Yes.

01:04:25.19
Malin
In what direction I want to be doing I say no to things I mean I know this but the privilege to be able to do that and I definitely have dry spells where I get nervous still when it’s like quiet that I think that will never disappear. But I if I really feel like this is not for me and.

01:04:30.80
charukaarora
Yeah.

01:04:45.60
charukaarora
Um, yeah, yeah.

01:04:58.67
Malin
I Don’t want to be working with you I say no and that’s really liberating because I’ve done so many mistakes.

01:05:04.42
charukaarora
Um, yeah I Think yes, um I think we are. That’s so right because I think that I see this as a common pattern over all our interviews I feel like we all start and we feel like like. If someone is consuming our work paying for our work or just being appreciative. We feel like it’s a we feel so grateful and indebted. Oh My God This is a favor that they’ve done like and and that’s so strange because if you would ask like an accountant when.

01:05:57.59
Malin
Yeah, yeah, yes. So.

01:06:20.72
charukaarora
When when they got hired or like an engineer for I Don’t think they would have all could have had the same pattern as artists do like and it takes a lot of unlearning for or you know to understand that.

01:06:34.77
Malin
So I do.

01:06:52.84
charukaarora
As much as they need. We need them. They need us.

01:06:54.15
Malin
Yeah, and I think that’s why and and I really encourage people you know that have not been doing this for long or they want to get into this or or you know, develop their career or something that you have to take you have to charge money because.

01:07:29.48
charukaarora
Um, yeah.

01:07:34.13
Malin
It’s the only way we can make it a legit you know career because if you give things away for free. It’s bad for everyone else as well. I mean you have to start at lower lower level. Of course I mean when you’re just starting out but try not to never do things for free and.

01:07:38.98
charukaarora
Um, we have this? yeah 3 yeah.

01:08:10.51
Malin
Don’t buy into things when they say you’re going to get exposure.

01:08:21.20
charukaarora
Okay, tell me something How was yours journey of um, go go ahead. Go ahead, Go ahead say what you were? Yeah yeah.

01:08:22.31
Malin
If we don’t see it if it’s not if it sorry now if it’s not for a good course if it’s I Just have to say that if it’s a good course or something Of course you know the competitions where they don’t want to pay you and they want to ah you know ah makes me so.

01:08:59.77
charukaarora
Yeah, that’s true and I think um, it’s I think it’s a balance but I think I see for me I think I see 2 different patterns. Especially now as we work with emerging artist and i.

01:08:59.45
Malin
Matt stay away from people that evaluate you.

01:09:32.88
charukaarora
Speak totemporary artists and being an artist myself I think when and I think this is a great perspective for me because I didn’t come from an art school. So I think it has its own sets of advantage I when I do as an artist like as a designer of business or anything I always knew that if I needed to move forward.

01:09:59.41
Malin
I.

01:10:07.60
charukaarora
In life I didn’t need someone to come and choose me I had to invest in my in myself in my work in my and whatever way that meant if I had to learn a skill I have to invest that money and you know do that. Or if I need to move forward in business I need to take or if I need let’s say a media or a press or like you know stuff like that. We all like how businesses work and on the contrary I also knew on the card like I’m I’m trying to show the contrast where um, i. Seen a lot of artists. Um, if being exploited where they’ve been paid in exposure and it’s it’s really not an exposure but but I also seeing the flip side where a lot of artists feel that things are only going to come to them and they’re not willingly. Um. Investing in their own careers be financially or with their time or whatever way we can all do I think the idea of just um, just making art and then happening things I feel like it’s it’s still something that we need to challenge that we need to rethink as artists and um. If you I think we all like even if before even having your agent. Let’s say you before the library that you you today have with how keep continentally building you know building like let’s say you invest in your work. You build? Let’s say a none designs of 50 or whatever that number is without knowing where those would go and even if that would. Go anywhere or not.

01:13:08.89
Malin
Yeah, yeah, yeah that you have to keep I mean that’s the thing is like you always have to keep you always have to keep working. That’s the stress about this as well and of course I’m a designer just like you like you know because. And also being ah employed for so many years in different companies gives you a sense of commercial commercialism I Guess you realize you know like I have to do stuff and I I mean I still struggle Sometimes I hate what I do because I just think like is this even me.

01:13:49.60
charukaarora
Um, yeah.

01:14:00.48
charukaarora
Um, yeah, yeah.

01:14:22.10
charukaarora
Um, yeah, yeah I.

01:14:22.19
Malin
Ah, because when you’ve been employed for so long you just I’ve been doing what other people want me to do so this took me. It’s taken me these 9 years to find to feel. Okay I’m getting closer but that’s what I mean it’s just never going to end just say I’m always going to try to.

01:14:49.54
charukaarora
Yeah.

01:14:58.43
Malin
I’m always like that I get fed up with it and then I’m like oh my God I have to know I I have to I want to be here I Want to be here and I know that I could be here but ah like my I’m not capable yet you know and I think that? yeah.

01:15:05.92
charukaarora
He knew now.

01:15:21.16
charukaarora
Yes, makes sense. Yeah, look how what was the hardest thing when it came to being in the business of art. What did you struggle the most with.

01:15:44.11
Malin
I Struggled mostly with that with and feeling like like you know, like what what a lot of people say as well. Like really finding my style that I could feel that I could ground myself in if you know what I mean like I could rest.

01:16:20.98
charukaarora
Um, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah taken.

01:16:23.83
Malin
In my style because now I feel like now I really feel rested in my style you know I know I It just sunk in somehow and it that saying that though I want to definitely take it other places but it was before that I Just really felt like. Was just we call it a print monkey and you Sit. We just just draw you just do prints for Clothes. You know you just make make make a lot of lot a lot of things and working towards Trends which I’ve done a lot a lot and doing a lot of trend wing flirt. And yeah, as you have of course.

01:17:31.10
charukaarora
Um, textile because yeah, yeah.

01:17:40.59
Malin
And and traveling and doing amazing trips and doing all these um trend presentations and things and and I feel like I’m so I wouldn’t say I’m uninterested because I I’m not actually uninterested in fashion because I could see myself sort of being depending who you compare with. But.

01:18:07.16
charukaarora
Yeah, yeah.

01:18:19.97
Malin
I’m not interested in Trends like in in anymore I’m not it doesn’t.

01:18:23.76
charukaarora
Yeah, oh my god I can relate to that my mom was a big time fashion fake and I studied fashion and I didn’t know then that I know this today. And every time I would go back home or something like that and she would like she was a big time I think she was she was a true fashion addict so she would ask me like you know what’s what’s in trend these days and I would be like you know, um I would tell her I would get very annoyed. Be like mom fashion is not about trends fashion is not about trends and um now I realize that that she wasn’t wrong. She was quite like that’s how fashion also worked for me fashion for me today when I have disassociated myself as a rule.

01:19:34.67
Malin
But.

01:19:47.27
Malin
Yes.

01:20:04.70
charukaarora
Like I still love fashion I Love clothes I think more than fashion I Love clothes and Textiles I’m not driven by Trends I I Love crafts I think I think that that was then I learned that she really loved fashion.

01:20:24.51
Malin
Yeah.

01:20:38.78
charukaarora
She would notice the carts and you know this is trendy and I would I would notice oh my god this is 70 s or like you know, look at this this this textile or this print or like stuff like that. So I think when you go down those roads and you explore your interest and that’s that’s how you figure like.

01:20:38.71
Malin
Yeah I.

01:21:18.56
charukaarora
Like oh I like this now. But now I know why I like this so I’m not putting this pleasure of myself like I was so disappointed when I quit fashion and I was like this was one thing I always wanted to do and what do I do now. But now I know that I wasn’t ever interested in fashion I was always interested.

01:21:47.93
Malin
So yeah, do know I know I know so many fashion designers over the years that that that’s good friend of mine’s that had that chose fashion for that reason.

01:21:57.48
charukaarora
I was always interested in the culture and you know the creative like you know.

01:22:25.30
Malin
So and now they are artists or um or graphic designers or textta designers or print designers or anything but you know I know so so many and and I think exactly what you said is that you you choose fashion because you think that that that’s going to be a career.

01:22:41.18
charukaarora
Yes.

01:23:03.32
charukaarora
Um, yeah, yeah.

01:23:03.99
Malin
I could get a job in this which which is you know so such a normal thing to be thinking and also also you do get a lot of um and knowledge That’s really useful. It is good to have been working in an industry because to be.

01:23:16.40
charukaarora
Yes.

01:23:28.34
charukaarora
Yes, Absolutely absolutely.

01:23:41.97
Malin
To be fair to have been an artist from the beginning and only that I wouldn’t want to I wouldn’t want to and swap. Actually that’s really hard I think.

01:23:48.32
charukaarora
It rid of him.

01:24:00.12
charukaarora
Yeah, and also contacts that you’ve built over the years I think um, what do you think your role as working in the textile industry before and then being an artist has with all the work that you’ve done so far like um. Because working 13 years in an industry does get you somewhere. It makes you you know people. Ah you know how things work and of course you didn’t plan but god’s weights you reached that point you were able to you know you knew where you could fit in.

01:24:58.59
Malin
And.

01:25:14.44
charukaarora
If you wouldn’t have been that you would have found like a lot of us keep thinking of where do I fit in I know who I am now where do I go.

01:25:21.85
Malin
Yeah, yeah, and I think I always kind of felt like when I was working being employed as a textile designer I had the the urge of become it like still being a textile designer but working with different types of clients.

01:25:59.40
charukaarora
Um, yeah.

01:25:59.97
Malin
Or being you know and I still love textiles like I when even when I do stuff for Ikea when you do when it’s only focused on the fabric like it’s only focused on the pattern I still love doing textiles I think it’s the it’s a wonderful material in every way. So so of course.

01:26:30.42
charukaarora
Um, yes.

01:26:36.47
Malin
That was my if I hadn’t done that before it would have been much harder for me to to go into that. Yeah yeah, and I mean I learned so much Also technical stuff like I’m quite good at at you know, photoshop and all these things like I’ve always had at the.

01:26:42.88
charukaarora
Title. Yeah.

01:26:59.16
charukaarora
Yes, oh my god absolutely I would say I would say that learning photoshop was one of my biggest biggest takeaway being an artist I think it pays to me even till today I like.

01:27:13.47
Malin
So yeah.

01:27:23.93
Malin
Here here.

01:27:35.80
charukaarora
As a designer I don’t think I can’t even tell you how I’m very tech friendly and I’m really grateful for the time I have even today I work beyond just art the podcast or the arts too hard so online. Whatever we’re doing um. It also comes from my experience of working in different fields because I love to do that because I love when I learn something from a and then I apply it on b and then you know vice versa I think it I feel more empowered as an artist.

01:28:27.75
Malin
Like I think it’s yeah I think it’s a very big advantage and also as you said in the beginning where it’s such a lonely thing to be doing this I mean it’s really I find it sometimes like.

01:28:51.68
charukaarora
Um, yeah.

01:29:06.93
Malin
And the older I get the less I I really don’t want to be in an office and I’ve done that like I’m so through with Julie proper employment I hope I mean you’re never an over um, but you have to be very active yourself. You have to be really I have to be good at like planning lunches and.

01:29:15.50
charukaarora
Um, yeah, yeah, yeah.

01:29:42.65
Malin
And Zoom calls and things with friends and the freelance as well because otherwise you can become really too much your ahead and get yeah yeah for sure and I think you have to it’s you have to have true joy. You know like.

01:29:54.30
charukaarora
Um, yeah, ah yourself discipline is quite important.

01:30:17.26
charukaarora
Um, yeah.

01:30:18.19
Malin
True joy of like really wanting to do it like I Ah people always ask me about that like how do you have the discipline and I don’t even I don’t even need it like I want to do it Of course when I have difficult like collaborations I have to do but otherwise it’s just like I just want to be.

01:30:40.20
charukaarora
Yeah, it is.

01:30:54.45
Malin
Listening to a podcast through a book and be painting.

01:30:58.80
charukaarora
Um I love that and I you know someone was asking me this question I met another podcaster and no I I met someone who was not who was within the arts but not an artist. And I my my usual podcast episodes are always like an hour long and I have always loved longer episodes for some reason because like for me I’m always interested in more like I want to know more more about None person like I’d rather go for like who on like I don’t want quantity I want quality.

01:31:50.50
Malin
Okay.

01:32:04.89
Malin
And yeah, 1

01:32:11.28
charukaarora
She was asking like you know 1 hour word and like like meant I was like you know for artists like I spent hours listening to an hour podcast when I’m in the studio I think like sometimes I I’m like why do they not have more episodes why there’s a new episode not out because that’s how we work.

01:32:23.37
Malin
So yeah.

01:32:44.36
charukaarora
And that’s how we find companionship Also in our studios I have to ask? Yeah, you go ahead.

01:32:43.67
Malin
Yeah I think so yeah, no I I you I mean I think that’s that’s really why we do the why we listen to a lot of things and we try to like even sometimes when I have certain projects when I only paint and it’s like I know what I’m doing I watch. And shows as well like ah Tv shit Tv series or whatever. But that’s the same thing. Yeah, you don’t even want to play it virusing but you know like certain thing and then and then it’s finished and you go oh my god where do my friends go.

01:33:26.24
charukaarora
Yes, oh yes, Yes, yes, what a job what a job. Yeah yeah, yes.

01:34:03.88
charukaarora
Sometimes when days when I have like when I’m like you know I usually would pick up when I have to cut like when I’m making collage or something or when I have to make repeat patterns or something like that that those are perfect days when I I put on like a um Netflix show and like you know.

01:34:01.37
Malin
Ah, yes.

01:34:35.97
Malin
Yeah.

01:34:42.12
charukaarora
And I’m like sometimes it’s it’s it strikes my mind like oh my God This is this is some. There’s so many hard days and I do not overlook them for sure because people think that’s how we do it? Absolutely not. But sometimes the pleasure of still working and you know being like that.

01:35:04.13
Malin
But.

01:35:18.94
charukaarora
It It brings so much joy and there’s no shame in accepting.

01:35:16.31
Malin
Yeah, and I think we we have to re rememberber those days when we think that two little jobs come in or you know like you’re worried about something that you have to remember that. Okay, this is this is.

01:35:33.54
charukaarora
He is.

01:35:48.85
Malin
What we wanted and and and and appreciate it and I’m I’m getting much better at it. But it did take some time not to get overshadowed by the by the worries you know.

01:36:02.72
charukaarora
Yes, yes, yes, okay, 1 last thing then we’ll talk and then we’ll go into the rapid file which is what you actually touched upon which is the money side of being an artist. You know the seasons the projects and you know sometimes like you said I would.

01:36:33.51
Malin
So.

01:36:40.34
charukaarora
I would have a very bad slow season or something like that just to even distract myself I know I have to pay no matter what I mean I have to make for me I I I associate myself as a creator more than anything else and I create him some like my podcast is a creation. My work is a creation like I love creating in different ways.

01:37:05.89
Malin
Or I know.

01:37:18.92
charukaarora
But I know even if nobody pays me I would still do that like you know there’s It’s like a compulsive behavior like there’s no other way I can like I can’t breathe. So yeah, but but we always don’t yet pay for it and we get scared and then how you you spend a long time as um.

01:37:25.83
Malin
Yeah, yeah, and that’s a good way to be.

01:37:56.34
charukaarora
And different phase and being independent for 9 years and then how how is your experience of also learning money management and like business and like money business and all of that how has that been.

01:38:20.50
Malin
It’s a constant learning curve I would say but I think because I was employed for those years and also in my last employment I could work. Um, they were really good with like me working part-time. So I think in the end I worked about 50%

01:38:55.38
charukaarora
Um, so yeah.

01:38:53.53
Malin
So I could start building up my client list as I was having another job and I would never you know I would never have done it another way because it was just such a good start I think and because I had many years of my back already I could just sort of so when I had my None child.

01:39:18.82
charukaarora
Um, perfect. Yeah, um, yeah.

01:39:32.79
Malin
Resigned and um I started working straight away kind of and had a lot of had a lot of jobs. You know, continuously. But then in the beginning I did have a lot of textile jobs as well which were not. Exactly my style you know like they they asked me more to do you know? Can you do something along those lines. Whatever so that being gradually going into what it is now and that that’s maybe been like that for the past but a lot since I had Jennifer as well I would say.

01:40:11.78
charukaarora
It’s time. Yeah. Um, yeah.

01:40:43.65
Malin
Now I now I don’t really do any jobs that if they don’t want my style or my name is on it or something like that you know and but yeah, that took me some time I think it doesn’t have to take that long but um, and.

01:40:58.20
charukaarora
Um, yeah, yeah.

01:41:19.45
Malin
And um, yeah, what was I saying well? well yes yeah, and I think like actually over Covid It became quite slow parts like like I’ve never experienced it before.

01:41:27.22
charukaarora
This slow seasons the finding work consistency of work prizing your work. Yeah, for all of us.

01:41:53.63
Malin
But that was really stressful and um and and difficult and it’s ah but it’s sort of picked up again and now we’ll see where the world is going I mean who knows and.

01:42:13.74
charukaarora
Um, yeah, yeah, we still don’t know who knows.

01:42:26.91
Malin
But I mean I guess it’s also to be completely honest I mean I’m now I have a family I have a husband and we we have joined economy and we kind of we do these things together. You know, like if we don’t Okay, this is rough now and then we’ll sort of just divide so that that is.

01:42:47.12
charukaarora
Um, yeah.

01:42:59.40
charukaarora
Um, yeah.

01:43:05.11
Malin
For sure and a comfort but then like.

01:43:10.30
charukaarora
And I think also doing it for so long. You also know like you know there’s a bad season or there’s a slow season. There is going to be a good season. You just have to be patient and you have to keep working at it. Yeah.

01:43:20.59
Malin
Yeah, yeah, it seems to yeah, it seems to to come back. You know like and I always try to remind myself of exactly that it’s like yeah I say that now but then like now for example, it was.

01:43:48.66
charukaarora
Um, yeah.

01:43:54.31
Malin
Always slow for me like January February if I’m not doing a book then it’s busy, but otherwise it’s a bit slow and then now it’s just like it goes like catch up and it’s just into the summer with my holiday starts soon with the kids finishing school and everything. so so um yeah

01:44:02.80
charukaarora
Sadly.

01:44:12.86
charukaarora
Um, yeah and I love that? Yeah, that’s quite a big advice actually because.

01:44:28.95
Malin
You should I try to enjoy the slow times as well. So you don’t have to like.

01:44:48.70
charukaarora
I mean and we don’t have it. We want it when we have it. We’re looking for something else. That’s how it keeps going? Oh my God This was so much fun. Thank you so much I am so so glad we did it.

01:44:54.81
Malin
Yeah, it’s like that. Yeah. Thank you So Lovely to see you? yeah.

01:45:21.24
charukaarora
Same yeah but I’m not letting you go yet because I still have my rapid fire. So are you ready? Okay, so you have to be quick so you have to be quick. No I’ll ask you questions you give me answer. There’s no right and wrong.

01:45:27.87
Malin
Yes, so so how hard does these what? what is again? you say a word and I say something okay do okay okay.

01:45:58.36
charukaarora
Um, answers could be a little longer but I’ll give you a cue then but you have to be quick. Okay, okay so here we go 1 thing you want to convey through your work in the arts. 1 thing.

01:46:04.53
Malin
Okay, all right, Let’s do it.

01:46:23.13
Malin
To other people you mean? yeah, it’s a job joy I think and hope.

01:46:33.34
charukaarora
Yeah, anyone 1 thing you want you can wait for your work and love that. What’s that one what that describes you the best.

01:46:55.89
Malin
Oh a perfectionist I think.

01:47:03.58
charukaarora
Um, quick who Wow if you could have a studio anywhere in the world where would it be.

01:47:14.79
Malin
Ah, oh my god I want to say New York but it’s not like that anymore I think no in the swedish archipelago like big house.

01:47:33.54
charukaarora
Um, who I love them. Oh my god not when you get them, please let me know I’ll come pay a with it. Oh my god yes, please please I need 1 for sure right now.

01:47:44.39
Malin
Yes, yes, yes, is arent we true art we treats. Yeah.

01:48:10.36
charukaarora
If you could okay sorry we did that already your biggest source of inspiration I knew what that time who is your favorite woman artist any point of time.

01:48:13.43
Malin
Ah nature. Oh that’s we do you know I really I’m such a cli shape I really like Frida Carlo she’s there really? Ah, exactly it’s to such a such a yeah.

01:48:52.36
charukaarora
You’re not alone so many far so many. She’s like ah she’s like a man we all want to go and you know worship and you know how? yeah okay.

01:49:08.47
Malin
Just such a fascinating person. Yeah.

01:49:23.36
charukaarora
Who’s your go to person when you are in trouble or in need of advice.

01:49:26.99
Malin
Oh maybe not advice but I’ll tell my husband and then I have a really good if it’s advice I got like a really good friend of mine That’s also freelancing I’ll just phone out. We’ll just we’ll just talk on the phone like once a day.

01:49:54.52
charukaarora
Um, ah oh wow, That’s all this fun right? But I hope no husband. Um, he’s he he’s going to be very disappointed.

01:50:01.85
Malin
And lot of the time. But yeah.

01:50:27.16
charukaarora
Listen He’s been discarded from the advice list.

01:50:25.27
Malin
I Like advice. No no, he’s in another business He doesn’t get me. Yeah.

01:50:40.78
charukaarora
Then it makes that okay, if okay who this can be a little longer than 1 but um, can you share 1 moment I’m sure you must have had many something that you still really cherish that makes you feel grateful to be an artist to to do do the work that you do.

01:50:54.83
Malin
Um.

01:51:15.10
Malin
Oh just just one moment youth you think just a moment but you know I think that that is that I went to college that I went to Chelsea and and had those tutor.

01:51:20.28
charukaarora
Like any anything. Um, any experience. Moment. Some.

01:51:47.40
charukaarora
Um, yeah I mean.

01:51:51.63
Malin
That is I’m so grateful for that time like and living in London and having living in London when I was young because now I’d be too tired to be able to cope. But then it was very very fun.

01:52:03.66
charukaarora
Um, yeah, it was a thrill I like that. Okay, if you were to meet younger Marvin today. What advice would you give her.

01:52:31.19
Malin
Oh please, don’t worry so much like I’ve been such a worrying person you know like worrying to fail or not to be able to do this job or yeah, just relax a little bit. I still keep saying that to Molly today but you know I was worse when I was younger but just enjoy a little bit more and don’t be so hard on yourself.

01:53:03.24
charukaarora
Ah, oh my God that that I think we all need to you all need to learn this even that’s true. Okay, shout out to an artist who’s currently on your heart list. Who currently on social media someone you’re loving on social media.

01:53:45.85
Malin
Oh a shout. Oh but they are they also establish the ones that I Really like they don’t need shelter.

01:53:59.60
charukaarora
No problem. Don’t we just we love swinging. Ah we we lost Moon over and like you know, gushing over other artists. That’s I think that’s one of my favorite things to do.

01:54:12.63
Malin
You know my my yeah I’m just trying to see if I like like 1 of my biggest one on Instagram is carsson ellis do do you know her? She said the children’s at yeah cars on Ellis she says children. Yeah I love her and the thing is.

01:54:39.74
charukaarora
Carson oh yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, like me.

01:54:52.90
Malin
I Actually found her through her husband that is a singer of the decemberists which is also a band that I used to but ah listen to a lot a lot and they are such a lovely couple So I always I follow them on Insta instagramp.

01:55:12.56
charukaarora
Um, okay. Um, yes I figured Yes yes, yes, Love Love yes.

01:55:27.61
Malin
And they and they live in they live in Portland which seems to be so lovely as well. Which I’ve never been.

01:55:51.22
charukaarora
That’s amazing. Okay, 1 last question which is an advice that you would like to give others as a woman artist as as a as a creative entrepreneur. What is that you would like to share with other people.

01:56:05.23
Malin
But you know I would first start with what I said to my younger self to not be so hard on yourself to try to be a bit more you know forgiving in general and um. And not yeah, not be so hard on yourself and try to try to enjoy what you’re doing and but at the same time be be smart about it as well remember that you are a business and that it is a job don’t sell yourself short and don’t be too grateful to people.

01:57:05.28
charukaarora
Um, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

01:57:18.13
Malin
Because this is a job but you can’t have it as a career but have you have to be like you have to treat it as as a career and not just as we said being grateful for someone coming and asking you but be be have a plan a little bit.

01:57:34.38
charukaarora
Yeah, right 9 Yeah I love that? Yeah yeah, don’t forget that I think that’s that’s how we all keep going I think.

01:57:54.17
Malin
And enjoy. Um, yeah.

01:58:11.84
charukaarora
Um, why I feel like continuously keep telling this to my friends because a lot of us are I mean I am I am I am the creative but I don’t see creativity like being an artist or being like being an artist or being a entrepreneur quite different.

01:58:15.35
Malin
Um.

01:58:48.38
charukaarora
Um I ran a business. Um, my partner also runs a business. My fans also run in business I think None thing that is very important is that we keep we always remind us ah that um, it’s going to get hard. We could have chosen another path. But we did this for a reason and because we brought it brought us joy and that that in itself needs to always be there. Yes.

01:59:31.77
Malin
Yeah, yeah, because we only have one little life. You know that we can do We have to shareish and do what we really if we have the opportunity you know and and yeah.

02:00:00.20
charukaarora
Um, yes.

02:00:04.57
Malin
It’s important to do and I like what you said in the beginning you said I want to do the things that fill my heart or something like that and it’s so important.

02:00:17.50
charukaarora
Um, yeah, yeah, yes, oh my god I can’t even believe 1 hour has gone by. Thank you so much I it I it never it didn’t feel be we spoken for the None time.

02:00:46.13
Malin
No, it was lovely. Really lovely. Thank you so much for having me.

02:00:56.62
charukaarora
Thank you Thank you for this time for this conversation I really cheish. But for anyone who’s listening to this episode where can these people back and our listeners who of course enjoyed your work and your conversation with where can we find you.

02:01:22.97
Malin
It’s.

02:01:34.40
charukaarora
You have do you have anything upcoming that you can share with us.

02:01:32.85
Malin
It’s it’s actually it’s it’s my Instagram and my website and if they want to I’ve just recently started a web shop as well with prince and it’s taken me so long so long to do that. But now I’ve done it.

02:01:54.20
charukaarora
Oh Wow Congratulations I have to check that out.

02:02:07.77
Malin
And it’s only about 6 prints but I’m gradually sort of adding stuff to it and it’s really it’s really fun and I’m so grateful that people are buying things and it’s really uplifting. It’s nice.

02:02:28.82
charukaarora
Oh wow yes, perfect. So yes, I will anyone who’s interested I will link Mulvin’s Instagram Website Web Shop works projects all on our website so you make sure you take out the show notes. And again I want to say a big Thank you so much and for everyone who’s joined from you for listening and Melvin Thank you so much for your time I really had a great time same to you.

02:03:15.83
Malin
Thank you so much and have a lovely summer.

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