Artist Spotlight: Joslan Botosh//Graphic Designer

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I’m Joslan Botosh. A graphic designer who has the itch to allow my young, imaginative mind to roam wild. Finds stress relief in hand lettering. Believer that an exceptional cup of tea can solve anything. Always open to freelance opportunities. Dreamer of bigger and better. Always finding inspiration in the little things. Girl of infectious laughter and a contagious amount of zeal.

When did you begin graphic design?

My love of graphic design started out in a communications classroom at my high school. I found that, as someone who considered themselves an art kid, I was able to create art in other mediums far beyond that of what I knew, and my mind was blown. From that point forward, it was always a hobby for me. I created movie posters for books I had read, turned my hand lettering into digital pieces, the possibilities were endless and I embraced that. 

What made you interested in graphic design? 

To be honest, my interest came from the work of others. I saw these incredible pieces and wondered how I could create something that has an impact on others the way their work had an impact on me. Design is everywhere. It surrounds us. I wanted my art to make people feel something, to drive them to pick up that book because of the details in the cover, or to buy a specific bottle of wine because the packaging was just too beautiful.

Why did you choose this career path? (if it is your career path)

I wanted to find something that I genuinely loved and do that for life. My parents kept pushing me to pursue my creativity. Graphic design was my way of not only doing what I loved but also being able to find success in it. 

What is your dream job? Where do you see yourself in 10 years? 

As of right now, I would love to be working alongside some of the best in the business on high profile accounts and going to a job that excites and inspires great creativity on the daily. In the same breath, I also have a desire to own my own business using my love of hand lettering and design to create beautiful stationary, branding, and otherwise.

Who is your inspiration? 

As I said earlier, I find a lot of inspiration through the work and creative processes of others. Whether it be through Pinterest, Instagram, magazines, or word of mouth, I can always find some new, undiscovered, underestimated designer doing something amazing that sparks ideas. I also really love to follow the work of Sagmeister & Walsh, a New York based design firm that creates some really intense and influential design. 

Saturdays are for....New Zealand, Hobbiton and Beyond

I haven't said much about my recent sojourn to New Zealand with Status: Welcomed, but it was pretty sweet so I will fill you in.

It's been exactly one week since I left them (sob, sob, sob), so re-looking through my snaps from that stint is probably good therapy.

Since the girls are there primarily to promote a movement of hospitality towards refugees and other displaced peoples, much of our time looked like this:

<Idun, Cat and Bethan are all wonderful public speakers and I certainly grew in my awareness of the refugee crisis and how I could begin to help as they spoke in universities, cafes and small groups during my time with them.>

So that was rather awesome and inspiring.

But we also had lots of hours at "home" (in the 9.5 days I was there, I slept in 3 different beds in 3 different cities) where we cooked, played, rested, worked or planned for the next hours.

Home is always sweet.

Our home life looked something like this:

OH yeah-I guess I should note that I'm the one who asked them to sit awkwardly in front of the rad wallpaper for long minutes. You're welcome girls. 

We also had hours on end in the car, on the road, traveling about-to speaking engagements and a couple of times to adventures.

Our time on the road mostly looked like this:

And then we had a couple of adventure days...like Hobbiton (in case you didn't know,  Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit were filmed in the gorgeous New Zealand.) It's fun to scout out places that look familiar from the films.

I shan't heap too many facts upon you but I'll let you in one one juicy detail-it took 2.5 years to build Hobbiton for The Hobbit and it appeared in the film for under five minutes. Whaaaa?!

Our (dorky?!) Hobbiton day looked a little like this:
(In retrospect I realized I took more photos on my phone than on my camera so your glimpse of the greatness will be brief.)

That was well worth doing once and I'm glad I had a bit of..ahem, siteseeing to write home about. I spent as much time outside as possible and we had a few hours of adventuring together-from climbing a wee mountain to jumping out of the car at random pretty places. New Zealand is one of my Very Favourite places in the entire world. It's beauty is stunning and I can't get enough of it.

Also, my girls are rather gorgeous themselves so it was a winning combination.

I made it up for almost every sunrise...though I wasn't always in a picturesque location.

Our adventure time looked a little like this (though for once I'd say my beloved photography fails me as it barely does justice to the beauty at hand):

I'm entirely grateful I got to go and see the girls launched into this season of touring and speaking. If I could, I would certainly have spent the next two months traveling with them. (But something about being married, running a business and family matters does not lend itself to this notion. Hmmphhhh.)

I will be with them in heart through their miles on the road though you won't have photos to gaze upon from this.

One last thing to note:

Naomi, my love, flew up to see me ON MY LAYOVER in Auckland when I was journeying home.

(Forgive my unedited iphone photos which do not bring justice to her gorgeousness...or perhaps even my photography. HA.)

Naomi and I have been heart friends for ages-since meeting on a rock in the Pacific many years ago. And neither time nor distance will ever weaken our bond though being so many miles apart is forever a great sadness.

Our wee afternoon catch up with coffee and wine was not nearly enough but it was still the perfect ending to my trip. 

And so I bit you adieu.

xo.