Rising Stars: Meet Diana Maksymenko of Laguna Niguel

Today we’d like to introduce you to Diana Maksymenko.

Hi Diana, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Hi, my name is Diana, and I’m a children’s book illustrator originally from Ukraine. I’ve been living in the U.S. for the past four years, and it’s actually here that my journey as a children’s illustrator truly began.

I’ve loved drawing for as long as I can remember. As a child, my parents noticed it and enrolled me in art school, which gave me a strong foundation. Later, when it came time to choose a career, I knew I wanted something creative, but the options felt limited. I ended up studying architecture and completed my Master’s degree, eventually working in urban planning.

But even during that time, I never stopped drawing. I took on small creative projects: painting portraits, working on murals, even drawing on clothing. It was always a part of me.

When I moved to the U.S., I had to start over, and I felt deeply that I didn’t want to continue in architecture. I wanted to build something around drawing, I just didn’t know what that would look like yet. Around that time, I began learning digital illustration from scratch. It wasn’t easy, but my husband encouraged me constantly and believed in me even before I fully believed in myself.

Becoming a children’s book illustrator happened almost by accident. A children’s magazine reached out and asked me to illustrate a spread, and then another one. That’s when I realized this could be something more. I started learning everything I could about children’s illustration and storytelling.

In 2024, I got my first children’s book client, and that project became the real starting point of my career. Since then, I’ve been working as a full-time freelance illustrator, collaborating with self-published authors as well as a Ukrainian publishing house. I help bring books to life from the very first sketches all the way to print-ready files.

Every project I work on is unique. Some books are about endangered animals, others about family, bedtime stories, or emotional growth. With each one, I find myself learning something new, sometimes even researching real places so I can represent them accurately for young readers discovering the world through these stories.

One day, I hope someone will look at a book and say, “This feels like Diana’s work.”

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely wasn’t a smooth road. One of the biggest challenges was starting over in a new country and trying to build a creative career from scratch.

In the beginning, finding clients was really hard. I didn’t have connections, didn’t fully understand how the industry worked, and had to figure everything out on my own.

Learning digital illustration was another big challenge. I had never used any programs before, so it honestly felt like I was starting from zero. Not just learning the tools, but also changing the way I think when I draw. Illustrating for children’s books is very different from simply creating a beautiful image. It’s about thinking like a storyteller, simplifying, stylizing, and learning to “speak” visually in a way that connects with children.

At the same time, I was trying to find my own style. And that’s not something that happens overnight. I’m still working on that. But now it’s interesting, sometimes authors come to me and say they want their book to look like one of my previous projects. And for me, that’s a really nice feeling. It means I’m finally building something that people recognize.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I work closely with authors to bring their stories to life through drawings, from the first sketches to a finished book. I create illustrations for picture books, chapter books, and comics, adjusting the style and storytelling to fit each project. I enjoy telling stories through drawings. Each page should add something, not just repeat the text. Stories about emotions, relationships, and everyday life are especially inspiring to me.

What sets my work apart is the ability to take something complex and make it simple and clear for kids.One of the projects I’m most proud of is a bilingual children’s comic book “Escaping Ukraine, Finding Hope” by Mila Mostova, created with the nonprofit organization Green Card Voices. It’s my biggest project so far. This project means a lot to me because it shows everyday life and traditions in Ukraine in a simple way that children abroad can understand, while also allowing me to represent people from my home country.

To me, illustration is more than drawing, it’s a way of translating emotions into something simple, honest, and meaningful.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is not to be afraid to start over. Growth takes time, and it’s possible at any age if you feel it’s truly yours. Support from people close to you also makes a big difference. If I had told my university self that I’d be a children’s book illustrator in the U.S., I would have laughed. But somehow, what’s meant for you finds you.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://artdillustrate.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artdi.ua
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-maksymenko-0b3456215
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@artdillustrates