Today we’d like to introduce you to Mariya S Razak.
Mariya, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Summer days growing up were filled with watercolors, paints, and markers as my mother who was extremely creative herself loved encouraging our creativity. I remember the day I came across my first big inspiration. There was a calendar in our home that had a picture of a beautiful mountain cabin covered in snow. I felt I needed to challenge myself and went out and bought my first canvas. Considering I hadn’t taken any formal classes on how to paint on a canvas or how to use paints, I thought I did a decent job and felt a new sense of accomplishment. I found myself finding more pictures of nature that I wanted to paint and further experimented with new and exciting techniques. I was motivated by my family and friends’ praise of my work and I enjoyed sharing it and gifting it away.
At some point, I became fascinated by a new artform and shifted my focus towards Arabic calligraphy. My first ever piece with Arabic calligraphy was claimed by my sister and I had sent it to her as a gift. She told me how much her friends loved it and that people would be willing to pay for such unique pieces of art. This was new to me, I had never truly considered this but it made perfect sense, why not make your passion your business? I was encouraged to start writing a blog ( oh! the blog days! ) by my friends, so I did that for a few years to document my crafty nature. Fast forward eight years, I got married and moved to beautiful Southern California. My husband understood my creative talents, so he pushed me to explore my entrepreneurial side, and the perfect opportunity had arrived. I was thrilled to find out there was going to be a creative arts event/bazaar in our town and I knew it was my chance to launch my business-Mariya’sMuse. Over the course of several months, I created 28 pieces for the event and sold 20 of them in one day. Since then my business, exposure, and passion has only been growing.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I have definitely faced some challenges at times. I’ve dealt with creative blocks and failed experimentation with new techniques. It was a struggle to really find how to define myself and my signature style as an artist, which at times took me out of my comfort zone. The journey was worth the struggle and given me a strong sense of accomplishment! I must say that I am grateful to be surrounded by an incredibly supportive circle of family and friends that have made it possible for me to follow my dreams.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am Mariya Razak, an artist, a calligrapher, a hand-letterer, and a mother. I specialize in mixed media modern art. I am known for my Arabic calligraphy and custom artwork. I am most proud of bringing positive energy and spirituality into people’s homes in the form of my designs. My wide variety of styles and use of modern and current techniques that can only be seen to be truly appreciated are what makes my work unique.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I absolutely love the inclusivity, the weather, and the food scene our city offers. I least like the traffic! Ha! don’t we all?
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariyasmuse/
