Today we’d like to introduce you to Filipa Santos.
Filipa, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started drawing since I was very young and started taking art lessons when I was about 11 years old. I quickly realized that I wanted to do this as a career in some shape or form. After school, I moved to the UK to study arts and found out about animation as a career. I immediately fell in love with the idea of making animations! I did my university degree in animation, keeping with my illustration as a side gig throughout. I opened up my online art shop in 2018 where I decided to start selling some prints, stickers and enamel pins. I have now graduated university and my online shop has just kept growing in the past few years. I now have my online shop, my YouTube channel and freelance animation as all my jobs. You might think this is too many jobs but it doesn’t feel like a lot of work as they all revolve around art, which I love doing regardless.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Definitely not a smooth road. Firstly, my parents weren’t too keen on me following art as career. My mother soon got used to the idea as she saw that it was the choice that was going to make me happy in the long term. In university, I came across a lot of mental health struggles and hurdles that both hindered my productivity but also have since inspired my art. My mental health struggle is always a big inspiration in my art as it serves as therapy to me. Of course, moving away from my hometown and my family was a big stressor throughout my whole time at university but it was important keep reminding myself that this was the road I had to take in order to do what I wanted as a career.
Please tell us more about your art.
My company is primarily just me selling my artwork online. I also have a YouTube channel where I make videos about my art and my life as an animator and illustrator. I’m incredibly grateful for all the following that has been building up on my social media that allow me to continue doing this as a living. On my shop, I mainly sell prints of my artwork, enamel pins, stickers and I am not branching into acrylic charms. I run everything myself: my shop, my YouTube, packaging and sending orders, all while being a full-time freelance animator! I think what sets me apart from others is how much I actually work and how much time of my life I put into what I do. I’m an incredibly hard worker and even in my free time, I’m creating art. I’m incredibly proud of all the work I put out and if I’m not happy with something I’ve made, I will not put it out as I want to only put out artworks and videos that I’m very proud of myself.
What were you like growing up?
I was always quite calm and reserved growing up. I was always that child in the corner of the room scribbling away with some colouring pencils. I was always interested in art and crafty things ever since I was a wee child. At school, I always entered all the art projects and competitions, even all the theatre productions! Anything creative, I was signing up for it. I also excelled academically which was a huge plus for my parents.
Pricing:
- Prints range from £5-£10
- Stickers range from £3-£5
- Enamel pins range from £5-£6
Contact Info:
- Website: https://pypahsart.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pypahs_art/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pypahsart
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/pypahs_art
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/pypahsart
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