Today we’d like to introduce you to Shanina Madrigal.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My family moved around a lot when I was younger, and this meant always being the new kid at school. I was insanely shy as a child and was definitely bullied for it. You’d think the mean kids would leave the quiet kid alone, but for some reason that just made me an even bigger target. I was constantly being told that there was something wrong with me because I wouldn’t talk. Kids would pretend to be my friend only to lock me in the bathroom and abandon me. I was definitely left with some deep emotional scars, feeling like I was nothing, like I couldn’t just be myself. Art was my way out of that darkness.
The dream to become a master artist started sometime in elementary school after my teacher whispered to me that my marbled snowman artwork was her favorite. I finally had a reason to feel special. It was as if she was some kind of art goddess singling me out from the class of what I imagined to be talentless fools and bullies, and she was rightfully proclaiming my masterpiece as the very best. That dream was crushed shortly after when I caught her whispering those same words to every other kid, I had just considered talentless. Right away, I was disappointed to find myself just the same as everyone else, a mere copy of the kid next to me, even my bullies, whose artwork was apparently just as good as mine. I wasn’t anything special.
Even though I was proud of everything I made, I let what my bullies said about me define me. My confidence diminished at an early age and I thought very lowly of myself for a majority of my childhood. The only thing I really liked about myself was my art, but my only fan was my mom (and let’s be honest, our moms love anything we do, so are their opinions really valid?) Even though I’d still draw and paint here and there, I eventually let go of art thinking I was no good at it. It wasn’t until I had some teachers later on in middle and high school who actually did favor my work (if they didn’t tell the other students the same thing, that is). Out of nowhere they would enter my projects and doodles into art contests, and I won three art competitions without even being aware of it. This was the push my validation-seeking self needed at the time, and I finally found my way to making art more seriously. I indulged myself in everything that involved creating, from forming tiny clay sculptures to trying (and failing) to sew my own clothes. I tried my hand at embroidery, needle felting, charcoal drawing, and almost every type of painting out there. My art was all over the place.
As I began my journey creating, I started to get to know the Creator more deeply. I was born into Christianity but really felt God’s calling around sophomore year. Up until this point, my art was just for myself. It had no meaning other than to distract me from the world’s troubles and help me declare my major as a graphic design student at CSUF (because art was the only thing I was good at). Once I had a true encounter with Jesus, I finally had real inspiration. I felt like my life and my art had a purpose. I felt called to share my art with those around me. The randomness in what I was creating blossomed into something that meant so much more. He narrowed down my many interests to the one I could use to glorify Him best: graphic design. He gave me a new identity. I was no longer the bullied shy kid who looked to my peers and teachers to give me a sense of worth. I finally began to see myself the way He sees me — loved, bold, gifted, and most importantly, made for a purpose. I finally found the One who’d always be in my corner cheering me on, and I devoted my life to lifting Him high in all I do. He gave me the gift of artistry and I finally decided to use it for His glory.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It’s definitely been an interesting journey, and I wouldn’t really consider it a smooth one. I’d say my biggest struggle was dealing with social media. First of all, I’m one of the most indecisive beings on this planet, so trying to commit to one niche was quite a challenge. When I started my art account, I was pretty committed to the handle “@nm.calligraphy” because hand lettering had stolen my heart above all other art forms. After a few years, I got bored of practically doing the same thing over and over. I felt so limited by my username and felt like I wasn’t allowed to post any drawings or paintings unless it had some random, last minute, poorly executed lettering slapped on top of it. Even though I had grown to almost 4,000 followers, I decided to rebel against the whole choosing-one-niche-and-sticking-solely-to-it strategy and started posting whatever I wanted to under the new username “@nm.arts”. My calligraphy page turned into one featuring drawings, sculptures, paintings, some random graphic design projects for school, and occasionally a very rare post of actual calligraphy. Needless to say, the Instagram algorithm and my far too broad and practically non-existent niche resulted in losing half my followers. My quickly declining art account was (and still is) losing a handful of followers every single day.
On top of not being able to choose a single niche, my struggle with self-image was only getting worse from the pressures of social media. By this time, I had a pretty solid foundation in God and thought I was holding onto my identity in Him fairly well, but the lure of numbers, followers, and likes is just so darn strong. I was obsessed with gaining followers, but for what? At the time, I had no intention of starting a business, no motivation apart from growing my reputation, and no direction whatsoever. I enjoyed the freedom of posting anything and everything only to rapidly decrease the popularity I cared so much about, and even worse — bring down my perception of myself. God had already built me up to be confident in Him, yet I allowed social media to bring me back to where I started: a confused and hurting little girl letting everybody but myself and God tell me who I was.
After a while, I got so fed up with trying to beat the algorithm that I gave up on all the scheduled posts and commenting cookie-cutter responses on other posts only to raise my own account’s engagement. By the time my partner suggested launching a small business, I was hesitant to start up another cycle of trying to build up a new brand on social media. But I must say, starting this new page to promote our business has actually been nothing short of delightful. I guess social media, when used with the right intentions (AKA, to actually make meaningful connections with real people instead of commenting empty compliments for your own benefit), is actually quite a blessing. It’s not so bad when you replace the numbers obsession with a compelling purpose and genuine desire to connect with people. I’m truly loving the community we’re building up with this new brand and I can’t wait to see where this takes us.
tisWritten – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
tisWritten is a Christian merch brand launched just recently by me and my partner, Elden Villarin. Our name stems from the frequently used phrase “it is written” that precedes scripture referenced by people in the Bible, such as in Matthew 4:4 where Jesus says, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” We believe that the Word of God is living and powerful, so we want to emphasize that power and authority of God’s written word.
We design stickers (and very soon, shirts and jackets as well!) that allow us to showcase the gospel. We want to spread His Word in every way possible! Customizing everyday items with eye-catching stickers that highlight scripture both reminds the customer of His Words and promises and serves as a conversation starter for those who may not know God or need a reminder of His lovingkindness. God calls us to meditate on His word day and night, so physically having scripture on things we see frequently can help us stay focused on the Source of all life and goodness. Even those who may not believe or are uncertain of their faith can hopefully be lifted up by the encouraging words in our designs. God is truly good all the time, and we want to spread that goodness for everyone to experience!
tisWritten really means a lot to me not only because I finally have a place to freely stand up for my faith, but also because there are so many opportunities to practice graphic design! I loved utilizing all the skills I’ve learned from my instructors. I was so excited to finally be able to apply that knowledge and experience to something I’m so passionate about. Designing the website, packaging, and extra cards and coupons on top of the individual product designs really helped my skills evolve. Since I’ve already had lots of practice helping some brands with their brand identity, it was really refreshing to be able to do so for my own project and for God’s glory.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Our goal is to spread the Word to all the ends of the earth. As long as even just one person is blessed through what we put out there, I consider that a success. Each individual is so loved and valuable in God’s eyes that the heavens rejoice when one person turns to Christ, so if anyone at all is reached through this, I’ll be content knowing that we’re making a difference somewhere. We want to be vessels useful for God to work and speak through. If anything we create brings anyone closer to Him, then all the work will be worth it. We just want to fulfill the purpose He’s called us to.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tiswritten.com/
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tiswritten/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tiswritten.design/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/tis_written
Image Credit:
Raziel Villarin, Elden Villarin
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