Today we’d like to introduce you to Anjali Joshi.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up in Mumbai, India. I am roused by my mom, she is an inventive individual, and this has been a wellspring of motivation and support for me to seek a vocation in the plan since I was a kid. Traveling back in time, I honestly started as a not-so-bright student. I saw students doing much better than me, and frankly, this made me under confident too at times. It happens right? I think that is very normal. But I knew I was giving my best. I worked even harder, observed how others used to work and there I got a start. While it is true that not having a family background in the field you grow up in is tough, but it is not impossible though!
Today when I think of all this it feels crazy how fast that time has flown by! It only feels like yesterday that I was saying goodbye to my family and leaving my house.
I am currently pursuing my Master’s in Graphic Design & Visual Experience at Savannah College of Art & Design. My style is conceptual, colorful, and glamorous. My work reflects the passion and commitment of a serious and sincere artist and is infused with imagination and creativity; with the right blend of traditional and contemporary styles.
I am a woman with not-so-small dreams. Lover of words, collector of thoughts, executing through art, writer by night, and dreams a lot. A creative who is obsessed with colors. Has a thing for handwritten letters. Can be found gushing about the tiniest of things. Floating through life. Always journaling. Mostly talkative, sometimes quiet. Happy and a little bit of everything different.
I would say 2022 was an overwhelming year for me. It was a time of going through a lot up to processing a lot. It was loaded with tons of changes. Making a big life change is scary. But not taking the risk of coming this far is even scarier. So here I am! Too foreign for home, too foreign for here.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Ahhh! No, it was not a smooth road at all. I think smooth words lie somewhere far from my journey. As I mentioned earlier, initially, I was a not-so-bright student, and even while I am phrasing it as I worked harder and observed how others used to work and there, I got a start. But that hard work had a lot, like aaalllloooottttttttt. It is like running a race and you are the last one on the field and you beat everyone and make it to the first. And the amount of energy that it takes is something that cannot be expressed in words. Somehow people always had some sort of problem, or you can term it as jealousy, which at times made me struggle to make good friends as well. I really found it difficult, and I always used to run behind why they have a problem with me? but over time I realized that it is not about me, it is about them. But it obviously affected me since I used to feel isolated, and I used to get anxious as well. And that was not it. In 2022, before moving to the States I had another major change happening in my life. I lost someone who was a part of me. I had sleepless nights, and chills, I even had to take leave from my workplace for a month. I suffered from anxiety and depression. I lost my confidence. And by the time I could process everything that was happening, it was time for me to leave for the States.
I was still depressed and just going with the flow when I first arrived in the States. Some days I tend to lose focus, and the motivation to do anything merely existed. Sometimes I overthink and stress myself out for no reason. I had panic attacks and would have tears in my eyes out of nowhere; while walking on street or sometimes while just sitting. It is a mental battle every day but today I am still on my path to healing. I have stopped complaining about my lows and started appreciating the things I have. I have started reading motivational books, I do art journaling, which is like therapy to me, I follow the gratitude prompts and write them regularly, I pray to God and most importantly I am working hard towards building my career. Someone told me that they liked my work and not me; and right now, I want to reach at such a height in my life where they really need to like my work more than they can like me because liking me requires certain standards and not everyone can meet that.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a Multidisciplinary creative. I developed a solid foundation, design skills & understanding of innovation in my undergraduate. During this time range, I got introduced to Typography, Illustrations, Branding, Packaging, Advertising, Photography, and Communication Design. This has provoked my curiosity to gain in-depth knowledge of this field. In addition, it has immensely worked on my ability to see and address creative development. I would like to talk about one project which is my personal favorite and is close to my heart. In the wake of having some expertise during my course I have, without exception, explored different avenues regarding letter structures in my final year project. I decided to construct it using the Kalamkari art style. Moreover, to make them interactive, I decided to portray stories in each letter from Hindu epics. During that phase, this project was awarded the Best in Lettering & Typography and featured as the top twelve winners of the 36 Days of Type 2020 International Competition. Besides, I have also been interviewed, awarded, and featured on multiple national and international platforms like the International Design Award, Creative Communication Award, Type of India, Desi Creative, Fontself, Femme Type, and many more.
ABOUT THE PROJECT:
After specializing in typography, I always wanted to explore letter forms combined with linear pictorials. This was the time when I decided to construct it with the use of the Kalamkari art style. The world of typography today is so much more than a simple game of fonts. Here I have tried to go beyond the technical necessities of typography and tried highlighting it as a true art form. To make it more interactive, I chose to portray a different story in each letter from Hindu mythology like Ramayana and Mahabharata.
SELECTION CRITERIA FOR THE SUBJECT:
Folk art in India has immense potential in the international market because of its traditional aesthetic sensibility and authenticity. Some of the regions of India are quite popular among foreign tourists because of their ethnic and traditional beauty. Designing the letters in Indian script would be typical and would target to Indian audience only; whereas designing it in Latin script would target the Indian audience as well as abroad. This would at the same time, look experimental, flourish India’s rich cultural heritage, and would also grab the attention of more audiences.
EXPECTED IMPACT OF THE WORK:
I think this comeback of art styles in letter design can create a positive impact on the audience. It reflects human psychology and shows reality and innocence in their purest form. The letter design shows society that everyone needs to embrace this beautiful art by taking it forward and not limiting it to just a particular region.
CHALLENGES FACED:
To communicate the stories, it was necessary to have a visual hierarchy with appropriate fillers between each humanistic pictorial to make it look engaging. The hours of patience to maintain the balance of intricacy and its charm; and making the structure look like a family was the challenge.
LEARNING:
The three important things I learned are the dedication and persistence required to produce this work, the countless hours to design and redesign until the balance was reached, and a lot of patience and planning.
When it comes to what makes me proud, then developing this project does make me proud. It has received a lot of love from all over the world and I am glad that I was able to create it and make it reach this level. Also, when I talk about what sets me apart from others, then I would say every individual is different and each holds their strengths and weaknesses, and so do I. Besides, I am more versatile, which sets me apart from others.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.anjalijoshi.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestrokesofpen/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshianjali118
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/anjali-joshi-449955208
- Other: https://www.behance.net/joshianjaled5d
