Last updated on January 31st, 2023
Creativity comes with listening carefully and watching the world around us. Today, there isn’t much that someone hasn’t already made or drawn, but if you look closely, you can easily recognize a tree in the forest. It kind of comes down to the elements you’re going to organize in some new way. This is what Neda replied when we asked about her creative inspo. PrintShop is proud to feature an inspirational conversation with Neda Nadj, a creative who started her artistic journey when she was a teenager. And today, she specializes in multiple skills when it comes to art and design. Let Being An Artist take you through her journey that will surely inspire you in some way.
Neda Nadj is a Serbian artist having expertise across various roles- web, logo, app, packaging, label, and surface designer and concept artist.
Her very first design was a hand-sewn school bag that she made during her school days using a jute bag and old jeans. A few years later after her marriage, she lost her passion for design but rediscovered it through her daughter.
Today, she is a brilliant art professional who runs her own design and programming agency and is committed towards delivering excellent customer service by analyzing trends and providing the right advice and guidance to her customers.
Alongside her creative stint, she is also one of the founders of the association “DRVO PRVO“ which aims at spreading awareness of the importance of preserving our planet.
When we spoke to Neda and asked about her story as an artist, she said:
Hello! I’m Neda Nadj from Novi Sad, Serbia. I’m the founder and owner of Sephira Code, an agency specializing in web and graphic design and programming that has been operating for about a year. Until the opening of this agency, I held various positions in my career that really helped me gain a lot of knowledge and experience and become what I’m today. I kept working in multiple jobs until I found myself in the web and graphic design field. I credit my daughter’s talent for bringing me back on the design path.
PrintShop: When did you start your artistic journey and what made you realize that this is something that you would like to do?
Neda: I started as a teenager. I went to high school and tried to find a school bag and of course I failed to find what I liked.
At that time, the internet was still in its beginnings and there was no one to send you a link for a tutorial and something like that, and I don’t know how to explain the process that led to it, but that’s when my first design work came about.
I found a jute bag and old jeans and sewed my bag by hand. Even today, I am proud of that bag and no one has had a similar one and so beautiful.
After my school, I got married in my early twenties and had children, so the design of life jumped out in the first place and I did a lot of things that had nothing to do with design.
I rediscovered design with my younger daughter. Her talent brought me back to the design path. Looking at and supporting her talent, I realized that this is the path from which I turned and that I just need to turn around and return to that path at the next crossroads.
And that’s what I did. I enrolled in the academy and I am here with you today.
PrintShop: What’s your process of creating a piece of artwork and what tools and techniques do you use?
Neda: For me, design has a wide field of action and that goes for tools as well. It’s not strange for me to pick up a hammer, plier, woodworking tools or similar traditional tools to create something that I can’t find.
But since my work is related to digital design, I mostly use Adobe Creative Cloud: Illustrator, Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Muse, Premier and similar software. I use the techniques depending on the requirements of the project that I am working on and that of the client.
PrintShop: How do you find inspiration and stay creative?
Neda: It’s not hard to find inspiration. Just look around and you’ll see different things, people, nature, life situations, emotions.
The world is full of diversity and little things that can inspire you. And if you think about the world and want to make a better place for yourself and others too, you will be able to come up with something.
When it comes to creativity, I believe it comes with listening carefully and watching the world around us.
Today, there isn’t much that someone hasn’t already made or drawn, but if you look closely, you can easily recognize a tree in the forest. It kind of comes down to the elements you’re going to organize in some new way.
PrintShop: Did you face any challenges during your artistic journey? If yes, how did you overcome them?
Neda: Of course, challenges are an integral part of any business. Mastering techniques, getting to know the market, understanding the requirements, inexperience, agency management, and employee motivation, all these are challenges.
But what helps me in overcoming them is the experience. It is the mother of knowledge. I stumble, fall, turn around, analyze where I made a mistake, admit defeat, learn, get up and move on. And that’s how I survive the global market.
PrintShop: What is the best advice you would like to share as an artist or the most important thing you’ve learned?
Neda: Listen, observe, ask, and learn. It’s also the best lesson I’ve ever learned. I have experienced this lot many times. And you learn the most while practicing and working on various projects. Everything has something to teach you. So be ready and open to grab.
Check out her latest work on PrintShop.
