Hello, world
Hey there,
Thanks for stopping by my tiny corner of surface pattern design world!
I’m Natalia, the artist, designer and business manager behind Whimsy&Mojo. I thought I’d introduce myself here in a more relaxed format than my “about” page.
How about 10 random facts about me:
I have two spunky boys and an amazing husband - they’re my whole world!
I’ve been a Ballroom and Latin dancer for over 35 years, 20 of which I also taught people how to dance. I stopped teaching to spend more time with my boys
During the Coronavirus pandemic, I sewed over 3000 masks and was reminded of how much I love working with fabric - I’m pretty sure this was a major catalyst for my pattern design journey
My favorite color is Chartreuse, with Cobalt Glass Blue a close second
For the past several years, I’ve been working as a professional family and newborn photographer
I’m a terrible singer and cannot carry a tune. Seriously, not even the ABC’s
White Freesia is my favorite flower
I am a cancer thriver (get all your screening in regularly!)
I’m fluent in three languages: English, Russian and French
Hot Yoga is my fitness torture of choice
A few years back, I'd have never imagined I would find myself designing surface patterns for a living.
When my boys were born, I decided to leave my decades-long ballroom dance career behind to spend more time with them. I used my photography skills to run a small portrait business photographing families and newborn babies. Seeing my littlest clients grow through the years was an incredible experience - I am so so grateful!
In 2022, life dealt me a bit of a pickle. During my cancer treatments, I found myself in need of a career pivot. I couldn’t do much outside my home and suddenly had the time to gain some new skills. I dove into the Adobe Illustrator and discovered a bright new path during a pretty dark time. Photography taught me how to work with images in Photoshop. Illustrator took everything I already knew and pushed me into the world of seamless patterns. The puzzle pieces keep falling into place.
As a photographer, I always find inspiration in visual arts, color, texture and light. Structure and patterns make my brain happy. This new path pointed me towards hope, a fresh purpose, and most importantly, flexibility and complete location freedom.
These days, I’m creating surface designs and finally finding use for the thousands of flower photos I took over the years!