Meet Diana Tivu

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Diana Tivu a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Diana, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

I believe that we grow up to be the things we play during childhood. In my case, this is precisely how it went to find my purpose. As a child, I was always drawing, painting, scribbling pictures on the books that i had. Reading old ones and imagining my own stories, the very thing i spend my time now doing as a children’s book author and illustrator.

I’ve always loved so much telling stories through images that I practically taught myself how to draw. I’m a completely self-taught artist. During school years, I had the chance to take a few jobs to illustrate different little projects for books, magazines, posters, so I got a taste for this kind of work. Most importantly, I learned that I can earn money doing what I love, key aspect in motivating me to keep improving my skills.

Thanks to my ability to draw, my family steered me towards an architecture path. I got the degree as an architect, but at some point, I wanted to give my passion a chance and I’ve just went for it. By all means, it was not an easy decision to make, because I liked architecture as well and it was definitely a socially appreciated job. But I just didn’t feel that I was proving my best abilities as an architect. There was always a relentless urge in my bones that a couldn’t shake off , a fear that I might live my live without trying to do what I love most. It also helped that I didn’t know much about the ups and downs of a freelance artist’s path, because it may have had scared me, so a little bit of ignorance and youth is a blessing sometimes. That being said, I quit my job as an architect, I prepared a suitable portfolio and started as a freelance illustrator. It’s been ten years since.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

The choice of working in children books industry was easy to make. Obviously because my visual storytelling skills are much needed for children’s books and I thought I could land more chances for projects. But I also deeply believe in the tremendous role that the juvenile literature has in the development of us all. Some of those books we come across during our childhood become such a consequential part of us and they outline us for life. We may read a bunch of more books later on during adulthood, but none of them is going to touch us in such a deep, meaningful way. I grew up to become what I am in part due to the books that i had the chance to lay my hands on during my developing years. To be part of this process is a huge reward for me.

I was definitely lucky and got commissions rapidly and enough to earn a living. During the beginning, I worked just as an illustrator, drawing pictures for classical international and national titles, as well for newer books by contemporary romanian authors. But soon enough my sketch books started getting filled up by my own stories, just how it happened when i was a kid. My mind was blooming with ideas and, at some point, I had to transpose them into books. That’s how I published my first picture book as an author of text and illustrations – “Pernuța Speriată și teribila noapte cu lună plină” (“The frightened little pillow and the grim full moon night”). Basically, the story of an comforting object that reflects the usual fears of the toddlers. I’ve also designed a real toy to go with the book. It became the first title of a future series of four pictures books with the frightened little pillow. The feedback I got from the kids and parents regarding those books gave me courage to invest more time in my new projects.

I kept working full time as an illustrator, while developing on my own stories, especially one about a whole world inspired by my love for elderly country life of Romanian villages, rural architecture, costumes, traditions. And by my very own experience as growing up at my grandparent’s farmyard at countryside, a boundless childhood with lots of animals, outside play and unsupervised tree climbing. It grew to embellish into a very large project with a wide range of illustrated stories that became subjects for art prints, souvenirs and a published picture book – “Căruța-căsuța” (“The wagon lodge”), for which I signed the text and illustrations.

Last year i got a taste for telling stories in comic books and I felt in love all over again with the potential of my passion. I published a comic book album for toddlers – “Cozonăcei cu stafide” (“Little raisin pound cakes”), and this year a follow up – “Dovleceală cu morcovi” (“Pumpkining with carrots”), two funny mini stories that I wrote and illustrated, about a Badger and an Otter around a grumpy old Bear. Again, I had to go back to my childhood and inspire myself from my own mischief, growing up with my younger brother around our grandparents.

I developed a versatile ability to work in completely digital medium as well as traditional techniques, and a whole lot in between. I adapted my working skills to the needs of every project, but for my dearest projects I usually use a completely traditional medium, with ink lines in pen and watercolor paint on paper.

Looking back, I do my best work when i turn back to my childhood, stay true to my most passionate projects and keep trying to do better with every new one. My growth as an artist during this last decade, all the ideas I put down on paper and the relation I have with my own state of mind happens because I chose to take a shot at using this short period of time we get to have here on earth doing what I love utterly for the most hours of the day, and just hope that it will be worth it.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

The key strength must be perseverance. Learning visual storytelling is not easy, neither is the path as a freelance artist. One must keep striving day after day, especially during those dark-no-good-dreadful days. I believe in treating artistic work with discipline, much like an athlete, train and maintain a schedule. I also think that keeping mind, eyes and heart opened as going through live is the best way to have authentic stories to tell.

How would you spend the next decade if you somehow knew that it was your last?

This reasoning about time as a resource in short supply is an exercise that I constantly practice to remind myself of what truly matters, focus my energy into my most cherished projects and the people I love.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://dianativu.ro/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diana_tivu/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dianativu
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dianativu