Meet Zeynep Delman

We recently connected with Zeynep Delman and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Zeynep, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

I believe my resilience comes from a combination of my personal experiences and the nature of the creative process itself. As a children’s book illustrator and ceramic artist, I’ve learned that setbacks and challenges are part of the journey. Whether it’s a design that doesn’t turn out as expected or a story that requires endless revisions, each obstacle is an opportunity to grow.

Personally, I’ve developed resilience by staying curious and open-minded. I find inspiration in the small details of everyday life and in the joy that art brings to others, especially children. Seeing how my work resonates with people helps me push through difficult times. Additionally, being part of a creative community, where we support and uplift each other, also plays a key role in keeping me grounded and motivated Additionally, the presence of the people closest to me gives me strength. Knowing that I can count on them when I close my eyes gives me courage

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

Hello, I’m Zeynep. I’m doing what I love—creating art. I use all kinds of materials, mostly ceramics, to bring my emotions to life. In my work, whether in ceramics or illustration, I use a lot of colors to express myself. Sometimes these colors convey my joy, and other times my sorrow. Creating feels like therapy to me. In addition, like the Surrealists, a part of me lives in the world of children, and I illustrate children’s books, which I also love doing

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

I’ve been drawing since I was a child, but what got me here is definitely not just my drawing skills. I believe it’s my imagination, creativity, and disciplined work that brought me to this point. For those who are at the beginning of their journey like I once was, my advice is: don’t listen to anyone who doesn’t believe in you or says you can’t do it. Keep doing what you love without stopping. Eventually, you will reach the shore. I believe in you.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

Yes, I would love to collaborate with boutique and larger brands. I have previously worked with several textile brands, creating fabric designs for them. I really enjoy pattern design and illustration. If there are any brands or individuals who would like to work with me, they can reach out to me via email or through my Instagram.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @zeyneups
• Other: zeynepdelman@gmail.com