Christina Gliha 6/1/23 Christina Gliha 6/1/23

Les Échos Série Limitée Editorial by Christina Gliha

So delighted to share new editorial artwork created for Les Échos Série Limitée for their special edition issue on the French Riviera and Provencal wines.

This assignment featured 3 illustrations: a beautiful table setting with a wine tasting and two flavour cue compositions featuring white and yellow peaches, jasmine, oranges and grapefruits.

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Christina Gliha 12/6/22 Christina Gliha 12/6/22

The Truth About Trusting Your Talent by Christina Gliha

INTRODUCTION: DRAWING INSPIRATION

Christina Gliha was an internationally trusted name in advertising and branding. As an Executive Creative Director, the campaigns she created for clients like Apple, MTV, lululemon, and Pepsi garnered award-winning acclaim. When her inner voice told her something more fulfilling was out there, she traded in her corporate title and went “back to the drawing board” to rediscover her first love: simple self-expression with a pen and paper. These days, she’s her own boss. She no longer folds herself in to fit someone else’s idea of a creative professional. She’s proof that switching gears to honor your unique gifts and vision doesn’t mean starting from scratch. Read on for her expertise on crafting your own recipe for success and trusting your gut.

OVERCOME ANXIETY WITH AUTHENTICITY

Before pursuing illustration full-time, I had this misguided idea that I was going to have to start at the bottom and work my way up. I felt unworthy and like an imposter, but the work I did came from an authentically passionate place, and the response was overwhelmingly positive. I put out a big body of work that spoke to my ideal clients, and they literally just showed up. If you’re a reluctant artist, don’t wait. Don’t put any small, meek, “starter” work out there. Go big! Swing for the fences and shoot for the stars, you’ll likely be surprised at the opportunities that come your way.

STRUCTURE A CREATIVE ROUTINE

It all starts with getting to know yourself, and being brutally honest about your strengths and weaknesses. I’m not a morning person, so I work on an inverted schedule. I do physical activities during the morning to invigorate me, and I keep afternoons for new business development, meetings, and admin. Evenings are for creative work. This is when my mind is most open, and my inner critic is too sleepy to be chatty. My husband and I are both artists, so we don’t pressure each other about working a strict 9-5 schedule. We work intuitively, and our work is better quality because we do it when it feels right. This has been a revelation because sometimes when the ideas aren’t flowing, it’s best to not force it. Give yourself the freedom to take a break or get up and do something physical. Have a dance party in the kitchen, eat an ice cream cone, run outside and marvel at nature! If inspiration is low, mediating, wandering a museum, traveling, or investigating a new subject are great methods to get your creative juices flowing.

ALLOW CREATIVITY TO BLOSSOM

So many would-be artists let themselves get derailed by self doubt, asking “Is this good enough?” It’s important to get out of your own way and drop the constant need to evaluate in the moment. If you’re struggling to find the time for expression, honor your creative self by scheduling time in your calendar to craft and experiment. Maybe that means waking up early before other obligations creep in. If that’s not an option, try coupling creativity with another activity. My new illustration career began by drawing while watching late-night movies after work. Incorporating drawing into my wind-down routine helped me enter a flow state where I wouldn’t question the validity of what I was creating.

BRING EXPRESSION INTO EVERY DAY

The holidays are the perfect time to let your creativity flow and provide a unique opportunity to share your talents with those you care for. Consider how you wrap your gifts. An easy way to access creativity is by using plain wrappings and decorating them with paint, stencils, and themes customized to the recipient, with a handwritten note to match. Saying something thoughtful or referencing a memory or inside joke amplifies the gesture. Don’t underestimate the impact that sharing something of yourself can have on others. People love to be seen and understood. If you can take a moment to make a thoughtful observation about someone, that in itself is a loving gift.

This interview appeared in the 2022 December issue of MyMolly Magazine.

Deepika Patel from ilody interviews Christina Gliha

in conversation with Christina Gliha (as published on ilody)

oct 19, 2022

“I find how some people self-designate with strict titles about how and what they are to be very limiting. Learning new things keeps you humble and open to connecting and passion stacking.”

- Christina Gliha

"When I was planning the launch for Ilody's Kansa Wand, I wanted to explore another way to visualise it. I didn’t want to go down the photography route. I wanted something more personal, something different. I’ve always loved the tactile nature of illustration, and truth be told, the art is having a wonderful moment right now.

Illustration makes me think of textiles which I’ve always had a love for - whether it be traditional embroideries in sari’s or the rich embroideries that I’ve been lucky enough to see while working with fashion designer, Alexander McQueen.

I began researching another way to convey the beauty of our Kansa Wand and came across Christina’s work on social media - take a look at her incredible designs @christinaglihaillustration. I reached out to her to see if she wanted to collaborate, to which she said yes.

Then, the magic happened.

Join Christina and I, as we sit down for a deep conversation, discussing her life as an artist, what inspires her and how she likes to work. I hope you enjoy.

Deepika x

Interview:

How do you start your creative process?
Christina: It always depends on the type of project. For a client project, everything starts with interviewing them, understanding their vision, putting together a creative brief and of course doing lots and lots of research! I read everything I can about the brand, their industry and competition, and I look at a lot of reference imagery, film and books. I also look “out-of-category” to help see where there are new opportunities to innovate and differentiate. If the client makes a specific product or service, for example, a new lipstick, I use it myself for a while to understand it more fully.

When it’s personal work, I may just see something and be instantly inspired and want to interpret it, but usually, I have a huge reference archive I look through. This is where I combine elements that I think work well together. I am also very inspired by my childhood, pop culture, fashion, food, and my travels and I take an obscene amount of photos to draw upon.

Illustration is having a moment in recent times within fashion and beauty, why do you think that is?
Christina: Because our iPhones are now a virtual photo studio in your pocket I would say the average person has a certain proficiency with taking pretty decent images, but our smartphones have now made the act of taking a relatively good photo seem more attainable and thereby, ubiquitous and possibly less special.

With illustration, it’s a more rarified skill comparatively and as a medium, it can be more emotive and flexible. You don’t need a whole photo studio and team and set design built for a concept – an artist can draw anything – a destination, a crowd of people, another universe or surreal reality and there are no model contracts or studios to book or sets to build.

It’s also possible for a brand to stand out with an illustration style because it’s easier to create something unique. Lastly, I think illustration that feels handmade speaks to people on a different level. Some illustration work is so perfect that it almost feels solely computer generated which can leave people feeling cold. Imperfection helps people connect more to artwork because that is inherently human. I actually often go back to roughen-up work because sometimes people mistake some of my more realistic work for photographs - which never elicits the same emotional response.

You’ve worked with many brands over the years as an art director, graphic designer, what drew you back to illustration?
My husband, Martin Bregman, has been working as an illustrator as well for over a decade and I had a front-row seat to his great success. He has built a life for himself that is pretty incredible and to be honest, I was jealous of it, as working in advertising can be very challenging on so many levels. I wanted more joy for myself and I wanted to choose who I worked with. People have told me that they can literally see how much I love something in the way I render it and I think that authentic interest makes all the difference in how I feel and how good the work is. I have spent just as much time turning down work as taking it on because I don’t want to do anything that doesn’t light a spark within.

When you're not working on brand collaborations, what inspires you to illustrate?
I made a commitment to myself that I would draw every day for a year during the beginning of the pandemic, and now it’s actually a compulsion. I actually feel like I must do it! I have come to realize that nothing makes me happier than creating on my own terms. I have had some destructive addictions to consumerism in the past that I have redirected into creating art and wow! What a game-changer. I feel more awake, more myself and on the right path – it’s so inspiring.

Are you influenced by any artists, photographers, or writers? When I look at your work, especially the more painterly aspects, I’m reminded of Hockney. Does fine art play a part in your work?
Everything influences and inspires me, especially fine art and photography. I also come from a long line of painters, illustrators, and sculptors, so it’s in the blood so-to-speak. I am very influenced by my family's legacy. My father and stepmother were very encouraging of my artistic interests during my childhood, and they supported my desire to go to art school and pursue a creative life. This support and encouragement were invaluable.

Artists like Hockney and Maria Kalman are huge influences. When I look at their work I feel so optimistic. I want to make other people feel that way too, but you must always start with pleasing yourself instead of chasing trends. Once you start with asking “will so-and-so like this?”, you’re doomed! If you feel giddy looking at your own work after a couple days or weeks have passed since you made it, you know you’ve nailed it. Sometimes I look at my own pieces and think, “did I really make this? How?”. Sometimes, I am sincerely surprised by the final results. This magic happens when it comes from inside, not anywhere else. Obviously, sometimes the conclusion is that the work is utter rubbish, and that’s perfectly ok too.

Your style is very painterly. It’s loose with visible brushstrokes, how do you think this connects with people as opposed to seeing more photography when brands communicate their products?
Sometimes when images are too perfect, they wash over you. You reject them and sort them into the “not real” pile. When I was commissioning work as a Creative Director, I found I was always drawn to everything hand-drawn to balance out how corporate and aloof some brands can be. The act of pairing art with commercial messaging can be a very interesting juxtaposition. Some may feel it’s crass or cheapens the art, but I think all creative endeavors deserve respect if they are built from a good place. I love good advertising and consider it an art form like anything else when it’s done with skill and integrity. Some people balk at that idea but I ran an art gallery briefly in my youth and that world is just as commercial as anything else. How we divide and label things is more about how it suits our needs rather than what it really is. All pursuits can have merit if you approach them with the right ideals.

Have you found social media to be a big factor in communicating your work and building new relationships with brands, creatives, art directors?
I only launched my illustration Instagram account recently and have been pretty blown away by the response given that so many people feel that platform has had its moment in the sun. Social media has been amazing because big brands, designers, and celebrities have reached out to me directly and vice versa and so there isn’t this barrier of handlers protecting you from having direct conversations with founders. I’ve been stunned by this aspect and to be honest, I love it. You can really cut through quickly and make great connections.

I’m also experimenting with TikTok now too, and I see the potential for community building in a big way given its unique tone of transparency. The platform encourages sharing and vulnerability in a very positive and real way, versus the perfect veneer of Instagram.

You illustrate so many things, from beauty to places. Do you have a favourite thing to draw?
I’m very curious about everything and am interested in a lot of different things. I love variety. I’m all about pushing myself to try new things, and I think this curiosity about everything really helps make my work and life interesting. I feel like I have ideas flowing from the top of my head like a fountain! I have never stayed in my lane professionally or otherwise, and this has typically challenged people, as they’re unsure as to how to categorize me. Regardless, I love it and will never stop exploring and growing.

I find how some people self-designate with strict titles about how and what they are to be very limiting. Learning new things keeps you humble and open to connecting and passion stacking. I recently designed a store of the future for Lululemon and had never done a project of that scale before. Most people would say, how can I possibly figure this out if I haven’t done it already? I never think that I can’t do something - there is always a way - just sit down, do the research, surround yourself with the right people, be open and the ideas and solutions will come. Everything in life is creative problem-solving. I always tell people that humans were not put on planet earth to just try a couple of things - try everything! Why not? Our world is a playground. This curiosity translates to what I am inspired to draw - it’s really a record of what I am thinking about at any given movement and what I love.

When delivering a project do you have an ideal setup?
I’m very process-oriented because of my decades of agency experience where one has so little time to actually be creative. That acute pressure taught me to be incredibly flexible and focused and shut out all distractions no matter how chaotic the environment around me was. For that reason, I am not very precious about where I work - I can really work anywhere and in any situation. I once designed an entire pitch in a car returning home from a cottage. To be clear, I was not the one driving! But, if I had to pick an ideal way to work, it’s late at night while watching movies – the split focus distracts me so that I can’t be anxious or get derailed by questioning if something is good enough yet.

Do you have any rituals that keep you grounded and balanced?
To be frank, the single best ritual (and investment) I have ever made for myself is to go to therapy regularly, do shadow work and remove all the drama from my life. I couldn’t recommend this more.

In terms of other routines, I go for an hour walk every day with my dog, no matter the weather. This time in nature is essential for happiness. I also call my best friend every day, who is a creative genius, and talk to her for at least an hour or more about our goals and dreams – this really energizes me. I also try to go to museums and new restaurants as often as possible and take two or three creative inspiration trips a year.

In terms of beauty and wellness products, I find the degree of choice overwhelming and so I really look to smaller founder-led brands that I trust to guide me. I read ingredient labels and truly care about the people behind brands - their stories and motivations. In terms of makeup, I love to play and try all the colours and trends because it’s fun and a creative form of self-expression.

Lastly, I always stay out of the direct sun and wear 50+ sunblock every day no matter what (I have since I was 25). I drink mostly just water and eat intuitively - I don’t have strict rules around what I can and cannot have. I prioritize knowing where the food comes from, seasonality and flavour. I’m very lucky because my husband does all of the shopping and cooking and is always making the most marvelous dishes for our family – eating well is everything to us. That said, I will just as easily indulge in a bag of Hawkins Cheesies too!

Original post on ilody