Delightful is the word that keeps coming back to me as I think about introducing my interview with illustrator Raven Jones. Whimsical is a bit too sweet, and charming comes close, but after our emails back and forth and immersing myself in her work, delightful just feels right. Raven’s illustrations of hygiene-hyping tigers and Bugs, ensconced in Hermes, feel effortless and effervescent; she brings the same detail and attention to her bespoke portraits as her hand-illustrated mailers. (Can you imagine opening the mailbox and seeing this?!) 

I haven’t written anything in almost two years. My young kids and demanding design day job have consumed my creator energy, but following Raven’s work gave me that old sparkle of interest and inspiration again. During these months in quarantine, every day feels a little lackluster and stale, so seeking a shake-up, I reached out to Raven and get her take on career pivots, sustaining momentum and her old school illustration inspiration. Just like her sketches, she’s such a breath of fresh air, so enjoy!