Today we’d like to introduce you to Hanna Moulenbelt.
Hi Hanna, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
As a kid, I loved to draw and make things. I have always been passionate about stationery- handmaking cards for loved ones’ birthdays, painting posters and banners for school events, collecting journals and stickers. Creating those items brought me joy. I went to Grand Valley State University for Illustration and graduated in the spring of 2020- right into lockdown. During the pandemic I began bullet journaling to separate the days. I made monthly spreads, patterns, calendars, weekly and habit trackers. Bullet journaling was a new category of stationery design for me and made me realize I could have a career as a stationery designer.
Presently, I am still working on building a foundation as an illustrator and surface designer. I specialize in pattern and stationery design. It’s been a hard door to wedge my foot into, but I am still having so much fun creating patterns, cards, invites, and other goods as a freelance designer or personal projects.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
To be honest, no, it hasn’t been a smooth ride! It’s hard to pick your niche, to find your style, and then to find a community where you and your art belong. I am learning something new every single day. Surface design is such a broad spectrum- it’s difficult to pick a path and start heading down it. It’s hard to know where to begin, to even work up the courage to begin. A lot of us artists struggle with imposter syndrome; slowly working on silencing that voice has even been a challenge. But as time passes, you look back on the art you have made and how you get closer and closer to your goals, and the hard work is always worth it.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m an illustrator and surface designer specializing in pattern and stationery design. I love bold color, unique, (often) hand drawn fonts and charismatic, playful illustration. I’m most proud of myself for piecing everything together! I have been working really hard the last two years to figure out surface design and how I can tie it into my love of stationery and I have. I’m proud of my curiosity and my courage to try.
Something that sets me apart from others is how I march to the beat of my own drum. Trends can be so helpful but also hurtful. With social media, we have a pressure to stay up-to-date, to be ahead of schedule and on top of everything all at once. My hat is off to the people who are able to do that- but that’s not me. I’ll pick a few trends and see how I can personalize them. How can I spin this to tailor or reflect me? Being creative while sticking true to myself and my vision has been a great backbone for my art and my sanity. That- and I’m told that my hand/penmanship is super bohemian and playful!
How do you think about happiness?
This latest season of life I have turned into a little granny- and I love it. I have gotten super into baking!! Brown butter chocolate chips are my favorite to make. Reading makes me super happy- my favorite genres are historical fiction and true crime. Crafts always bring me joy. My latest crafts have been scrapbooking and crocheting. I think my overall favorite thing is spending time with my family- my partner David and our chocolate lab, Tucker. They are my world.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.behance.net/hmoulenbelt
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hannamoustudio
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hanna-moulenbelt
- Other: https://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/hmoulenbelt
