Introduction

the short story

Hello, I am Juliana!

I am a collage illustrator, specializing in editorial illustrations for magazines and children’s books. I live in Berlin with my three fantastic daughters and partner. Last October I celebrated my 44 birthday. It was a long way, here is the short story.

I grew up with my sister and lovely family in Sofia, Bulgaria. The whole city was my home. I was lucky to have carrying amazing, deliciously cooking grandparents in town with doors always open at any time of the day (night).

Later on I studied architecture in Weimar, Germany. I loved making little buildings, sketching, green, imagining spaces and stories. I worked alone, in bad teams in fantastic teams. I lost myself, moved to Lisbon, found myself. Moved back to Weimar. I worked all nights long, lived in a house with coal heating, never learned how to use it properly. I took photography classes, spent the weekends in the quite dark, sticky laboratory and loved it.

I graduated, found a job in a very important office in a beautiful city. Worked all nights, never saw the city. Moved cities and worked in another very important office, was even more unhappy. Started work in a not very important office and loved it. Suddenly I had a life, friends, an apartment and a city to embrace - Berlin.

I met a boy, a free spirit, a beautiful soul. I lost him. I found him. We took a trip to New York with our first girl, married in the City Hall, ate cake at a playground with a skyline view in a warm summer night.

With my second girl collage discovered me and gave me a chance. I drew a fox, a cat, flowers, cut it out, loved it. We played for an year and doors opened. I got commissions for magazines, started collage workshops.

With my third daughter I started my third attempt for a newsletter with ,Let’s collage’ on Substack. Helen, my incredible friend found me an agent.

Robin is turning 3 end of May, Nika is correcting my German, Frida is having a sleepover in the school tonight and Florian is starting to learn trumpet. Life is beautifully busy and mysterious.

Love * Juliana

P.S. Join today’s Live Collage Workshops and say hi.