OctoStudio’s sleek line art is inspired by “all those shapes and colors, perfect patterns as well as imperfections” that she sees in nature. Although her designs often focus on the perfection of celestial patterns or the symmetry of a beetle’s wing, they also delve into the “imperfect” world as well with a horned cat or a raven wearing a skull.

OctoStudio, or Tamara, considers home to be “where my family is” and she often travels between Novi Sad in Serbia and Hvar in Croatia to visit with them. Fortunately, her work as a freelance artist allows her to be able to “work from wherever” and she takes advantage by traveling often. However — although her freelance work gives her flexibility and freedom — she also admits that having a freelancer’s schedule can be a double-edged sword. For instance, on the days she finds herself with free time she reveals that, “instead of making the most of them” she dwells on her insecurities and struggles with the question of “am I good enough” instead.

Nonetheless, OctoStudio shares that her favorite item in her studio is her easel because it “reminds me that I am where I should be and that I am happy to have the opportunity to do what I love.” She confesses that although it “sounds like a cliché” she has always felt like an artist at heart. In fact, her grandmother still owns a collection of designs that she created when she was 3 years old; her earliest memories are those with “a pencil in my hand.”

She understands that she might be her own worst critic but that “at the end of the day, I know that [the] only person that has to love it is me, and if I am happy with it I share it with the world.” In the future, she’d like to continue sharing her work with the world by opening her studio to the public, having workshops for students, and collaborating with other artists in her community.

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