5 questions with a creator: Meet Sofie from Fia Lotta Jansson Design
"Co-operate with other creators, contact people you admire, talk about creativity and share experiences. We are all good at different things and we can help and encourage each other."
Meet Sofie Björkgren-Näse - our Boon creator from Fia Lotta Jansson Design.
Hear Sofie’s inspiring story on how she turned her passion into her career as a lettering artist, and her words of wisdom for fellow creators.
1) Tell us the story behind your business. How and why did you become a lettering artist?
I have always loved letterforms and how to draw them, how they look and explore how different letters relate to each other. About ten years ago my passion for letters and typography started growing, and I started longing to work creatively with type.
When I was working part time with young people and part time as a singer song writer, Instagram boomed and I discovered lettering artists and realized there were people professionally doing what I loved doing as a hobby. I started practicing lettering and drawing letters and words whenever I hade time off or had an idea I wanted to try.
In 2012 we moved with my family from Finland to Sweden and I decided to start my own company Fia Lotta Jansson Design pursuing lettering as a profession. The first four years I had a part time day job, and in 2016 I went full time freelancing.
2) Who’s your personal role model or hero? Can you tell us a bit about why you admire them?
I am very inspired by the women who are close to me. Many have been through hardships in life and are still continuously kind and loving persons. Many are successful entrepreneurs and artists, and some are struggling but devoted to their art. Many are care takers and and very content with life. They inspire me greatly.
3) Do you have a personal motto or manifesto that you live your life by? Or a favorite quote?
“Sahara, Sahara, Sahara!” Something my friend and I came up with in our teens in the scouts. It means something like “It might be hard but you can do it!” and comes from us getting to know people that were preparing for Marathon Des Sables, a marathon in Sahara.
We thought that was the ultimate challenge and if you can get through that you can get through anything. As we’ve gotten older we still use that saying when we face obstacles in life. They are encouraging words.
4) Can you share a fun or quirky fact about yourself that not a lot of people know - or maybe wouldn't expect? :-)
I am very skilled at making thin and great tasting crêpes! And something about peeling carrots as fast as I can is very appealing (pun intended).
5) If you could go back in time, what advice would you give to yourself as a young creator? Any advice for other creators just getting started on Boon?
I have almost always tried my hand at what I have been interested in. In some things I have been successful and in some I have failed. I don’t know if I have any good advice for my younger self since I feel I had to go through the things I did to become the one I am today. But I wish everybody could live without fear and be able to work with what they are good at and what they enjoy.
If I were to give advice to creators just getting started, it would be to work patiently and do good work. Co-operate with other creators, contact people you admire, talk about creativity and share experiences. We are all good at different things and we can help and encourage each other.
To learn more about Sofie and her online lettering classes, check out her Boon channel and inspiring Instagram account.