When the Expectation is Doctor, Lawyer, or Engineer, and you want to be an Artist with Misha Zadeh Graham.

Joining Margo in her windowsill today is Misha Zadeh Graham. Misha sketches, paints, and collages from her home studio in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, overlooking the Puget Sound. She is the founder of Turquoise Creative, whose unique line of handmade, cut-paper greeting cards and letterpress note cards debuted at the 2002 National Stationery Show and were soon picked up by high-profile boutiques throughout North America and Europe such as Barneys New York, Kate's Paperie and Liberty London. Her cards have been featured in many publications including RealSimple, Lucky, Sunset, and O, the Oprah Magazine and she has also licensed artwork to online and established printed stationery leaders.

Margo and Misha chat about:

• Misha’s unclear path to finding graphic design and where she found it
• The rigorous design school at University of Washington
• Some different experiences with licensing
• Dealing with copyright infringement
• The willingness and confidence to push for work you believe in
• Creating quality over quantity 
• And much more!

Misha draws inspiration from her childhood spent poring over Persian miniatures and weavings, as well as the modern and Nordic influences she picked up in her studies at the University of Washington and beyond. She loves to play with color, pattern, quirky animals, and all sorts of flora. You can find her creating bold imagery adorning textiles, housewares, and of course, paper goods.

Connect with Misha:

http://www.mishazadeh.com/

https://www.instagram.com/mishazadeh/