Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Borja.
Hi Amanda, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’m your friendly neighborhood CHamoru-American millennial artist with an old soul and a love for vibrant colors, clean-ish lines, and buildings with character. I’ve spent a majority of my life as an Orlandoan doing art as a hobby, but Amja Studios started out of the pandemic. I was lounging in bed one evening at the beginning of the Orange County lockdown in March 2020, browsing a catalogue of free art classes online, and I decided to take one on rendering a house in ink and watercolor. As I followed along with the video, I was surprised with how much I vibed with the process and the aesthetic. By the time I was finishing up the tutorial and my own piece, I had an inkling that this style of art would be a way to preserve the fond memories I had of places around town until it was safe to go out and make new ones. The next day, I made a piece of the Enzian. When I shared it on Instagram, I found it not only resonated with me but with others, and things progressed from there.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The path is a winding one – some patches are smooth and others are more rocky. I’ve loved connecting with local businesses through my art, and more so, I feel incredibly fulfilled when helping others preserve their own precious memories through either a print or a custom piece. But navigating and trying to build a social media platform is a challenge, particularly when the algorithm changes constantly and more and more engagement is expected. Social media feels like the gateway to creating a successful business, but sometimes it feels draining and demanding as opposed to a way to connect and share with others. Outside of the virtual landscape, it’s been a journey to learn about my cycles of creation and rest. There are times when I get super excited about an idea and want to go full-throttle on it, and then there are moments where I struggle to find inspiration or motivation to create new pieces. It’s just a matter of balance, and I’m definitely a firm believer in listening to, being aware of, and honoring the phases of creative energy as much as possible.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Even though I physically draw places in ink and then watercolor them, my goal is to capture the essence of the vibrant, colorful, fun memories people have at those locations. I focus on locations around Orlando – small businesses, lakes, schools, iconic local spots. I’ll also use my art as a means of sharing local causes that I’m passionate about. Additionally, I do commissions for some pretty cool people of places around the world. My passion is making pieces to celebrate all of life’s occasions, whether they’re big, like a wedding or a graduation, or small, like nights spent at a favorite bar or holidays spent at the grandparents’ house. Photography does a great job at capturing specific moments and digital art can do all sorts of cool things, but there’s something whimsical, special, and all-encompassing about a hand-made ink and watercolor piece that can transport you to a specific location in your memories and that can make you remember a specific moment or years of time spent there. My pieces help keep the memories closer.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
As we transition to post-pandemic life, I’ll still be creating pieces of local places and doing commissions work. I’m currently strategizing on how to expand the Studios, so there might be some new offerings within the year, too. If you’re a local creator who’s interested in collaborating or if you have a whimsical piece in mind that’s bigger than a sheet of paper, I’m always interested in hearing more!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.amjastudios.com
- Instagram: amjastudios
