FOR illustrator Julia David, 24, an art career has always seemed inevitable. As a child, David, a Fine Arts graduate, would draw on the walls of her home–and by drawing, she meant that she would scratch the paint off of them to form characters she would see on TV. Pokemon was one of her personal favorites to doodle as a child.

Later on, she started to draw on her school notebooks. She didn’t take it seriously at first. It was only when one of her teachers told her to pursue it as a career that she started to realize her potential. 

Now a full-time illustrator and graphic artist, David or Juju, for short, had made many notable advancements in her career. 

One of her biggest feats so far? Designing merchandise for Paramore. 

The start of Juju’s growth

From late 2017 to 2018, David found herself gaining more and more popularity online. She slowly dabbled into digital art, posting her progress all over Twitter and Instagram, and her unique art style with bright, vibrant colors, helped with her growth.

As she did, people all over the globe noticed and interacted with her art. Paramore was one of them.

“I remember they reposted one of my laughter-inspired art and thanked me, which I will forever be grateful for,” she said.

“They also stalked my account one time, and liked a bunch of my photos, which I thought was so insane–in a good way, of course!”

Rocking out with musicians

In 2013, David came across Dodie Clark on YouTube–more popularly known during that time as doddleoddle. She fell in love with the artist, and Dodie Clark became one of her biggest inspirations in life.

In 2021, David found herself releasing official merchandise from someone she’s admired for so years.

“I think Dodie started to consider working with me when she and her manager, Josh, followed me. I eventually got an email from both of them asking if we can work together on some sweet, sweet merch.”

“Now here I am, answering questions while wearing my Hate Myself pajamas. Definitely having a full circle moment right now.” 

She sees the time spent working with Clark as one of the best experiences she’s ever had. They trusted her creative ideas and allowed David to communicate her vision however she wanted. She barely had to do any revisions, and was happy that the whole process was so smooth from start to finish. 

When working with artists, David does not follow a specific process for the designs she would produce for them.

“All I can say is: their music fuels my creativity so much that making art inspired by them just feels so natural, and would always flow easily,” she said, explaining how she would come up with her designs.

Aside from Clark, David has also found herself making merchandise and album art for local bands like The Ransom Collective and The Ridleys. She produced a film poster for director and YouTuber Bertie Gilbert, too.

She also made merchandise for Paramore in 2021.

Until now, David can’t believe it happened. “It’s such a big deal–somehow [it] still blows my mind to this day,” she said.

Similar to how she caught Clark’s attention, David spent a lot of time making Paramore-inspired art, which often caught the attention of the band’s account and Hayley Williams herself.

Eventually, David received a message from the band’s record label asking if they can use her art for merchandise.

There’s always gonna be pressure

At present, making art as an illustrator and graphic artist is David’s full-time job. She does posters, merchandise, album art, and much, much more, depending on what her clients ask from her.

When asked about her journey as an artist, David describes it as interesting, fulfilling, but exhausting. 

As a child, David didn’t use art for a living so she had more fun then. 

With art as her career, David says there’s a lot more pressure. 

To avoid burnout, David’s advice can be summed up in one word: rest.

“I tend to overthink and feel guilty about it, but later realized that not letting myself take a break would just prolong my burnout and make things worse,” she said. “It might take days, weeks, or even months, but I know I always get back into it so I just try to hold onto that as much as I can.”

Last, David said the rule is: There are no rules. 

“As long as you’re happy and it doesn’t hurt anybody, make your own rules. Be kind to yourself, please!” she said.