TEODOR GEORGIEV

"I draw on my computer and occasionally on paper." This is how Teodor Georgiev would explain his job to a child. We could add, for older kids, that he is a freelance visual designer working in Helsinki until he finishes his master's degree in visual narrative there. He also spends some of his time at a small Finnish startup called Worlds of Insight. His connection to his hometown made him join the Plovdiv To Go project, for which he designed impressive postcards. We talked to him about his current projects and where he feels "in his element."

What are you working on right now?

A few months ago, I started a part-time job as a designer at World of Insights, a small Finnish startup that develops corporate training materials. I work on the design for their future products, which are card games that develop various soft skills.

Apart from that, I currently have several freelance projects – a beer label and a booklet for incoming students at Aalto University, as well as an illustration for an international NGO. At some point I should also check how my master's project is coming along.

Do you have time to work on your personal projects?

I'm looking for a way to spend more time on personal projects. When I moved to Finland, I rushed into freelancing, which together with the startup job and my studies takes up all my energy, so I do not have the chance to work on more extensive personal projects, although I have several folders at the "sketches and notes" stage of development. Last year I traveled to Bulgaria's border regions with Greece and Turkey and collected materials from settlements in the area, such as the village of Mandritsa, the only Albanian village in Bulgaria, or the almost empty village of Odrintsi, where a German commune has moved in. These stories were very interesting, but I never managed to make anything concrete out of the information I gathered, so I am letting the project rest for a few months before taking it up again. I know that not having many personal projects is a negative, because they allow you room for the development of new techniques and ideas, which you can then integrate into commercial work.

When you have free time, you prefer to ...

I read fiction or go out somewhere in the city – to a museum or gallery, or on a walk in a park. I generally like to relax in quieter places. This is one of the reasons why I moved to Helsinki, which is a capital with an active cultural life, but at the same time an extremely calm and quiet city.

Product design, a mural, book covers, posters, illustrations for online and print media. Of all the projects you work on, where do you feel "in your element"?

I currently feel most at home when working on editorial illustrations or posters, but that changes depending on my current interest. I think I'm a generalist rather than a specialist, and I have a habit of tackling a variety of tasks at once, which is somewhat of a plus, as it gives me a wider range of skills, but also a disadvantage because it often leads to a lack of depth. I think I've been trying different creative directions for a long time (from web design to advertising design), but illustration is where I feel most confident and happy, because it allows me to work on topics beyond my daily life. At different times I have worked on projects related to pineapple textiles, cricket or board games, and each project is like a little research challenge, which I can interpret in a way that is comfortable and interesting for me, but also allows me to reach a wider audience.

What is the most valuable professional advice you have received?

"Quantitative accumulation leads to qualitative change."

What is challenging about freelance work?

Work-life balance is a challenge I often face. I'm learning to balance as I go.

How do you keep up with the latest developments in your profession?

Like most other illustrators and designers: social media, design blogs, portfolio sites and, more recently, listening to quite a few podcasts.

How do you see the future of print as a media?

There have been huge changes in the way traditional print media such as magazines and newspapers are being published. More information is being transmitted in digital formats. However, I do not think that books will disappear as physical objects. At the very least, book sales have gone up. And although I definitely prefer the traditional book format, I am not very attached to the form itself. Ultimately, the main point is the information, and it is good to have easy and convenient access to it, whether on paper, electronically or through audio books. But if you change apartments every year like I have been doing, you definitely understand why e-readers are much more pragmatic.

What kind of souvenirs do you bring home from your travels?

When I was a child, I loved collecting souvenirs from different places I visited (even if it was just the next town over). Just like, postcards as mementos. I have no idea where these things are right now, and I nowadays I'd rather buy a print or a book in the local language, especially if it uses a non-Latin alphabet. Honestly, I try not to get too many things.

Which three things would you take "home" from Bulgaria?

I don't think I would take anything specific like an object or food. Travel is very easy now; I follow local news from a distance; I can often find Bulgarian food items in local stores here. If I could make this a little more abstract, I would take the view over Tevno Lake in Pirin; several childhood summers spent in the countryside; a pinch of everyday absurdity.

The street is ....

A space of transitions and changes.