Some artists can point to a single moment when they knew they wanted to create. For Lorena Scremin, there was never quite a moment like that. Drawing was simply there from the beginning-a part of childhood, imagination, and the little rituals that made impossible worlds feel real.
Originally from the Dolomites and now based in Florence, Italy, Lorena studied Painting and Illustration at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence before beginning her career as a freelance illustrator in 2023. Her work brings together traditional mediums, playful characters, and slightly strange worlds that explore imagination, everyday life, and the beauty of imperfections.
Her relationship with drawing began long before illustration became a career. As a child, Lorena would ask her mother to draw something magical for her to discover the next morning-a princess, La Pimpa, or characters from entirely different worlds meeting on the same page. Those drawings became an early reminder that anything could take shape on paper.
Today, that same sense of possibility continues to shape Lorena’s creative practice. But behind the colorful and playful worlds she creates is the reality of building a life as an illustrator: navigating uncertainty, learning the business side of creativity, overcoming creative blocks, and finding the people who help keep you moving forward.
In this conversation, Lorena shares where her love of drawing began, what keeps her choosing illustration, how she works through creative doubt, and the advice she has gathered along the way.
Meet Lorena Scremin
1. Is there one moment you realized you were (or wanted to be) an artist? Describe that moment.
I don’t remember one specific moment when I decided I wanted to become an artist. In reality, I’ve grown up this way.
When I was little, before going to bed, I used to ask my mum for a little magical gift: I would tell her what I wanted to find drawn the next morning, following whatever my imagination suggested. It could be a princess with a long dress, La Pimpa, or characters from completely different worlds meeting each other. In the morning, I would find the drawing ready on the table, often even more beautiful than I had imagined it.
For me, it was important to see that anything was possible on paper, and that the worlds I imagined could actually take shape. Maybe that’s why there was never really a specific moment when I chose drawing: it has always been a part of my life.
2. What has driven you to be an artist?
The first answer that comes to my mind is: because I wouldn’t know what else to do. :)
Choosing this as a career isn’t always easy. Making a living as an illustrator isn’t something you can take for granted, and you have to learn how to do many different jobs at the same time: being able to draw isn’t enough. You also have to deal with the business and administrative side, organize everything yourself, look for opportunities, learn how to present yourself, and, especially at the beginning, deal with an income that isn’t always stable.
Social media can also be a double-edged sword: they can be a huge and free showcase, but you have to learn how to use them as a tool without letting them consume you.
Despite all of this, I keep choosing this career because I feel like this is what I’m supposed to do. I still have doubts, but in the hardest moments, the people close to me help me not to give up and to go back to drawing.
3. How do you get through a creative block?
Usually, when I have a creative block, sadness and the fear that I’ve forgotten how to draw take over. When that happens, I start drawing little houses in perspective with a pencil while listening to whatever music I like the most at that moment.
Usually, I then make one drawing that I really don’t like, and right after that, one that I really love. That’s when I know I’ve overcome the block.
I’ve also learned that having a creative block every now and then, maybe even once every season, is normal :) In the end, I’ve noticed that every creative block always leads to a small artistic evolution.
4. Is there one person in your life that particularly inspired or encouraged you as an artist?
Besides my parents, who played an important role in my relationship with drawing, one person who has been very important to me is my partner.
Even though he has a completely different career from mine, he is always the first person to celebrate my achievements with me, and he never seems to doubt that I should keep doing this, even when I have plenty of doubts myself.
What I appreciate most, though, is that he doesn’t just support me: he is also able to tell me when he thinks something isn’t working. When I’m very involved in a project, sometimes it’s difficult for me to listen to an opinion that is different from mine, because I can be very emotional about my choices and I’m afraid that making the wrong decision could affect an important project. He, on the other hand, has the courage to tell me even what I don’t want to hear.
Sometimes, it’s probably a little dangerous for his health :) but that’s also why I trust him even more. Knowing that, when I get lost inside a project or a doubt, I have someone who can help me step back and see things from the outside is really important to me.
5. What’s one piece of advice that’s shaped your creative journey? Is there one piece of advice you’d give to new or aspiring artists?
One thing I’ve learned along the way is that being an illustrator means much more than knowing how to draw. You also have to learn everything that comes with it: how to organize yourself, deal with the administrative and business side, look for opportunities, and learn how to use social media without letting it consume you.
The advice I would give to anyone who wants to start is not to be afraid of learning these things too and, above all, to connect with other artists. Sharing information, experiences, and opportunities can really make a difference.
