Today we’d like to introduce you to Divya Negi
Hi Divya, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Design has always been central to what I do. It influences everything—what I curate, what I like, even how I organize my space. But it took me a long time to consider it as a career. I originally pursued research, earning a Master’s in Nanotechnology, with no plans to shift until I discovered design. Unlike research, design felt like play, completely transforming my outlook. Six years ago, I made the switch, built a small portfolio, and established myself as a designer. While the journey has been creatively fulfilling, I started to feel stagnant in jobs, so I decided to pivot again. That’s what brought me to MICA in Baltimore, where I’m now pursuing an MA in graphic design. It’s been a wild mix of fun and intensity—it honestly feels like play school, just with deadlines! I only wish I’d jumped in sooner.
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?
It’s been a long and confusing journey, but I’m glad I made it. Walking away from a nearly established career was tough, and I worked odd jobs while teaching myself design, hoping to get hired as a designer one day. Growing up in India, where academic achievement is so deeply valued, your identity and self-worth can easily get tied to it. I wasn’t sure if I’d make it as a designer, but I felt like I didn’t have a choice—I loved it too much to do anything else. The path was full of self-doubt, uncertainty, and anxiety, especially without mentorship. But I’ve always believed in outworking self-doubt. It took me twice as long to figure things out, but a quote by Ira Glass kept me grounded. I even had it framed as a constant reminder to push through.
“Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know it’s normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take a while. It’s normal to take a while. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.”
― Ira Glass
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Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m passionate about brand design and illustration, and my favourite projects are the ones where I can combine both. One of my proudest recent works is a Google Doodle which is a temporary alteration of the Google logo on its homepage to commemorate important events. This Doodle celebrated Hamida Banu, widely considered the first Indian woman wrestler in colonial India. I don’t illustrate as much as I’d like, so this project was a creative reminder that I can still draw and create. While I handle all kinds of commercial work, my personal projects are rooted in the ethos of ‘art for art’s sake,’ which began as a reaction to the monotony of my early non-design jobs. I draw inspiration from nature, low-brow art, and vintage aesthetics, often leaning into gritty, red-themed compositions with a touch of surrealism. I aspire to work with businesses or individuals who seek an unconventional, loud, or eccentric look.
How do you think about happiness?
Being at art school, l get to see how talented people are and it truly warms my heart. I’m also passionate about fitness, which keeps me grounded and helps me maintain a work-life balance. I make time for my workouts, even if it means cutting back on work. Little things bring me joy, like the sunflowers at the intersection near my place, lamps, MICA illustration students painting on the sidewalks, hitting gym PRs, books that explore design or the intersection of psychology and biology—the list keeps changing!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bydivya.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepapermuse/
