When Marion de Lauzun she realized she only had a year left to do the one thing that scared her – move and live in another country for a year. In France, young people can apply for a “Working Holiday Visa” before they’re 31. So when push came to shove, Marion de Lauzun applied and after she got her acceptance notice she said, “I knew that I had to leave.”
She had spent her 20’s studying business and eventually working a typical job. Sooner than later she realized it wasn’t a perfect match. When she thought about her next step, her travels through Asia continued to come back to mind. So when she “had to leave” she packed her bags and headed to Japan.
It wasn’t the last stop, but it was the one that geared her life in a whole new direction, one that included bringing our beloved pets to life in beautiful digital portraits. We talked about art, the moves, and more!
Kendra: In between then and now you lived and worked around the world, but it seems as if your time in Japan got you back on track with art. What about that place, and all the other places you called home briefly, inspired you to create more?
Marion de Lauzun: After spending years being afraid of going to live in Japan. When I arrived, I realized that it was actually not so difficult. It was more painful when I was in Paris and incapable to make the decision to leave. So I realized it was possible for me to make big decisions for my life like changing my career path.
Also, the exhilarating thing about my year living in Japan was that I arrived with absolutely no plan. Being in a completely new environment, in a country that is so different from France gave me a new perspective on things and this his how I started to create again.
Kendra: You’ve mentioned you were self-taught. So has it always been animals that have inspired your hand?
Marion de Lauzun: No, I tried a lot of things, like typographic designs, comics, photography, pottery, etc. I’m studying Japanese calligraphy at the moment, so it’s very eclectic.
Kendra: When someone orders a pet portrait from you, you offer unlimited revisions – has that ever been a regretful decision?
Marion de Lauzun: Absolutely not! If someone purchases a portrait of their pet, it’s something that is very personal and has a lot of meaning for them. I feel blessed to be able to create something so personal and of course, I want to make sure that people will like the portrait!
Art is very subjective, especially if it’s a portrait of your pet that you see every day. And if you want to hang it in your home, you want it to match the furniture, etc. So it’s essential to take suggestions and comments from my customers. Since I create everything digitally, I can make changes very quickly so it’s not a problem.
Kendra: As we look ahead, where’s the business heading and are you packing up again anytime soon for a new adventure?
Marion de Lauzun: I have too many ideas and not enough time. For my business, I’m planning to create funny illustrations of dogs and cats to sell on my website. I also would like to start new projects like creating small video games or writing short novels. But it takes time! Also, I’m planning to maybe travel a few months next year. But for now, I’m focusing on the Christmas season that is going to be super busy like always.
