Last year I started to share a recap of the past year which helped me to have a better overview of what I have to work on the next year. In 2022 I had such an amazing time I would love to tell you about it.

Since 2021 was difficult emotionally, I feel that in this one I had the opportunity to raise and develop – personally, emotionally, and professionally. Maybe it doesn’t look as I say for the last one, because I wasn’t very active on social media and my blog, but I feel that I have improved a lot of technical skills in my work.

Starting this blog post with the topic of my career

I need to mention that I started as a graphic designer in a branding studio based in Sofia which was exactly the work and field I was searching for. I also proved that I have the capacity and energy to work on some side projects. I mentioned in my last blog post how important it is for me to find a good balance between a full-time job and personal work. Through that process, it became clear to me what I want to work on and where to give my energy. I also made a big step to officially say goodbye to one of my special side projects – The NoSense Brand – which wasn’t an easy step to take. But I truly believe that this is more an opportunity than a tragedy and I’m looking forward to seeing what will come afterward.

Something else that happened regarding side projects is the progress of TSARSKI PISHTOVI.

In 2022 we gained our first funding which helped us to build a brand new website from zero. I am very happy about that because that was a topic we were discussing for more than a year and the moment of action finally came. And, of course, I was responsible for the UX & UI of the website which was a big step into my journey to web design. Nothing of this would happen without this great team I have the pleasure of working with. Also, Roberta made it to Forbes 30 under 30 as a winner of the category “Social Entrepreneurship” which is a big thing!

Another big project for me and another opportunity to work on branding is LILA –

a restaurant based in Amsterdam. Building such a strong identity and seeing it working is the greatest pleasure a graphic designer could have. I’m grateful to the founders who believe from the beginning in our communication and mutual work. You can check the whole project here and follow their Instagram page.

The last (but not least) professional achievement is the first font I designed

with the best support from our studio Brandly and the biggest positive media in Bulgaria Uspelite.bg. Azbuki reflects our national identity and shows the persistence of the written word. There are elements to find in the font of the old Bulgarian writing and handwritten letters in the spelling of each individual character. At first, the font was available only in a Bulgarian Cyrillic version. The project caused a discussion, which helped me improve the design of the letters and complete it with the Latin alphabet.

But let’s not focus only on professional activity.

There is a lot that happened in my personal life as well. I traveled much, much more than last year! I visited 5 countries (some of them more than once) and was flying in a total of 13 times. In that number, I include the visit outside of Europe which was South Africa and to be specific – Morocco.

I didn’t discover a lot of new music, but I had the opportunity to visit some Sofar concerts. Although I challenged myself with 20 books, I read only 15. I didn’t make it to a dance battle, but I saw a big progress in my dancing and more confidence about it. I had a great time with my closest people. I am also very thankful to my parents who supported me a lot this year.

And so for 2023, I wish to keep that speed and balance, but also to try to reach my goals. Here are some achievements I want to reach in 2023:

• Portfolio update
• Write at least 6 blog posts
• Develop my career
• Read at least 20 books
• Visit one country outside of Europe
• Go to a dance battle
• Get iPad
• Discover more music
• Learn Tarot cards
• Climb up at least 2 peaks

I have a good feeling for the next 365 days and I hope they will be justified. Have a blessed and successful 2023, everyone.