Graphic designer and illustrator Zaida Wilson is not one to do things half heatedly.

After moving her whole life across the Atlantic to be with the love of her life, she joined DesignCrowd to help pursue her passion for creativity.

Now a prolific packaging designer, Zee, as she goes by, is ranked well inside the site's top 400, based on earnings.

She has had an interest in the creative arts since she was a child, and has a long, as well as eclectic, list of people who influence her work.

Beyond the pen tool invited Edinburgh based Zaida to share her story.

I live in...Edinburgh, Scotland, and I work from home.

The view out my window is...Kind of rubbish. It's just a parking lot, but I do enjoy the people coming and going.

My passion for...Graphic design and illustration, began when I was little. I don't remember myself without a crayon, a pencil, or a marker in my hands. I was always on the floor, on my belly, with a piece of paper, doodling something.

I guess I started to feel real passion for design when I started to work. To be more precise, I just fell in love with packaging design and the process around it.

I have...more than 18 years' experience, working non-stop with universal brands, in Studios, and with Advertising Agencies. I studied in Caracas, Venezuela, at the Instituto de Diseño de Caracas.

How I come up with a creative ideas...After I have read the brief or talked with the client, the ideas just start to flow. Sometimes they come just in the middle of the meeting.

Then, I usually jump straight into research, looking at competitors, trends, graphics, and whatever I think could help.

The next step is I always move on to paper and pencil, where I let myself go and allow the ideas to come through my hand. It doesn't matter if the doodles/drawings are not good, it is the fact I am drawing that matters. It offers me a kind of organic freedom.

After that, it all starts to flow by itself. I like to have a grasp of a good concept and then I just enjoy the process. What is necessary as part of this is a cup of coffee, good music, and maybe a some chocolate.

My favourite designer is... a tough one question. I admire and respect so many creative people, from friends, colleagues, to well known creative people.

I like smart designs, smart visuals, classics, and fun situations. I think Noma Bars work as a graphic designer is impeccable. I admire Alan Fletcher, Cassandre, Christopher Doyle, Sean McCabe, Brian Duffy, Felipe Bello, Ana Margarita Chacón, Quino, Rebecca Dautremer, Vera Brosgol, Agustina Guerrero, Seth MacFarlane (I think he is brilliant!), Tim Burton...I could be here for ages, there are so many talented designers, artists, photographers, illustrators out there.

My design style can be describe as...Eclectic. Over the years I have learned that having a style is positive and can make you stand out, no doubt about that, but I just like to try different things and make the client happy, even if I don't like the final result.

Now I am into illustration, trying to learn, and I'm drawing every day. I think I am already finding my cartoonish hand shake style, so I'm looking forward to seeing how this evolves.

I specialize in...Packaging, identity, and I absolutely adore branding.

I am most creative when...I wake up very early in the morning and prepare myself a good cup of coffee - it's that moment when I smell the aroma.

I'd also say when I listen to good music and realise I am in a good place in my life, healthy, happy, inspired, and loved.

Added to those times - I guess when I work with cool people and cool clients, because the feeling is just perfect.

Right now I can't stop watching...Shaun the Sheep. This is so silly, but it is true, I just love it.

But to be honest, I think Breaking Bad ruined it for me. After that TV show, nothing seems to have all the ingredients to make me sit on the sofa for hours watching chapter after chapter...Oh, yes there is one: The Big Bang Theory.

My favourite blog...Is the DesignCrowd blog, of course!

Now, seriously, I have a few sites saved on my favourites about design, illustration and food, but to be honest, I'm not a good blog reader.

If I see an article I like somewhere, I just read it, but I am not part of the huge blogger audience.

The app I can't live without is...kind of a dramatic way to look at it, but the one I like the most is Instagram. It is the only one I feel comfortable with. Although I think I just have like 140 followers, so, feel free to follow me.

My secret super hero power is...Something I've had to think about very carefully. I think I would love to have the ability of space-time manipulation, how does that sound? Like Hiro Nakamura or like Isaac Mendez. I would love to paint the future.

The craziest thing I've done recently is...Erm, well, I am having quiet a sane life at the moment. The fact I crossed the Atlantic to meet the love of my life, and changing my life completely, was pretty crazy and scary (for me), but the feeling is just amazing.

When I am working...I always like to listen to music. I have a few good playlists on Spotify, including 'Your morning coffee' by Spotify UK. I usually start very early, so this playlist is just perfect for that time. I like 'Wake up smiling' by Spotify UK, and 'Acoustic Hits' by Hits.

The latest design trend I have noticed is...Hand drawn illustrations and typography, maybe because I'm into that.

I am not pro-trend, but you have to know what is happening, and I do like some of the trends.

I've noticed vibrant colour pallets or very soft watercolour-ish pallet. Also simplicity, clean graphics. They just go straight to the point, which I identify with.

I discovered DesignCrowd when...I moved from my country and decided to start a new life here with my husband in Scotland.

I was starting from scratch, so I needed to look for some form of income from the beginning.

A good friend who lives in Canada told me about these contest sites. I went into a few and I didn't feel it. I didn't feel it was the right fit for me.

Then I found Design Crowd. It was very easy to use and understand, and launched great projects. It is the best for me. I have found amazing clients, and part of my portfolio is because I decided to give it a try and trust in DesignCrowd.

My top tips for designers to succeed is...Love what you do, that's the most important thing. It's a crazy but amazing business, so be patient, that's key.

Be open-minded, be responsible, have integrity, learn and enjoy working with people, have personal projects, pay your bills and taxes, go out, live, read books, watch movies, listen to good music, don't take it to seriously and finally, enjoy what you eat.

My favourite contest on Design Crowd is...I think every project has a different flavour, so without being diplomatic, I'm just being honest, I have enjoyed all the projects I have participated in.

It is a great opportunity, and I owe part of my success in foreign lands to Design Crowd.

Read more designer interviews here:

Logo Specialist Sonya Popova From Sofia
Oregon Based Photoshop Specialist Joel Krebs
UI UX Designer Laurentia Lisa Setiawan

Or dive into the blog archive to discover interviews with other top DesignCrowd Designers.

Written by Kevin Bradford on Thursday, December 3, 2015

Kevin Bradford is a content editor at DesignCrowd with a background in journalism and digital production. Experienced in both writing and videography, he loves combining his skills to create captivating content across all multimedia channels.