My Oulu: Oulu-based know-how in marketing a Disney film – Carolina Morera got the commission of her dreams

“I was contacted via Instagram by a creative community called Meokca. They only said that they were looking for an artist who could make a poster about Colombian food. At first, I did not even know that it would be for Disney. It was only after I signed a NDA that I found out about that”, Carolina Morera tells.

Among artists, Disney is well-known for their strict copyright control. Morera was not even allowed to see the film for which the poster was to be drawn. She was to create it with the help of the materials freely available such as the trailer and a few pictures sent to her.

“All I know is that the film is about Mirabella, a Colombian girl born to a family with magical powers as the only one without any”, Morera laughs and tells that she is going to see the film after the interview.

The commission came at a very busy phase in Morera’s life as it happened to take place just before her visit back in her native Columbia. She had last visited her home country about six years ago and had missed her family for a long time already.

“I was terribly busy at the time so I have hardly had the time to interiorize the whole thing. I was simultaneously meeting my family for the first time in a long while and seeing such a big opportunity come my way. I haven’t even had the time to celebrate it in any way”, she tells.

“At first, I was not allowed to tell even my family about this. However, as soon as I was permitted to do so, they were almost shocked when I told them that I was doing a commission for Disney. My brother and my nephew were an extremely important support to me with this commission.”

Drawing since childhood

Carolina Morera grew up surrounded with art. Her father worked as a sculptor in Colombia so art and related know-how run partly in her blood. Thanks to the initial push from her father, she began studying and practising art herself.

“I still cannot quite say whether this is a hobby or work. I guess it must be both then”, she muses.

Hobby or not, a passion for drawing has always led her. In Oulu, she finally got to realize her dream of entering the game sector.

“I now work at Fingersoft which is all that I have dreamt of. I am in charge of their graphic designs and illustrations. On top of all that, I have also contributed to illustrating children’s books and have been doing commissions a bit from almost everywhere. One of the works that I have drawn was recently seen in the Cable Girls series on Netflix.”

Across an ocean for love

Before moving to Oulu, Morera did not draw as much as she does now. In Colombia, her life was hectic, vocal, and fast. It was only after her move to Oulu that she began to find inspiration to draw.

“In Colombia, I almost quit drawing and only did it as a sideline, bit when I got here in the middle of peace and quiet I rediscovered my passion. Oulu has been a very inspiring place to me”, she states with a sigh.

Artistic inspiration was, however, not the only thing after which Morera came to Oulu. Instead, she frankly admits that it was love that brought her all the way over an ocean to Oulu. She first met her husband, the metal musician Riku Hopeakoski, via Myspace.

“Oh, it was so long ago that I hardly recall how it went but I guess I was the first one to send out that friend request. I was a big fan of his band Catamenia so I only wanted to get acquainted at first”, she says with a laugh.

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