Community Highlights: Meet Vesal Bizieff of Vesal Cuts Paper

Today we’d like to introduce you to Vesal Bizieff.

Hi Vesal, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I’ve been creating longer than I can remember. As a kid, I would sit at my fisher-price light table and copy images of cute elephants onto birthday cards for my friends. I went above and beyond for all of my creative school projects. I knew my life would always be centered around art of some kind, but I didn’t know the world of art expanded beyond being a painter (and I wasn’t very good at that). Along with my artistic side, I excelled in Mathematics at school. My mom always told me I should go into Architecture. “Artists don’t make much money, and I think Architecture would be a good career for you,” my mom would say. But along the way, I sidelined my creativity and focused on sports and school. 

Fast-forward, and that little artistic girl decided to go to NC State University for Computer Science and Mathematics. I was hoping that coding was going to be how I combined both sides of my brain to give me the most satisfaction for what I was craving. Once I realized that it wasn’t going to be as creative as I hoped, I decided to look elsewhere for my calling. I remember reading a book about different careers for artists, and Graphic Design seemed like what I was looking for. I kept working on my Mathematics degree and graduated with my Bachelors while simultaneously attending Wake Tech for their Advertising and Graphic Design Program. My business is called Vesal Makes Logos. I love creating brand identities for businesses; however, I still felt the need for that hands-on experience when it came to creating. 

A few years ago, I received a cutting machine for my birthday. I felt like a new world opened up for me as an artist. Now I’m doing things with paper I never dreamed of as a kid. I started my business, Vesal Cuts Paper, in 2021. My story is by far not a straight line, but I am thankful for all the turns it took to get me to where I am today. I truly feel like an artist and no longer set limits for myself when it comes to creating pieces. 

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I think every artist has their own style. You don’t know how well it is going to be received by the public until you try to sell your pieces. I remember when I applied for my first vendor fair. It was three months out, and I had to create enough pieces to sell for a 4-hour market. I told myself that whether I make this a career or not would depend on how I did that day. If people responded well to my art, then I would take that as a sign that I should keep going, and if I didn’t sell much, then I would stick to being a Graphic Designer for a while before trying again. As a stay-at-home mom, my time is limited, so there were a lot of late nights because that was when I could work with no interruption. Luckily, I almost sold out at the market and decided to devote more time to my craft. It was a relief getting positive feedback and compliments on my work. 

Since then, I have done many markets, some profitable and somewhere I just make $80, but I am thankful that the first one worked out well, and that gave me the encouragement I needed to keep creating. 

We’ve been impressed with Vesal Cuts Paper, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My Graphic Design business is called Vesal Makes Logos, so to stick with that theme, I named my craft business Vesal Cuts Paper. 

When people think of paper art, they usually think of origami or quilling. My style of paper art is called paper layering. I recreate natural forms by cutting and layering different sizes and colors of paper to create depth and texture. 

The first piece I ever created was a geode made from over 50 layers of paper. Now I create geodes with up to 100 layers of paper. These are the most time-consuming pieces but by far my favorite to create. Since then, I have expanded to mushroom bookmarks, 3D plants, and entomology art. I feel like I am constantly thinking about new ways to use paper and have so many ideas that I cannot wait to create and share with others. 

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Even though I have been creating my whole life, I wish my childhood self knew just how grand the world of art is. I wish I listened to my heart when I were younger and put more emphasis on the things I was passionate about. At the same time, I wouldn’t change anything because I appreciate the path I took to get where I am today. 

For those just starting out, my advice would be to believe in yourself and the products you are creating. If you are unsure about anything, others will be unsure as well. 

I also highly recommend creating a brand identity for yourself and getting all the official paperwork and legal documents in place before beginning any endeavor. Starting a business this way will save you so much work later on. 

Contact Info:

• Website: etsy.com/shop/vesalcutspaper
• Instagram: instagram.com/vesalcutspaper
• Facebook: facebook.com/vesalcutspaper
• Other: vesalmakeslogos.com

Image Credits
Areon Mobasher