When Instagram first blew up, it was a place to celebrate your individuality, but also – share what you had for dessert. Now, years later, we’re still obsessed with other people’s plates but in other, more creative, ways. Case in point: Dingding Hu.
The New York-based illustrator and designer sells stationery and gifts that focus around food illustrations. She also shares these illustrations on Instagram where she’s gathered more than 18 thousand followers.
“I love food, which is obvious,” she told Freelance Wisdom. “So when I first started out, I took some advice from my peers and started a tumblr that was dedicated to practicing drawing food, called Hu is Hungry. Then one day I got a big number of reblogs, and gained more fans in 24 hours than my other tumblr did in 2 years. After that I made a pin based on one of my food drawings and surprisingly sold a lot when I was tabling at MOCCA, more than most of my other creations.”
“I started to think, maybe this is something I should consider pursuing more seriously,” she added. “After finishing a big project back in 2016, I dedicated 2 months of my time fully to Hu is Hungry, and from there, everything started to build and grow. I also realized that all my temporary positions have taught me something about making a product as well as running a brand, which makes it feel right to combine all my experience in retail to run my own business.”
Follow her Instagram page for more food inspiration. God knows you need it.
