Creative Minds Collide: Julie Solvstrom Talks Her Karst Notebook & Puzzle Collaboration

Danish-born and Vancouver-based artist Julie Solvstrom is known for her dreamlike, richly layered illustrations that weave together elements of nature, emotion, and imagination. Her work explores how beauty and meaning emerge when we look at the world from unexpected angles.

In collaboration with Karst, Julie has created a collection that captures that very moment of discovery - when something familiar suddenly feels new. Titled “Curious Minds” the collection pairs a puzzle and a notebook, each designed to spark curiosity, creativity, and reflection.

To begin, could you tell us a little about yourself?

I'm Julie Solvstrom, a Danish lettering artist living in Vancouver, British Columbia. I’ve been here for the past five years, working from a small studio where I take on client projects and run a little shop of my own. I get to draw every day, which still feels like a dream. I truly love what I do.

What inspires you most as an artist and creator?

I find a lot of inspiration in the outdoors. Vancouver is a mecca for all things nature – everyone here is into some kind of mountain, ski, or kayak lifestyle, which has definitely influenced my creative work. You’ll see a lot of flowers, animals, and a deep appreciation for nature in my pieces.

Poetry is also a big influence. Many of my works begin with a poem or phrase. I’m not a writer – I accepted that years ago – but I can draw letters. So I began transforming other people’s words into visual pieces, and over time that grew into a career.

I’m constantly inspired by other creatives too. Visual art feels like a glimpse into someone else’s mind, and I’m endlessly fascinated by how artists interpret and experience the world through their work.

When you began working on this collection, what feeling were you hoping to capture?

I really wanted to capture a sense of curiosity. I hoped that anyone interacting with the puzzle would discover different stories and narratives within the artwork. I wanted them to piece the illustrations together in whatever way felt meaningful to them. Through the color palette, I aimed to add softness and a sense of joy – light, gentle illustrations that invite exploration. Curiosity, along with the featured phrase, was truly at the heart of the puzzle.

The artwork is titled “Curious Minds,” and the puzzle features the phrase “I’ve never thought about it like that before.” What’s the story behind that?

It all ties back to curiosity. I wanted to evoke a sense of open-mindedness – an invitation to interpret the artwork from different angles. Ideally, someone would look at it and think, “Huh, I’ve never seen it quite like that before.” I wanted the puzzle to feel like an open book, full of potential meaning, and to encourage people to stay receptive to multiple interpretations – even letting the puzzle “puzzle” them a bit. The puzzle feels like an invitation to curiosity and fresh perspective.

A lot of the choices came from instinct. Leaves, flowers, and other natural elements are effortlessly beautiful, so they fit naturally when aiming for something aesthetically pleasing. I wanted a range of scales – big elements like the moon and landscapes alongside tiny details like bugs and small flower fragments.

Animals carry so much symbolism, which I love. The snake often represents rebirth and shedding one’s skin, while the rabbit evokes ideas of love and renewal. For the landscapes, I wanted to convey a sense of vastness. Animals also tend to draw the eye, so they helped add focal points throughout the artwork. Some choices were simply gut feelings, and many ideas didn’t make the final cut. The real puzzle was narrowing everything down so it all worked together as a whole.

The notebook, with its koi fish motif, feels calm yet full of motion. What do the koi represent for you?

Koi – and sea life in general – represent calmness, fluidity, and grace for me. Their movement feels effortless and soothing. Traditionally, fish symbolize luck, which I liked weaving subtly into the design. There are a few Eastern-inspired elements in the collection – the koi, the lotus flower, and the stylized waves in the top right corner. Water has always drawn me in, and fish are such graceful beings that they’re simply a joy to draw. To me, they symbolize beauty, flow, and elegance.

Looking at the finished collection now, what surprises you most about how it all came together?

What surprises me most is the textural quality of the final collection. The puzzle box has this linen-like coarseness; the puzzle pieces are smooth; and the stone paper used in the notebook has its own unique feel – smooth and slightly cool to the touch.

For illustrators and visual artists, there’s something incredibly joyful about seeing your work take on physical form. It never stops feeling exciting to touch it, hold it, and see it out in the world. It feels like a little physical piece of art, presented in a form I haven't experienced before.

And finally – how do you hope this collection makes people feel? Who do you imagine as the perfect person to own and enjoy it?

I hope it gives people a sense of joy and play. I hope it brings them into that state of flow that puzzles uniquely provide. You can’t start a puzzle without becoming a little obsessed with it! I just returned from a cabin trip with friends where we completed a puzzle together, and it was wonderful – everyone got way too into it. That would be the best-case scenario for this puzzle too: shared joy among friends or family, something solved collectively.

More than anything, I hope it brings someone a moment of lightness – a bit of play in their day. A small, welcome break from dishes, holiday shopping, or whatever chores are calling. I hope it becomes a little pocket of calm and joy.