For Bodil Jane, inspiration comes from paying attention. Her work often reflects small, everyday moments, and that is no coincidence. She moves through her day with a quiet awareness, noticing things others might overlook.
“I liked to be present in the moment and always felt inspired by the direct world around me,” she said in the interview with Bored Panda. Whether it is her daily commute through Amsterdam or watching people pass by with their bikes on a ferry, these scenes stay with her. “I remembered how they were dressed, or how cute their dog in the bike basket looked.”
It isn’t something she forces, it is simply how she experiences the world. “I always kept my eyes peeled for the details that I saw around me… there was just no other way for me,” Bodil explained.
That attentiveness feeds directly into her work, where she tries to recreate that same sensitivity. “When illustrating I liked to create a world that helped others to see the beauty of the ‘simple’ things around them.” Even visiting a friend’s home, filled with personal objects and artworks, can spark the starting point for a new piece.
Color, another defining element of Bodil’s illustrations, follows a similarly intuitive path. There is no strict system behind it—if anything, she prefers not to overthink it.
“I wish I had some interesting method to decide on colours, but it comes fully naturally to me. For some client jobs I need to decide on a colour palette beforehand, and I really suck at it. I like to pick the colours as I go. I don’t have a plan. I start with one color, and just make everything match to that,” she admitted.
She added that once a decision is made, she sticks with it, avoiding what she described as a spiral of endless color options.
Bodil grew up in a highly creative environment, with both of her parents working as artists. She recalled how her mother would constantly repaint the walls—filling their home with shades of salmon pink, dark aubergine purple, baby blue, and mango yellow. “I remember I asked her what her favorite color was, and she told me she didn’t just have one—she liked color combinations, like baby pink and rust brown,” she said.
“I guess when you learn about colors that young, it just becomes very natural to play around with them.”
Recently, Bodil’s creative direction has been shaped by something more personal. Time spent with her young son led the illustrator back to collage—a medium she had loved since childhood and throughout her studies, but one that never found a place in her commercial work. With little time for personal projects in recent years, it had gradually faded into the background. As the artist explained, she hadn’t had much time for personal work and had almost forgotten about collage altogether.
That changed in a simple, unexpected way. When her son was around one year old, small creative activities became part of their routine, even if he could barely hold a pencil. “We came up with a little ‘game’ that we called ‘grab it and stick it’,” she said. Paper shapes, a bit of glue, and complete freedom—he would place the pieces, while she prepared them. Over time, they created countless collages, without pressure or expectations.
At the same time, a desire to create alongside others began to grow. This led to the idea of collage workshops, which quickly proved successful. “That’s when I realised I just love doing collages.”
What started as a playful activity gradually evolved into something more significant—a shift in the artist’s process. Collage began to reappear, first through personal work and then as something to explore within commissions. This renewed interest continues to shape her practice, opening up space for experimentation while reconnecting with a medium that had once been an important part of her creative language.
At its core, the intention behind her work remains simple. Rather than trying to define how it should be interpreted, the artist leaves space for recognition and connection. She shared that she hoped people could identify with the person she illustrated, noticing the details, objects, and patterns that quietly shape each scene.
“I hope they feel like they can identify with the person that I illustrated,” she said. “Appreciating the beautiful things in life while looking at all the details, objects and patterns.”
At the same time, there is a balance she continues to return to—something less obvious, but just as important. “I hope they get a sense of empowerment or strength, but also lightness and humour.”
It’s this combination—attention to detail, emotional openness, and a certain ease—that defines her work. Nothing feels forced, yet everything is considered, inviting the viewer to slow down just enough to notice what’s already there.
