I was 11 when I fell in love with digital drawing. My mother, a designer, taught me some basics but I didn’t have a tablet back then, just a computer, a mouse, and a lot of curiosity. I used to open a simple drawing app and spend hours experimenting with my little “stroke method,” trying to make my lines look right. It wasn’t perfect, but it made me happy. That’s when the artist in me, Samyuktha C T, first started dreaming.
My Digital Art Evolution - 2011 (My First Digital OC)
Like most parents, mine wanted me to focus on my studies, and I did. I worked hard, finished my engineering degree, and barely had time to draw or even take a proper break. Those years were tiring and stressful, and art slowly slipped away from my daily life.
My Digital Art Evolution - 2012
After college, my parents gifted me a small drawing tablet, nothing fancy, but it meant everything to me. The first thing I drew on it became my first anime post on my Instagram page, @sams_sakurapetals. That post felt like a spark I had been missing for years.
My Digital Art Evolution - 2013
From there, I started joining art competitions, improving my digital drawing skills, and sharing my work online as Samyuktha C T. I even won a few, and for a while, life felt full again. But even then, I was working full-time as a software engineer, and over time, I began to realize that maybe this wasn’t what I wanted to do forever.
My Digital Art Evolution - 2016
After four years in IT, I looked at myself and realized I wasn’t growing, not as a person and not as an artist. So, I took a deep breath and made one of the biggest decisions of my life: I quit.
My Digital Art Evolution - 2022
It wasn’t an instant fairytale. I went through a tough six months, a period of emotional healing, reflection, and rebuilding myself. But I had one big blessing: my husband. He supported me completely and reminded me that choosing happiness isn’t something to feel guilty about.
My Digital Art Evolution - 2024
And that’s how Sam’s Sakurapetals was born, a dream I had buried for years, finally coming to life.
Now, every artwork I make and every handmade piece I create carries a bit of that journey. Each line reminds me of the little girl drawing with a mouse, and every order reminds me why I took that leap of faith.
My Digital Art Evolution - 2025
I’m still learning, still growing, and still drawing with the same love I had at 11, only now I get to share it with the world.
I think my younger self would be proud of me.
— Samyuktha, Founder & Artist of Sam’s Sakurapetals 🌸
