Parenting Tips

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December 24, 2017

Illustrating the Magic of the Holidays with Natalie Woo

We love inspiring stories about women who succeed in their career, are amazing mothers, and have rare talents. That’s exactly how we felt about Natalie Woo when we met her at local mom’s group for influential women in their field. Natalie’s official job title is Program Manager for Experienced Manager Development at Google–oh, and did we mention she does custom artwork for Google in their offices around the world?! Read the exclusive interview with this mama, check out her custom illustrations for Munchkin about the holidays, and learn how she balances a big career, being a mom, and keeping her creativity flowing.

Munchkin:

Can you tell us a little about your position at Google?

Natalie Woo:

I have been working at Google for 12 years, I’m currently a Program Manager for Experienced Manager Development and hang artwork for Google offices internationally. Some of my pieces are featured in Zurich and the Northern California Office.

MCK:

What’s your most recent project for Google?

NW:

I just completed a “Streets of Paris” office mural–which was so much fun to do with some of my colleagues! I documented some of the process on my Instagram.

Natalie-woo-travel

MCK:

That is really great to see! What is your favorite part of doing artwork for Google?

NW:

I love that I can bring my passion to work. I was given this unique talent, so I love that I can give back to Google in a visually beautiful way.

MCK:

Have you always been an artist for Google?

NW:

No, I haven’t. Art is a separate hobby for me that I never really shared with anyone. One year I was working on a project where my manager tasked me with creating an icon for a product. My artwork ended up being used in the end and that really boosted my confidence in starting to share my artwork and my manager encouraged me to work on more projects like that

MCK:

So, how did you get into illustrating?

NW:

I started sketching in 2009 and I had created an icon of a sun and given it to a friend who knew someone going through a hard time. That person told my friend that she carried the icon with her and expressed how much happiness it brought her. I loved knowing that something so small could make such a big impact for someone. I started designing more and eventually built a site, a little while later Urban Outfitters bought two of my designs. I finally got more confidence and started showing my art at Google and YouTube events.

natalie-woo-stocking-stuffers

MCK:

Has your illustrating changed since becoming a mother?

NW:

Yes, it has changed so much! Seeing the spontaneity of Clovis, children and their imagination has given me a new perspective on how to develop composition and coloring. 

natalie-woo-milk-and-cookies

MCK:

How old is Clovis now? What is your favorite milestone so far?

NW: 

He’s 19 months now. He is picking up so many words lately! We’re a blended family and speak multiple languages in our house, so it’s so wonderful to see him speaking English, Chinese, and French. We really want to preserve our heritage and learning.

MCK:

What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given as a parent?

NW:

Take care of yourself!

natalie-woo-feeding

MCK:

What are some new parent essentials you recommend?

NW:

  • Dock-a-Tot
  • Baby Bjorn 360 – because it’s so lightweight
  • YoYo Stroller – it’s the most compact stroller out there
  • Miracle Cup–Clovis carries his around everywhere with him! 

MCK: 

Lastly, what inspired you to create this illustrative series?

NW:

I wanted to capture the fun and delight of the holidays and show the emotions of children at this time in my illustrations. I hope you enjoy them as much as I loved making them! 

natalie-woo-bathtime

If you would like to see more of Natalie’s illustrations follow her Instagram account here.

Melissa McCartney

Melissa has been writing for 10 years about a little bit of everything. For work, she manages all things content at Munchkin, but her real boss in life are her two red-headed daughters ages 6 months and 4 years.