Artist of the Month - @oddarette

It started with transparent stickers. Then came the various lava lamps, the adorable manatees, the shiny highlights, and an art style that makes your brain release a tiny hit of dopamine.

Meet August's Artist of the Month, Lana Ansay, better known as @oddarette; creator of sleek, colorful illustrations that blur the line between nostalgia, weirdness, and pure serotonin. If you've spent any time on StickerApp's Instagram, chances are you've already seen her work lighting up the feed.

We caught up with Lana to talk shiny art, making mistakes, why stickers are her "bread and butter", and her surprisingly ambitious long-term career goal: joining the Space Force.

StickerApp: Hey Lana! We're super happy to have you as our August Artist of the Month. Please tell us about yourself: Who is Oddarette?

Lana: At the moment, my biggest dream is to join the Space Force. Until then, I'm pretty happy spending my days drawing shiny stickers that make people smile. I've always loved creating fun, colorful work that feels a little nostalgic and a little weird, and getting to share that with people never gets old.

StickerApp: Stellar goal, but please don't quit creating stickers! Tell us about your creative journey. How did it begin?

Lana: Around the time I could hold a pencil. I've been drawing for as long as I can remember. Even when I worked as a commercial artist creating educational clipart, I always knew I wanted to make art that felt more personal. Finding stickers helped me rediscover that part of myself. Or rather, to go back, I was obsessed with stickers as a child.

StickerApp: Sweet. Was there a pivotal moment in your career that changed everything?

Lana: Nope. It has been a gradual evolution since I was a kid. I've always been making things, so there was never one single defining moment where everything changed. When I worked my previous job, I slowly began to lose interest in that kind of art style.

Over time, I found my way back to the playful, colorful, and nostalgic style I'd always loved. Turning those illustrations into stickers felt like a natural next step. It wasn't one big leap, just lots of small steps that gradually shaped the business I have today.

StickerApp: Amazing! What drives you as an artist, and what advice would you give to new artists?

Lana: The more I create, the more I understand myself. The more I understand myself, the more I connect with others. It's a feeling that's better than anything else I can describe.

Make mistakes. Fail, and fail often. That's how you figure out what works, what doesn't, and what actually feels like you. You learn so much more from trying things than waiting until everything feels perfect.

StickerApp: Great advice! How would you define your style?

Lana: I would define it as being sleek, shiny, and dopamine-inducing. Highlights and smooth lines make my brain go brrrr. It comes with a word of caution, though: Highlights are your best friend, but don’t abuse them.

StickerApp: So true! Tell us about the design of your August Thank You card: What was your inspiration?

Lana: It's too damn hot!!! That's honestly the entire inspiration. But the ocean vibes and the transparent material (which happens to be my favorite) are also a match made in heaven. And I got to include manatees in their national habitat.

StickerApp: Nailed it! How do you use stickers for your business and personal brand?

Lana: Stickers are my bread and butter. I think my art is particularly tailored for that kind of fun.

StickerApp: Indeed it is! Lastly, what are your goals for the future?

Lana: I'd like to run a Kickstarter for a coffee table book of either my manatee or lava lamp series. I'm not sure if I'll get there, but I can dream!

Thank you so much for chatting with us, Lana! To best keep up with Oddarette, head over to her Instagram: @oddarette.