Ahoj, moi! 🌞
I am Michaela Ahonen, a 36 year old illustrator, graphic designer and a published author with a keen interest in sustainability and permaculture. 🌱 I am also a mom of two kids (soon 2 and 6 years old) and two furkids. 🐶🐱
With a limited time on my hands, I admit that my portfolio needs updating, my Substack could do with more posts, and my LinkedIn could be made to look more impressive. And besides the one published book about Finland that I wrote so far, I would like to write more books and create more things! ✨️ Still, I illustrated a few books and projects, designed many logos and wrote various articles, essays, posts and rage-y notes on my phone.
I am also one half of Mad Design, a small studio we run with my digital designer husband, Esa. (We are open for projects, just say hello!)
In September 2025 I am beginning my Master of Culture and Arts, Design for the Planet studies at LAB University of Applied Sciences here in Finland, deepening my knowledge about design, sustainability and design thinking at large. 🌍
I like sun, tea, Garfield and Simon's Cat, k-dramas, forests, gardens, turquoise sea, permaculture, bryndzové pirohy, bibimbap, thrift shops and books. I speak Slovak, English and Finnish and as a quarter Korean I am on a - so far unsuccessful - mission to learn Korean as well.
Niekedy aj píšem články - napríklad tu je jeden o fínskom lete: https://travelbible.cz/leto-finsko/
TL;DR:
🌍 Joensuu, Finland (but I am from Bratislava, Slovakia)
🍤 illustration, visual design, writing, art
🥦 Permaculture Design Certificate (in progress, 677 years late to it)
👩🏻🎓 BA (Hons) Graphic Design, 2.1, University of Hertfordshire
💬 slovensky, English, suomi
🙋🏻♀️ @ahojnen (at IG)
🌱 @birchgrovepermaculture (our smol permie allotment)