About
Hey there! I'm Mirina (pronounced "mee-REE-nah"), a queer, Greek- and Southern-rooted designer, artist, healer & organizer. I spend most of my time building the futures we dream of and cooking the nourishing food we need to get there :)
What I offer
I have a deep capacity for roots-based transformation. I combine this with my skills in visual communication to design things that shape a more liberated future.
In my work I practice balancing the weight of deep transformation with the light of play & exploration. The question of "what change are you seeking to shape?" is just as important to me as the question of "what brings you joy and feels abundant?" Together, we will design something that is both transformational and nourishing.
Designing visuals with this purpose - whether it be a brand or website to make your message to the world clear, or print material that acts as a resource - is simply magical to me.
How I work
My work is guided by intuition. Listening to my body is part of my healing, and I prefer to work with people who practice honoring their own needs and capacity.
Spaces that center the voices of those marginalized by our systems of oppression are where I prioritize putting my energy. Listening to our community members who are Black, indigenous, disabled, queer/trans, neurodiverse, feminine, and all of the gorgeous intersections of these identities give me a more robust picture of what is needed to heal the wounds (and active violence) of colonization, so we can design for our collective liberation.
Values
I am committed to the Design Justice Network principles. Please read my business values and vision to see if we are a good fit to work together.
Decolonization
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My work stems from the recognition that capitalism/colonization are at the roots of most harm in today’s world. I am uninterested in exploitative labor, hierarchy & control, and the extraction of our natural world for wealth. My life is dedicated to uprooting these structures of harm and creating new systems that prioritize honesty, care for each other (including our plant & animal friends), and honoring our own capacities.
Listening to our bodies
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Our bodies hold wisdom that kept our ancestors alive and brought us here today. Much of our work under capitalism operates on suppressing the messages our bodies send us. In my design work, I prioritize listening to our bodies and taking time to rest, grieve, and reflect. This allows me to bring my full creative power in the design process.
Healing
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Healing is both a privilege and a necessity for transforming patterns of harm. The work I do here and in my personal life is always centered in care & healing. To me this looks like making sure people are fed & rested, addressing generational traumas, and making safe spaces for the community to process conflicts and feelings.
Collaboration
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Design is inherently collaborative: two (or more) people come together and share their skills to realize a collective vision. I bring my craft of visuals, and you bring imagination, feedback and expertise in your field. I want all parties to have choice in the design process, and my fundamental goal is to create something we are all satisfied with.
Vision
The goal of Mirina Designs is to create a future I want to live in. Let me invite you into my dreams of this future:
“Long ago, we recognized that the state will never protect us as its only interest is protecting stolen wealth and power. We shifted our focus to providing for each other. We share resources. We’ve built relationships of trust, because that is something they can never take from us. We cook food together and distribute it to those who need it. We have created new economies dependent on our communal network as opposed to exploitative corporations. Each day, we practice radical imagination. We honor the wisdom of our bodies by putting our actions behind it. And when there is loss and devastation, it makes us stronger because we come together.”
This is a vision that takes time to build, and yet we are already building it. I began orienting my life to this vision over three years ago, and it’s coming to life through daily practice. If this is a vision you share, I invite you to build community and share your vision of the future with me!
Design is one of the tangible ways I help paint our collective dreams into reality.
Location
I live and work on the lands of the Mvskoke Creek people, governed currently by the City of East Point, GA.