Kasia Worek is not only a talented illustrator and electronic music producer—whose tracks I listen to far too much—but also an intriguing internet persona. I spoke with Kasia about her work, interests, and online presence.
How would you describe your graphic style?
I think my style is dreamlike and symbolic. A bit strange, like a dream whose meaning you have to search for—or create yourself. There’s a lot of fantasy and nostalgia in it. It’s a colorful world where human experiences are told in unusual ways, often through non-human characters.
What techniques do you use?
Most of my works are digital. I draw on a tablet. I also sometimes draw on paper, mainly sketches. Occasionally, I paint.
What software do you draw in?
I use Clip Studio Paint.
What’s your creative process like?
Lubię być sama, kiedy rysuję. Czasem puszczam sobie do tego podcast lub audiobooka. Lubię to, bo wtedy patrząc na rysunek potrafię sobie przypomnieć, czego wtedy słuchałam. Ilustracja ma zatopione w sobie jakieś dodatkowe wspomnienie. Zdarza mi się czasem, że biorę tablet do knajpy lub pociągu, ale wtedy raczej pracuję nad jakąś zaczętą ilustracją. Pracuję nad tym żebym mogła rysować zawsze i wszędzie, niezależnie od tego czy mi się chce, czy nie, i niezależnie od warunków, ale najlepiej tworzy mi się samej w domu. Ogólnie lubię być sama. W domu.
I like to be alone when I draw. Sometimes I’ll play a podcast or an audiobook. I like that, because then when I look at the drawing, I can remember what I was listening to at the time. The illustration has some extra memory embedded in it. Sometimes I’ll take my tablet to a café or on a train, but in those cases I’m usually working on an illustration I’ve already started. I’m working on being able to draw anytime and anywhere—whether I feel like it or not, and regardless of conditions—but I create best alone at home. In general, I like being alone. At home.
When creating, do you think about your audience?
I create based on my own feelings and thoughts; I don’t think about whether someone will like it. Of course, I’m aware that as humans we share similar feelings and problems, so if someone feels a special connection with my work, I’m deeply moved and happy. But I mainly create for myself, out of an inner need. Recently, I was even a little worried that my works aren’t really suitable for hanging at home—unless someone wants nightmares—but on the other hand, my own home is full of horrors and I feel good in it. It’s a very personal matter, what someone likes and why.
What things inspire you?
Everything inspires me, you could say. Random thoughts that appear just before sleep, an unexpected emotion caught on a train, books I’ve read, phrases I’ve overheard, movies, people.
What do you like to do in your free time? Do those things influence your work?
In my free time, I mainly create. And if I’m not creating, there’s a good chance I’m playing a game, reading, or exercising. Does that influence me? Definitely. I think especially games. In games, I can fully immerse myself in another world, and I try to create that same possibility for my audience—both in my music and my illustrations.
I can’t not ask. What games?
Lately, I’ve been into slashers. Right now I’m playing Bayonetta and the first Devil May Cry on Xbox. And I’m grinding through Dark Souls one and two—although “grinding” might be the wrong word because I really love the Souls games. I finished three on PC and I adore it. I’m also playing Teamfight Tactics at the moment. I always keep a strategy game on hand for breaks during the day—once it was Gwint (Gwent), now it’s TFT. In the evenings, I play more time-consuming titles on Xbox or PC. Usually RPGs.
Do you see music as an addition to your illustrations, or as something equal to them?
Equal to drawing. Over time, I even began devoting more attention to it than to illustration. I started creating in 2023 because I was going through a very difficult period and needed a process I could fully immerse myself in. When you’re drawing, you can think about other things, talk, even watch a show at the same time. When you’re making music, you’re making music.
It’s easy to imagine someone picking up drawing, but for me, starting with electronic music feels completely abstract.
I’m lucky that my boyfriend is a very good music producer, so I asked him to show me how Ableton works. Learning new software is always a huge joy for me, so it went smoothly. I’d wanted to make music for a very long time, but fear of failure held me back. I’m surrounded by musicians, and I was simply afraid of embarrassing myself. After all, I have no education in this area, I don’t play any instruments, nothing. The first song I released, Journey, was also the first song I ever made in my life. It turned out my gut feeling about music was right. It just sort of happens—I don’t know how. Sometimes I open a project after many months and I’m shocked that I made something like that, because I have no clue how it’s possible. It’s a very intuitive process, and that’s what I like most about it.
What are your dream projects for which you’d like to create music or illustrations?
I’d love to make music for an RPG with a dark fantasy vibe—that would be amazing. As for illustrations, I’d love to illustrate some mythology, or the Bible (no joke—I once had such a proposal, but it didn’t work out). It would also be awesome to draw for the magazine Nieznany Świat (“Unknown World” in Polish—the oldest magazine in Poland devoted to esotericism, parapsychology, medicine, dowsing, astrology, UFOs, and other phenomena of nature).
Reading Nieznany Świat (Unknown World) really suits you! By the way, on your main Instagram account you call yourself “Your Aura Dealer.” What’s behind that?
That description changes pretty often and is usually a bit tongue-in-cheek—just like my online presence. I think I’ve created a persona that is, on the one hand, very much me, but on the other hand, is still crafted in some way. That crafted side creates a certain mystical aura, and since it’s deliberately emphasized, you can draw from it. Honestly, I didn’t have anything specific in mind when I wrote that description—that’s my secondary interpretation. I’m curious about yours.
I didn’t want to share my impressions before hearing yours. To me, besides being a creator, you’re very much an internet persona. Everything you post—your art, the things you share in stories, the photos and videos of outfits, the adventures with pressure washers—creates a very cohesive character that seems to exist somewhere between truth and fantasy. What is @doomed_fairy, your second Instagram account, to you?
Ah, that’s my channel that I—hopefully—will return to once I get things sorted out. After moving, my clothes are still in boxes, and I really like dressing up. I don’t want to spam my main account with that, so I figured it would be good to have a separate one. It’s fun for me. I have a bit of an issue with what I should and shouldn’t post on my account—I don’t really filter it much. I felt the need to draw a line. So, if you want to see what’s in my closet, you’re welcome.
Kasia Worek online
The cover photo is by Robert Cebulski.