I got the chance to enter a contest held by Fully Booked with the following theme: "Fully Booked as a bookstore that is a haven of discovery for great stories and connection among readers".

Made with Photoshop.

Interested? ✉ stefanypaulinemoyco@gmail.com

Conceptualization

First thing that came to mind was recreating the vibe of a bookstore, something cozy and inviting.

But this didn't seem to me like a place to "connect with readers". Meeting someone new in an average bookstore feels like a meet-cute kind of situation in my opinion.

And then I thought, "Hey! What if someone wanted to introduce a book to a loved one?"

So I made the bookstore more fantastical, like a sanctuary where these two people could read in peace.

The piece felt more intimate, yes, but it also felt stifling to be in that cramped space. It needed to feel more freeing.

Thus, I used symbolism to take on the concept. Reading can take you into all sorts of adventures, right?

It's sort of like a connection being formed between the two, a person opening himself to his loved one—discovery overlapping with the nuances of intimacy.

With that, I refined the concept and finalized the piece in Photoshop.