About me...

Hi, I’m Gisella—a Nicaraguan-born architect by trade, but at heart, I’ve always been that person who’d rather stay up late sketching or getting lost in a new novel...

Or both, if I can manage, and if not, my sleep takes the hit!

No pain, no gain. 

Anyways, I’d spent years of my life balancing my day job with my true passions, always wondering how to make them more than personal joys I squeezed into my free time.

And then came 2021—the spark that changed everything. 

That year, my husband, our two kids, and I moved to Canada, to the beautiful, and French-speaking city of Montreal.

There, I met a friend who needed illustrations for her new digital children’s storybook. 

That sounded like an opportunity, but there was a catch. 

Sure, I’d done portraits in pencil, charcoal, watercolor, gouache— art forms I loved dearly—but digital art? That was a horse of a different color (pun intended)!

Still, I jumped in without hesitation. 

I spent countless nights battling with my iPad, learning how to bring my painting skills into this new medium. It was both thrilling and nerve-wracking. But the moment I finished that storybook, I knew this was the journey I’d been waiting – and longing for.

I realized I wanted to pour my love for art—and the indescribable magic of reading—into original designs for fellow book lovers, just like you. 

And just like that a project was conceived.

Fast forward a couple of years, and that idea is no longer just an idea. It started as a small creative project on Etsy, and now it’s taking its first solid steps as The Bookish Soul.

And I feel truly fortunate to have you as part of this endeavour, my dear bookish soul reader.  

If you, too, have ever felt that giddy excitement over a great read you can’t put down, I hope you’ll feel right at home here. 

Every creation at The Bookish Soul is my way of capturing the wonder of a favorite chapter, that cozy corner in a library, or the butterflies you get meeting a new fictional world.

In my designs you find delicate flowers, nature-inspired whimsy, and a girly twist to celebrate the emotional rush only a good story can bring.

And there’s much more (pinky promise).

So, take a look around—this space is yours as much as it is mine.

And if you ever need to chat about an upcoming release or a design idea you’d love to see, I’m all ears!

Thank you for being part of this journey.

It has been a wild, fulfilling ride so far—and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

And the best part? There’s so much more coming, and I can’t wait to share it with you. 

So, stay in the loop! Subscribe to The Bookish Soul Club (Our Email List!) , to be the first to hear about new designs, promotions, news, and all things bookish!

Your truly,

Gigi

Founder & Artist, The Bookish Soul