Marko Matijašević, Founder & Creative Director @ Amaranthine Books
What is your skill set?
My craft is conceptual thinking, in accordance with design. Developing creative ideas and concepts so it can be brought out in design, execution or whatever is needed. That includes a wide range of activities, from developing a creative concept for an ad campaign, to idea and execution of design projects. And sometimes it even means writing a script for a play, but that’s a whole different story (no pun intended).
What product/job/service are you most proud of?
The company I founded, Amaranthine Books. Its purpose is to give immortal literary works the form that they deserve. The Hyde edition of the Jekyll and Hyde novella is something I’m especially proud of since it won the Best In Publishing award on Inkspiration festival in Tel Aviv. That means we beat the best of the world’s production and that means a lot to me and my team, because it gave us recognition.
The Hyde edition is special for a lot of reasons, most notably for being printed on black paper. Along with the Jekyll edition, which is printed on white paper, they are designed as two sides of the same coin. That means we have two books with the same content, but different editions reflect the two protagonists. In this way everyone can choose which one they prefer or have both in their collection. The goal is to enhance the reading experience through design and numerous little details that will follow the readers on their adventure.
Why do you do what you do?
Because I want to leave a mark. Because I want to create something new that people will find useful, something that will enhance an experience for them or show them something completely new. And I want to be successful at that.
What are you scared of?
Not leaving a mark.
How did you beat your fears?
I wouldn’t say I beat them, I just overcame them sometimes. The fear is always there, but it’s up to you how you will use it. My most common method is to just go for it if it’s something I really believe in. You realise at some point that all your thinking of ‘what if’ can’t prepare you for everything. You just have to suck it up and go for it. If you fall, get back up and try again.
What would you say to people with a talent they’re afraid to try?
To paraphrase a famous poster: if you’re looking for a sign – this is it!
You can check our work on www.amaranthinebooks.com