Zoe Sophia on Daily Drawing, Creature Design, and Building Creature Nation

Jan 16

Written By DAB

By Cansu Waldron

Zoe Sophia is a Swiss-American illustrator and digital artist known for her imaginative creature characters and playful world-building. Over the past ten months, she has committed to drawing one original creature every day — a personal challenge that has grown into Creature Nation, an ongoing YouTube series with over 7,000 highly engaged subscribers and more than 1.1 million views. Her creatures emerge from wordplay, visual themes, and family lore, often inspired by her miniature dachshund, Esmé, her ultimate creature muse.

Zoe’s process begins on paper, with pencil sketches on tracing paper that are later refined using digital tools like Procreate to bring color, lighting, and atmosphere to life for screen-based audiences. Discipline plays a central role in her practice: some days ideas flow effortlessly, while others require persistence. Guided by what she calls a “ballerina mindset,” she shows up daily regardless, treating each drawing as a commitment — a steady creative rhythm that fuels both consistency and growth.

We asked Zoe about her art, creative process, and inspirations.

Can you tell us about your background as a digital artist? How did you get started in this field?

I actually wouldn’t consider myself a digital artist. Pencil on tracing paper is my medium. However, digital tools are ideal for optimizing art that will be viewed on screens! I always complete my sketches by hand, but when taking them digital for my YouTube channel I import into ProCreate to finalize color and lighting.

You’ve been creating a new creature every day for the past 10 months. What keeps you inspired to show up every day?

Self-motivation is key. Some days my work will come organically, ideas will flow and creativity will blossom. Other days that doesn't happen. Its important to push through that frustration and show up anyway. My ballerina mindset demands discipline, and no matter how I am feeling, I always complete my assignment!

Esmé, your dachshund, is your ultimate creature muse — how does she influence your characters?

Esmé is my representative of the animal kingdom, and so many of my creatures exhibit her qualities. Her personality brings so much joy, light, structure and inspiration to my day that it would be simply impossible to have her curled up in my lap like a cinnamon roll and not be immensely inspired by her.

Do you notice any recurring themes or personalities emerging in your creatures over time?

Each character that I create is a unique individual, but one through-line is the humor. The wit and wordplay behind my character’s offbeat names adds a linguistic dimension to each drawing.

How has sharing your process on YouTube changed the way you approach your daily drawings?

Deadlines. Knowing my subscribers (Creature Cohorts) are anticipating a creature each day is a fabulous motivator!

Are there any creatures that surprised you — either in design or in how your audience responded?

Surprisingly, the simpler ones are often fan favorites. Less is more. A strong concept executed simply can ring much truer than something intricate. When I draw creatures live each week, I also get real-time feedback from my viewers that can take characters in unexpected directions!

What have you learned about your own creativity or artistic voice through this daily drawing challenge?

I’ve always been imaginative, but this process has shown me that my creativity isn’t just whimsical and fun, but originates from real content. Also, what I'm creating daily builds on the lore that came before!

Looking forward, do you have any plans to take Creature Nation beyond daily drawings?

Most certainly! I already have an online shop where I sell stickers and tees, but in 2026 I’m planning on taking that a step further. People find comfort in visiting the creatures on their phones. But next, the creatures might just appear in people's pockets...