CCN West London Ealing Branch Leader: Annica May
Annica [ənIkə] lives in Ealing, West London with her husband and four teenagers (aged 18, 16, 13 & 13). Annica grew up in Sweden and moved to the UK when she married her husband in 1996.
She studied in Stockholm to become a journalist, but soon after finishing her studies she realised it was graphic design she enjoyed.
From beginnings in a national broadsheet via mission communications and charity marketing positions, Annica has for the past 13 years been freelancing as a graphic designer serving small businesses, mission organisations, charities and churches.
Designing and creating is in the blood. Annica’s great grandmother was a seamstress, her grandmother used to sit at her large weaving loom making rugs or creating cross stitch wall art. Her mum was a great teacher growing up and teaching her to knit, sew, embroider and crochet. Annica now sells her hand made crafts through Etsy. Having lived away from Sweden for over 20 years has made her fiercely proud of her home country and it’s traditional crafts and design style, and there are often scandi influences in her work.
Annica also loves music and has for the past two and a half years sung in the London Nordic Choir, performing choral acapella work in York Minster, Liverpool Cathedral and at the London Mayor’s charity events among others. Another of Annica’s hobbies is interior design (she did a year of interior design at De Montfort University in Leicester) and she has recently added a branch to her business doing furniture painting and restoration; partially in response to the desire to take care of the planet God has given us, but also because of her love of interiors and repurposing vintage items.
Annica believe there is something uniquely powerful that happens when creatives connect and get the chance to dream limitlessly. She is passionate about serving the Kingdom with creative skills and talents and see creatives involved in both the wider and the local church. Annica and her family have since 1999 been part of St Paul’s Ealing, a New Wine Network Church.