For Deakin University student and freelance artist Maiya Joy Steele, the library has always been more than just a study space; it’s a place for study dates, friendship-building, shared advice, collaboration, and, at times, caffeine-fuelled assignment madness.

Now, her artwork, a digital illustration titled Study Date, has been chosen as the winning design for the 2025 Deakin Library Tote Bag Competition. Students across all campuses are already carrying it as part of their university experience this O-Week.

Maiya credits her friends for keeping an eye out for opportunities that allow her to share her work and gain exposure.

“My best friend actually sent me the link! I really, really wanted to enter it because – why not?” she said. “Even if I didn’t hear back, it would still be an experience.”

But she did hear back.

Hours of work, countless sketches on her trusty iPad, and a vision inspired by her own university friendships and experiences came together in a whimsical, yet slightly chaotic design that is now being distributed across Deakin’s campuses.

Currently in her third year at Deakin, Steele is studying a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Literature and Children's Literature. However, her journey into the arts wasn’t always straightforward.

“I was actually doing a science degree before literature, I did zoology,” she said. “But after a year, I realised it wasn’t for me. I’ve always been more inclined to art and writing.”

Beyond her studies, Maiya has a deep love for all things fantasy – fantasy books, video games and art.

“I love drawing animals, but also dragons, elves – lots of fantasy stuff. Think Lord of the Rings!” she said.

**A collage of Maiya’s digital illustrations**

Now, alongside university, she works as a freelance digital illustrator and teaches at One Day Studios in Warrnambool, running art classes for students aged 8 to 20. She also recently illustrated a children’s book, ‘The Veggie Thief,’ through Deakin’s Burwood campus and the Department of Nutrition and Science—a project she calls a “crazy” but rewarding experience.

Maiya describes Study Date as a labour of love, inspired by the experiences and connections she and her friends have shared at university and the library since their first year of university during O-Week.

“My friends and I have always made a consistent effort to meet in the library,” Steele explained.

“It’s a space where we nurture our academic pursuits but also build lifelong connections.”

The digital illustration is whimsical, colourful, and slightly chaotic – perfectly capturing the energy of library study dates - coffee cups, books, papers and laptops scattered across the design, and floating characters deeply engaged in their own worlds, yet together in a shared space.

“The library is a place where you’re completing your degree, but you’re also forming friendships and professional connections,” Maiya said.

“It’s a balance of study and socialising, and I wanted the artwork to reflect that.”

While her characters were inspired by her own friends, Steele wanted them to remain relatable to anyone at university.

“The little characters are based on my friends, but I designed them to be open enough that anyone could see themselves in them,” she said.

**Maiya on her iPad she uses to design her digital artwork**

For Maiya, the creative process is as much about growth as it is about the final product.

“I used to be a perfectionist – I’d struggle to even start an artwork,” she admitted. “But I’ve learned that there’s no ‘right’ way to do art. Imperfections can make a piece what it is – unique.”

She also embraces the idea that no artwork is ever truly finished.

“Even with the tote bag design, I could go back and change things,” Steele said.

“The thing is, artworks are never really done – they’re just in a state of pause. There’s always something else you could add or change, but you’ve got to learn to love it.”

“I am incredibly proud of my design though, and it’s so exciting that students are carrying it around campus.”

Winning the Deakin Library Tote Bag Competition is a milestone, but for Maiya, the bigger achievement is the message it sends to others.

“I just want people to see it and think, ‘Hell yeah, she’s doing it – why can’t I?’” she said.

“I want to encourage other people to put themselves out there.”

Reflecting on the experience, Maiya hopes to keep the momentum going and continue following her creative passions without hesitation.

“I’m doing what I’ve always wanted to do, and I’m so grateful,” she said.

“My biggest goal this year is to trust that I can do what I want to do and just pursue that – without worrying about what the world says.”

With Study Date now in the hands of students across all Deakin campuses, Maiya’s vibrant design is weaving its way from O-Week into students' homes, classrooms, libraries, studios, study spaces and wherever else you take a tote bag.

Follow Maiya to see more of her work here

Follow One Day Studios here

Maiya Joy Steele’s Winning Tote Design Captures the Heart of Student Study Life