AfterMidnight by Maria Adil

23/04/2026

I spent the past 6 weeks offline.

The news got a little too much so I decided to step away.

I finished illustrations for my new product. Started tennis lessons. Worked on set design for a theatre play. Spent real time with my kids, not just physically present but actually being there.

It was a much needed detox.

15/04/2026

What a social media detox looks like.

#2026

08/03/2026

Women’s Day.

I had to drop out of college.
Became a teacher.
Went back to college.
Had to drop out again.
Interned at an agency.
Became Creative Director.
Had kids.
Worked from home.
Felt like I’d lost myself.

Then started building
The Painted Jackal.

This is what non-linear
career paths look like.

05/03/2026

It’s been a weird, heavy week.

Trying to focus on the little things a little more than usual lately.

23/02/2026

23/02/2026

7 months since I started working towards of building my brand, The Painted Jackal. Here’s what’s actually hard.

I work in fragments and I make my own deadlines now, and I don’t always meet them. No single manufacturer can make what I need. Traditional retail margins don’t work for us yet, So we’re figuring that out too.
Manufacturing in Pakistan costs significantly more than China. I could cut costs by outsourcing but we want this brand to be Made in Pakistan.

Month 7. We’re still here, figuring it out and working towards launching mid 2025. The deadline we set for ourselves.

19/02/2026

My sister and I grew up together, the same home with the same toys.

We loved our toys. But we always felt like something was missing. None of them represented who we were or where we came from.

Now we’re both mothers. And we want our children to know and be proud of their heritage.

So we’re building it together.

The Painted Jackal
Premium children’s products rooted in Pakistani culture.

Sister-founded. Made in Islamabad.

Launching mid 2026🇵🇰

15/02/2026

Growing up, I never stopped to notice our culture.

The craft. The art. The games. Our beautiful language.
Pakistan has always been this colorful and bautiful.
I just never cared enough to notice before

Now I do. And I want our children to
never have to catch up like I did.

Bad Bunny sings about his culture unapologetically.
Mixed his track with my favourite Pakistani singer . Just felt right ✨

Our ثقافت, culture, is worth celebrating.
Worth passing down.
Worth building a brand around.

13/02/2026

I spent 8 years building other people’s dreams.
Now I’m building my own.

8 years in branding and advertising.
Campaigns. Brands. Other people’s visions.

I love it but I was always building for someone else.

Then I had my baby’s and somewhere along the way I relaised most of their toys didn’t look like their world.

So my sister and I started to a build a brand for children.

The Painted Jackal

Premium children’s products rooted in Pakistani heritage.
Because our kids deserve to see their world
reflected back at them.

Coming soon - Mid 2026 🇵🇰