AfterMidnight by Maria Adil

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 🇵🇰

10/02/2026

Building The Painted Jackal from my home office with a baby, a toddler, and honestly no idea what half of this journey looks like.
But we’re figuring it out. One chaotic beautiful day at a time.

08/02/2026

You never truly lose a parent. They live on inside you ❤️

06/02/2026

I don’t think you’re ever truly ready to become a mother.
You wait for the right time and then it happens and it’s much bigger, harder, and more overwhelming than you imagined.
But you adapt and grow.
You learn to love and cherish the smallest moments even on the hardest days. You discover a strength you didn’t know you had. The strength to be better, to be resilient, to be more for them.
I started working on building a children’s brand in July
2025. Some days, I only manage a tiny fragment of work.
Progress looks different now. Its slower, interrupted, imperfect. But I’m learning how to create in the middle of the chaos
Motherhood doesn’t shrink your dreams.
It reshapes you and gives you perspective. It teaches you to treasure the little moments and reminds you that you are still allowed to chase the big ones too.
To all the mamas who’ve been wanting to start something.
Take it slow, but start somewhere. Whether it’s work or self care, you are allowed to have something that’s just for you - guilt free!

04/02/2026

Got the sweetest little surprise from Crumbl, and I think this strawberry cheesecake cookie officially has my heart
My son might have loved it even more than I did. 🍓🤍

Disclaimer: I remixed the audio

01/02/2026

Most of my inspiration for my work, art, home, and my brand, The Painted Jackal comes from the world around me. Im constantly inspired by how visually rich and beautiful my culture is 🇵🇰❤️

30/01/2026

I sing to a different audience now ❤️🥰