The project continues! The artist featured today is Chelsea, or chelseamugs online. Chelsea has a comic where the main character has OCD which you can find here: https://ruthisnotalone.tumblr.com/tagged/seniorthesis/chrono. Chelsea also posts art on instagram (which you shout totally check out).
This is a page from the comic:
What kind of art do you like to create?
I love to draw and it always felt the most natural to me. In particular I love telling stories, so I have always drawn comics and things like that. I also like to write, so the combination of visual art and writing is what makes creating comics special to me.
Where do you draw your inspiration?
As a kid I always got my inspiration from whatever I was into at the time, but I think I've been consistently inspired by animation and comics. I was really deep into anime and manga for years, so stuff like Sailor Moon, Bleach, Naruto, and Miyazaki films gave me plenty of ideas. A lot of Western cartoons from the 2000s, like Courage the Cowardly Dog, Samurai Jack, Teen Titans, and so on also inspired me. Music is a big source as well because it helps me find and create a mood, whether it be in visual art or writing or both. Finally, I draw inspiration from my own life, the mistakes I've made, people I've known, things I've overcome. I notice the stories have grown more thoughtful as I have had more experiences.
For how long have you been creating this kind of art? How did you start out? It's a cliche, but I've been drawing ever since I could hold a pencil. It always felt like the most natural way to get things out of my system, along with writing. Once I was in school, I really went all-in during my art classes, which I was lucky enough to have all through my education. I also took private art classes beginning in about 5th grade. Those really helped me stay focused and improve, because I was never very good at keeping to my own schedule (until the OCD really kicked in a few years later, anyway). My parents were very supportive, obviously, since they allowed me to use art for my electives and they paid for outside art classes, supplies, and etc. so I have to thank my parents for encouraging me.
Do you have any specific goals related to your artistry (it is totally okay if the goal is to have fun)?
Back in the day I really wanted to work in animation, but I decided to go the "safer" (and cheaper) route of university. At this point, I am happy just to do commissions from time to time while using art as a way to de-stress. My lifelong goal has been to create stories that speak to people and inspire them. I hope I did this in a small way with "Ruth is Not Alone".
Is there anything else you would like to say about your art or your process?I think it's important for other artists to know it's okay for your ideas to take a while. We often hear about how great ideas happen in a sudden strike of inspiration. For me it's a longer process and it usually takes a lot of work. It's okay to have a thousand rough drafts.
Does your OCD impact your work, or your process, in any way?
It sure does. It definitely used to impact me more than it does now. In the past my OCD, specifically some scrupulous behavior, really narrowed the scope of what I felt okay writing or drawing about. This of course led to compulsive behavior (such as just leaving out these ideas completely). I'm thankful now that I've put the vast majority of those anxieties behind me now, because I can create stories that more accurately represent me and the world I live in. The bigger problem for me these days is OCD causing me to "overwork" pieces because I have trouble figuring out when a piece is finished. OCD causes me a lot of self-doubt as well, which naturally is an issue in the artistic process.
What is the most annoying misconception of OCD you encounter?
I think most people don't understand how it can completely take over your life. They don't understand the severity. For me at least, OCD even on the best days is always sort of playing in the background of my thoughts. It isn't something that happens just when I see a picture hanging off-center. It even caused complications with my eating disorder recovery.
What would you like to say to other people with OCD who want to create things but are limited by their OCD?
You can do it. I know that's easier said than done, but you really can. Try not to beat yourself up, either, because we're really great at doing that. You can love yourself in the moment while still working on self-improvement.
Is there anything you would like to say about OCD?
OCD sucks, but it doesn't have to be all bad. I know that sounds annoying, but stay with me. OCD (at least the way it works in my brain) causes me to notice little things in my work that other people might not. I think it pushes me to try a little harder too. I think it's okay to see all sides of things - what I'm trying to say is, don't hate yourself for having OCD and don't think you can't be a great artist. You can.
Where can people find more of your art?
I'm pretty active on Instagram @chelseamugs.
