I. Love. Your. Work. It's kinetic and emotive and really just everything I need right now. I'm an aspiring illustrator going through a rough patch of art block, but your art is like a spring in a desert to my mind. Your answers to the Limitless Africans interview questions really speak to me (plus your style in those pics is fire) so thanks for doing you!
Thanks so much for the kind words! They truly mean a lot me.
Hopefully you will make it out of your art block. The only advice I can give is,
When you are a professional there is no time for art blocks. If there is an assignment you just have to unplug your mind from any insecurities or overthinking at some point and jump into getting things done. For me it also helps to draw everyday. literally draw anything, even if itās just scribbles to get my drawing muscles warmed up.
If you are creating personal work then I think itās extremely important to ādo youā. Draw with love or something you love without fear of judgement and you will wake up excited to finish a piece. To an extent you have to be greedy and put self love as the main priority, and then no one will be able to take away your creative spark (not even an art block).
Practicing this is also important for jobs and commissions. Where you might not be the most excited about the brief but you find something in the piece that will excite you and keep it going.
I also think itās so important to dream now, and then take action to make those dreams come true sooner than later. This is especially true for dream projects/illustrations. Sometimes I see aspiring illustrators lose their sense of play once they start to level up their technique. When itās so important to draw unabashedly and without shame. Draw and play like a child who is excited about everything.
There was a time (right after college) that Iād think I wasnāt good enough to pursue certain things (āI will start that illustration series when I am better at drawing the figureā). There was even a time when I thought āmaybe I should hold off on these Sailor Moon redesignsā and then I laughed at myself and kept drawing.If you have a dream project that you can feasibly start now then do it! Worst case scenario you donāt like it and you can do it again in the future.
Ultimately art blocks are almost all mental. And I definitely get them too. For me itās the fear of starting a new piece and finding that rhythm after finishing a piece. But the worst thing that happens is you make an illustration you donāt like, and thenā¦.you just keep on going. If youāre in it for the long haul, it wonāt kill you. Itāll just make you stronger.
āItās called going through it. Youāre not gonna get stuck there. Youāre gonna surviveā - Tina Knowles
Lol.
Anyway I didnāt mean to ramble. Iām literally laying in bed trying to start my day and my fingers and mind just go on forever sometimes. But thanks so much for the kind words, and good luck to you and your journey.
