Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Miguel Ayala-Mora. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Miguel, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
You know, when I first started out, I assume I took the same root as everyone else, going to YouTube and simply looking up how to draw. I’d like to say a good majority of artists starting out would do that first haha. As for me I have been drawing for as long as I can remember, probably since around 5th grade or so. I always doodled on the empty parts of my worksheet and my teachers would always take notice and compliment the sketches. But as I started to really understand what I wanted, I realized that creating art is something I have always been passionate about considering my whole family has always had that creative gene. This realization really took place during the quarantine in 2020 where I got the chance to work on my skill and understand how to make digital art. I have always used my phone to draw and still do to this day which really allowed me to continue to refine my skill in class and at home. More recently I’ve had a sketch book with me at all times and I just sketch whatever stands out to me. And even more recently, I have been drawing with a blue ink ball point pen which has really allowed for me to work on my realism skills. Overall learning the craft has been very enjoyable for me as it allows for me to explore many different kinds of mediums and perfect different styles, which leads to my versatility.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Hi my name is Miguel Ayala-Mora. But you can call me Othermiguel, which is my social media handle. I am currently based in Tampa, FL and are in my senior year of high school at Tampa Bay Technical High School, hoping to pursue my architecture career at USF. I am also an artist mainly on Instagram who does a mix of digital paintings, traditional art, concepts, and artwork relating to hip hop culture and music. However I do have future ambitions of creating and running my own clothing brand which I hope to stand out and separate myself from the over saturation of clothing brands at the moment. I would say what makes me stand out would be my character and my ideas. I got some pretty neat ideas which I have yet to put on paper but best believe it will always be great. One of my main goals with my art is to never make anything that is satisfactory or ok, but to create art that exceeds expectations and is extraordinary. I want anyone new to me that I will never post or share artwork that I do not believe is to my standard, I do not believe in quantity over quality. I believe the quality of a artwork speaks volumes of who the artist is and what their values and goals are as an artist. One thing I am proud about is that I get share my cool ideas and let people share their thoughts on them. Another achievement I am proud of his having my George condo inspired pieces get the recognition I feel is deserved. I put a lot of effort into those pieces and I am glad that it is receiving the very necessary praise. I am othermiguel and I hope i can continue to make amazing artwork for the people and the culture.
How did you build your audience on social media?
Just be yourself. I know you may hear this a lot but being you is your best chance at making a great audience and creating an image that you desire. I got to where I got by being myself and not changing for nothing or no one. And also not getting too obsessed with finding a style or finding a aesthetic, it’ll come to you naturally so don’t force anything.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
“If you’re good at something, don’t do it for free” I’m not sure if that’s the quote exactly but I assume it’s close haha. It’s from the Dark Knight i believe. Anyways, reeno (or Reenostudios on instagram) taught me that sometimes you have to do things for free in order to get your foot in higher places like working for celebrities and big companies. Of course after a while of working, try your hardest to get paid but understanding that not always getting paid is a fundamental skill one should learn. Getting your foot in the door to getting to work with large people is just as worth it as getting paid.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/othermiguel?igsh=b2NqMHp5emQwbDM4&utm_source=qr
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miguel-ayala-mora-564b0b2b5?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
- Twitter: ayoitshim
Image Credits
All done by me, Othermiguel