Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lila Ozture. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Lila, thanks for joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I grew up in a country where art was not worth anything and was looked down upon. Therefore I had to teach myself a lot about art. Being an artist is much harder than it seems from the outside, you always have to compete with yourself, you are your biggest and harshest critique. You can be so hard on yourself especially if you want to pursue this as a career. I always kept in touch with my feelings, they have been my biggest inspiration, especially existentialism. I also grew up by the sea in Istanbul which had a huge impact on the themes of my art. One tip I would give is that growing up in the age of internet makes it really easy to compare yourself and reference other artists. While it’s only human to do, do not ever forget your own identity as an artist and build your foundations before building your style. If I knew this, it would have saved me much more time and frustration on my journey.

Lila, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Although I am still a student, I work freelance! As a comic artist I always print little zines of my comics and find indie comic stores such as Desert Island to sell my comics. I always sell them for cheap, I am not trying to make money but trying to spread my work around. Going to a lot of conventions such as Mocca Fest in NYC and finding publishers to give your zines was always recommended by my professors who has been in the industry for years. I also try to join as many indie zines as possible! Discipline is very important, I try to draw at least one thing everyday, even if it’s small, just to keep my hand moving. It’s important to get out of your comfort zone and push yourself sometimes. My work as an artist as I have said is very existentialist, I like making pretty images with contrasting details to make the viewer uncomfortable. My art is usually described as dreamy and flowing. My comics tend to be more feeling forward rather than story heavy. Everything I make has a touch of melancholy that I feel like makes my work stand out to clients and viewers. As an artist, I created a brand name for myself. People know me as “Kuwuko” online. This makes me more memorable to people as well.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn so many things but especially to not correlate my worth with the worth I see in my art. During the days I am unsatisfied with my artwork (which can be often), I question my whole existence, I see art as my purpose in life. This is something I see a lot of artists struggling with. I sometimes still struggle with this, however failing is a pivotal aspect in learning and to improve yu have to balence your life with your work.

Have you ever had to pivot?

As I have mentioned earlier, I come from a country where art is worthless, and I knew if I had to pursue my dreams, I have to go abroad for college. Therefore at 19 years old, I moved from Istanbul to New York to study BFA Comics in the School of Visual Arts, by myself. I had to start everything over but also I am extremely grateful to have had this opportunity. If it was not for the scholarships, I would not have gotten this chance. I do feel homesick from time to time, but can visit once every 8 months.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @kuwuko https://www.instagram.com/kuwuko?igsh=MTR5ZG5zM2t2Yno2Mw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Linkedin: Lila Ozture