We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Abby Butler. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Abby below.

Abby, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

Being an artist IS a ‘regular job’.

I haven’t ever believed that not enjoying how I spend most of my day was the correct way to live my life.

Just because I am not miserable working to pay my bills doesn’t make being a creative an irregular job. I think the dialogue around being a creative needs to change to recognize that those who choose to do it are still working, and working REALLY HARD in some cases.

The day to day of a creative is based on how well you know your audience, and you have to determine that by doing all of the work from conceptual start to hard finish. In my case that can take weeks and months of design, execution, creation and market research. My current project has taken me years to realize and will take me years to execute, and I really have to determine if I have the dedication to see it through. I REALLY have to love each part of the process (or at least respect it) to be successful.

I enjoy the challenge.

Abby, 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?

Hello! My name is Abby Butler. I have been an illustrator for about 17 years now. I began the journey to where I am, actively, in my high school years. I started digital painting with just a mouse and keyboard but eventually was provided a drawing tablet which evolved into a pen computer which somehow loop the looped into traditional watercolor then back to digital finally landing where I am now, in ceramics.
Cut back into a few words like that it probably seems confusing as to how on earth I ‘evolved’ from digital ‘back’ into traditional creation.
My answer to that confusion, even to myself, quietly in a corner, sometimes is that I have spent 17 years developing a process. If you look at my work now you can see how I have begun to marry my digital design into my traditional creation.
Somewhere along the journey I began telling stories with my drawings. I have studied both animation and storyboarding development while being published nationally and internationally as a comic artist. Telling stories might actually be my real passion as I work now to create an experience from start to finish with my work for my audience. I am passionate about making sure that people will engage deeply with my work. Not just as an object, but a story in itself.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being creative is being able to bring my creative visions to life. I enjoy solving the problems that arise when designing and executing a new project that I have had in my mind.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I believe that society can help artists, creatives and a thriving ecosystem by gaining a better understanding of the work that goes into different creative sets.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.colorwired.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mysky.ceramics/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094658610078
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abby-butler-9765b382/

Image Credits

Abby Butler