We recently connected with Audrey Nathania and have shared our conversation below.
Audrey, 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?
The short answer would be yes, I’m incredibly happy as a creative! But, the grass is always greener on the other side, especially in the creative field where instability is always in the back of my mind. I sometimes equate happiness with stability, and so I use the term ‘happy’ here loosely when describing my creative journey. For me, creative work isn’t just something I do to make a living; it’s an integral part of my identity. So, all the ups and downs that come with this career impacts me on a deeply personal level, which comes with a lot of self doubt, the infamous impostor syndrome, and the occasional identity crisis. Regardless, I can’t imagine any other career path being as fulfilling as the highs of being an artist. I think there’s a lot of people out there who just wants to work to get the money as fast as they can so they can retire as fast as they can to finally pursue what they love. I feel incredibly lucky to be able to do what I love from the very beginning. Although the idea of a stable regular job with stable income and health benefits can be tempting, I’m proud to say that I’d choose to be an artist even when I’m in my retirement years. I’m still really early on in my career and at times it can be difficult to navigate, but I wouldn’t trade this for a regular job.
Audrey, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My name is Audrey Nathania and I’m an Indonesian illustrator and designer currently living in Los Angeles. I was really lucky to have parents who supported my career choice, which isn’t always the case growing up in Indonesia, where I saw friends who were passionate about art but got pushed into fields like law or medicine by their parents. They supported me in my college years at Savannah College of Art and Design. Since graduating earlier this year, I’ve been exploring the world of advertising illustration and have worked with several clients on a projects ranging from illustrated out of home ads to entire branding systems. In my free time I’m continuously working on personal passion projects as I’d love to eventually pursue a freelance career. My work is mostly inspired by the humor in everyday life and I love creating silly characters inspired by counter culture and nostalgic 2000s cartoons. I feel like my proudest moments are when I get to make art for other artists or musicians! Especially making art for one of my favorite bands, The Backseat Lovers. That has been definitely the highlight of my freelance career so far, and I would love to work on more projects similar to that.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
I think, honestly, it’s just to prove to myself that I can do it. There has been a lot of times where I’ve thought of just giving up and pursuing something much easier or more straightforward of a career path. But, I’ve dreamt of being an artist ever since I was young and have never dreamt of anything else. I’m truly passionate in what I do and I want to look back at my life and confidently say that I pursued my passions. Anytime I feel like succumbing to the corporate 9-5 job I think about how I wouldn’t want to disappoint my 7 year old self who had big dreams.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
There are so many things I could choose from! I think one of the best parts is when you get to go into a trance-like state and just create things. It feels almost instinctual? Almost like I lose control over what my hands are doing and it’s just my subconscious taking over (haha, sounds almost crazy!) In general, I tend to overthink a lot too, so when this does happen it’s such a peaceful experience. When I’m done creating and snap out of that state I sometimes surprise myself that I just created something I think is so cool. Obviously, this doesn’t happen with every single work I do, but when it does, it’s a great feeling to share with everyone else! I’d also say I really love when my work can brighten someone’s day! I like using my work as a reminder to not take my life so seriously all the time and I hope that helps other people too!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.audreynathania.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_ifinallymadeone_/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/audreynathania/
Image Credits
Audrey Nathania