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

Billie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I, honestly taught myself what I know for the most part. I’ve always loved creating, be it via drawing, painting, sculpting, sewing, etc. and it’s always been my main avenue to express myself through, given some communication disability I have with ASD and ADHD.

Speaking of which: I’ve tried to learn in professional classes back in college, but I’ve never been able to sit and listen to a lecture on topics well. My brain just sort of, shuts off and wanders in those environments no matter how much I’ve tried.

Luckily the arts are a personal special interest of mine so, that largely motivated me to do my own study and practice, finding library books, YouTube videos, communities online, and the like.

I think the biggest struggle, especially these days, is trying not to compare myself to others too much. Focusing on your own enjoyment really helps to keep you moving and avoid long slumps.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Sure!

I go by Billie these days, under “PersePixels” online! I live out (stranded, send help haha) in the high desert, and I’m mainly a smaller freelancer looking to keep afloat, if I’m gonna be honest, haha…

But, I am also published as a comic artist and the co-author of “The Quick and Easy Guide to Asexuality”, being distributed by OniPress! It’s, actually my first job in comics, but I’ve learned a LOT from the experience, about publishing and techniques and all the legal INS and outs, and I’m hoping I’m able to do more in the future with my new found experience.

Before that, I was mostly just doing some commission work, here and there when it came around, of characters, user icons, portraits, illustrations, etc. But out of nowhere, I was contacted over Twitter by Oni to do some art for the book and, it’s honestly been one of the luckiest coincidences to occur in my life!

These days though I’m, sort of just waiting on life: tryna’ update my portfolio when I can, take care of mental health, look for potential gigs, and think about my creative direction and what it means to me in my life. It’s been slow and at times frustrating, with ups and downs, especially living at home with my more conservative family, far from town and any city, constantly dreaming of moving out to be myself more…

Given all that, the internet’s been a godsend: providing me access to the outside world, letting me meet people n’ build new relationships, explore new ideas, make new connections, and find the occasional new opportunity!

That aside: I… Don’t really know what that all says about me as a creator, I’m just a lil’ person tryna stay afloat and make it, haha… But, as a person… I, guess I’m the kind of individual who can maintain sOMe level of hope in rough situations??? Able to stay alive and trucking forward in my own ways… Yeah… I think those are pretty good qualities to have overall.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Hmm… I think one of the biggest pitfalls, and turning points, to happen in my life so far, was when my dad died 2 years ago from COVID.

I mean, we weren’t super close: we had our differences in ideologies, and I had to more or less live in hiding as a person (quirks of my mental disabilities, gender identity, sexual orientation, friend groups, yadda yadda) but, pfft, that all aside… He was still my dad and, as misguided as he may have been in ‘some methods’, he still supported and cared about me in his own ways, and did his best to give me what he could to thrive.

Yeah, that all happened in the middle of my work on the ‘Quick and Easy’ comic, and I’d been in a depressed slump for bout 6 months, unable to make much progress. But, with support from friends and the kind people over at Oni, I was able to get a final product out after that. It’s, not entirely what I had hoped to make it, given the condition I was in but, my co author and buyers all have given the visuals and my written portions high praises, which always mean the world to me when I get them.

The experience taught me so much about, how to manage time and pace myself, how to plan before a major project, what questions to ask, what to communicate to colleagues, my own physical/ mental limits, and what a good creative team looks like!

It was a really rough first process. But I am glad I got to put out my first work, and feel proud of something I did for once.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Society as a whole I feel-

Well, its a couple things but:

I really think society should look at creative work as a REAL JOB more because, that’s what it is; real, physical, tangible, mind numbing, mood swinging, health effecting, life altering, skilled labor.

It’s not just some “cushy soft baby butt pillow job” and we’re all entitled and setting prices however we want. We’re trying to earn livings, invest in goals, dreams, better homes and safer living situations. It takes a toll on us to be looked at as “lesser” or “grifting” or “wanting to live the easy life”. I may like art, but it’s sO HARd to keep at, and the fact that I enjoy it so much is the only reason I haven’t really considered many other career paths.

It’s still a real financial ecosystem and a pain in the ass to deal with at times. So like: family, friends, customers, random street people… Please don’t go complaining about our prices or telling us to “get real jobs”. We’re already putting up with a lot and it puts a toll on our mental health.

Speaking of which:

People in general are dealing with a lotta mental health issues and disabilities, which are more in light these days, especially among artists. So, more ways for society to lift up these people: recognizing and accepting neurodiversity, providing easier access to income support, employers arranging accomodations and schedules for specific needs and giving them a chance to work, housing and therapy opportunities for people with physical and mental health issues. All this and a loT more, will benefit the creative world at large, along with general society.

Who would’ve guessed it’s easier to put time and effort into making something unique and beautiful, when you’re living in a safe, supportive environment, and not constantly thinking about survival or human rights, right??

That’s just-
Yeah I’d really like that.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/willhernandezdraws
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/PersePixels
• Other: And a link to the book I co-wrote if you wanna check it out! https://onipress.com/collections/all-products/products/a-quick-easy-guide-to-asexuality I’m still reorganizing my online presence, but you can always reach out to me at: [email protected]