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

BLUVVD , appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

About a year ago, I finished my very first mural. It was by far one of the most challenging and meaningful projects I’ve ever undertaken. I had to figure out a bunch of logistics and learn to paint – something I’d never really done in my career. I even mocked up a section of the design at home on butcher paper the day before I started because I was so worried about messing up! I started in April of 2021 and expected that it would take me about a month to finish up. Little did I know that I’d be slaving away over the next 4 months because of all the rain we were getting. I joked with my friends that in the unfortunate event of my death prior to finishing, I’d probably be doomed to haunt the wall I had started on for the rest of eternity.

All logistical issues aside, the main challenge was that no one had asked me to undertake this project. In fact, it took some effort to convince folks to let me paint on that wall. A friend had planted the idea years before when he remarked on a piece of digital art I had made: “Hey, this would make such a cool mural!” At the time, I’d never dreamt that I’d be worthy of such an honor. I kept waiting for the doors of opportunity to open up for me. I believed that as I honed my craft, I’d be recognized for my pure talent and asked to put up the mural somewhere in town. Time dragged on. I realized that if I wanted to paint a mural, it was up to me to make that happen.

Everyone has a different relationship with their art. Sometimes, mine makes me feel like a creepy vampire. It’s common knowledge that vampires can’t enter a home unless they are explicitly invited. I’ve always felt a lot of responsibility around the art I put into public spaces. I wait to be asked before forcing my creative ideas onto unsuspecting strangers. In this case, I just couldn’t resist and broke the vampire code. Are folks sick of seeing my mural yet? Was all of that effort worth it? I’m still working that out, but in the meantime you can go check it out for yourself at Axelrad Beer Garden at 1517 Alabama St. It’s on the Luigi’s wall facing the gravel lot.

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 background and context?

I’ve told a lot about how I got here in a prior interview with Voyage Houston, so I’ll try to share something new this time around. I am a Ukrainian illustrator and designer living in Houston, TX. As you can imagine, this year has been really rough. I miss my beautiful country, where all sorts of things grow and the sky is a deep shade of blue. Knowing that this land and its people are being brutalized by an invading force really shreds me up. I know that Ukraine has gotten a lot of favorable coverage in the press. Unfortunately, that doesn’t change the fact that we are still at war and too many continue to suffer.

I am so grateful to my community for supporting me through this deeply difficult time. I am especially grateful to those that have donated their time and resources to the Ukrainian cause. Because of what’s happening back home, it’s been slow going for me this year with my creative endeavors. I hope you can join me in hoping and striving for a more peaceful world… especially for those in areas that haven’t benefited from the coverage that Ukraine’s gotten. I’m selling some pins to fundraise for the UN Refugee Agency. You can purchase one by visiting my instagram account, @bluvvd

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

When I was first starting out on this path, I naively assumed that there was a way to work 40 hour weeks as a creative. Boy was I wrong about that. Most people don’t realize that behind every hour of “creative productivity” lurks a whole swampy mess of overthinking, research, and good old agonizing. What do I make? Has it been done before? What if the client hates it? Is there even quantifiable value in what I’m doing? My struggle for productivity often circumvents all basic expectations of polite society. Creative work is unlike anything I have ever experienced before, and it is often deeply troubling for an overachiever like me. However, one needs only to look around at how the world is changing to recognize that someday we will be measuring success and good work in a different way than we have been.

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

I believe that as humans, we are meant to build, fix, and create. There is something deeply satisfying and life-affirming about getting lost in an illustration and making something that will stand firm long after I have anything to do with it. Though I do most of my “productive” work in private, my process is deeply communal. When I am asked to make art for others, it reinforces my connection with the whole living world. I wouldn’t be able to make the drawings that I do if I didn’t love the people that I make them for. My art is how I process all of my most complex feelings about being a human in this world. I want to take this opportunity to thank all of the people in my life that have given me opportunities to create, and will give me new ones in the future.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @bluvvd
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bluvvd

Image Credits
First two photos (Artist in front of mural, artist smiling): Ryan Holloway Last photo (Mural only, no person pictured): Omar Ochoa