We were lucky to catch up with Christian Ray Blaza recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Christian Ray, thanks for joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I spent much of my childhood with my head down, pencil and paper in hand. I’ve been drawing with my older sister since I was young. We would go through sheets of printer paper, drawing whatever came to mind. She eventually grew out of it as we got older. As for me, it continued on as a hobby. In high school, I never thought of illustration as a possible career. I looked into drafting, graphic design, and architecture. I enjoyed the creative side of art, getting more into the craft by taking AP art classes. I took the leap and pursued art as a career path, attending Montclair State University for Animation/Illustration and graduating in 2015. A few years later, I received my Master’s in Illustration at the Fashion Institute of Technology in 2022.

I currently work as a freelance illustrator, designer, and educator in New York/ New Jersey.

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 back background and context?

I knew I wanted to draw but was unsure which area of Illustration I should focus on. Should I get into animation, comics, or children’s books? There was a constant back and forth. There were many avenues in illustration for me to take. At the same time, I was still searching for my artistic voice. I was looking for that thing that makes me and my art unique. It was until I took an editorial illustration class with Chris Gash that I started to find out what kind of artist I wanted to be. I was unaware of how many illustrations were used in magazines, newspapers, and online articles. I also the class I found a creative process I was excited about.

Editorial illustration is a combination of captivating illustrations and smart concepts. Composition, color, values, and technique are only a part of it. The process does not stop with what is on paper. Creating an illustration that communicates a concept clearly to a reader can be challenging. How do I want to convey this idea? What symbolism can I use? Do I make something conceptually or narrative? There’s a whole other layer to the art I was making. Various illustrators can handle similar subjects but in entirely different ways. Illustration is visual problem-solving; I love working through it and finding my answer.

My creative growth is what I am most proud of. I look back on points in my art journey where I think, “this is the best work I’m ever going to make.” After a couple years however, I’m surprised by how much more I have grown as an artist. I’m constantly working towards becoming the artist I strived to be when first starting out. I’m humbled to be recognized by illustration competitions and included with artists I admire. I’m fortunate to be teaching illustration as an adjunct professor, similar to the teachers who helped shape me as an artist. Even though I still see myself early in my illustration career, I’m proud of how far I’ve come.

There are many things I still want to accomplish as I continue to develop. I am open to expanding my craft, not limiting my work to just editorial illustration. From zines, to animation, and even stationery, I’m always trying to see what my work can be. Adapting my illustrations to other formats adds new challenges that keep my creative process fresh and exciting. How do I want things to move in an animation? How could I adapt this concept sequentially? Different projects may call for collaboration with other artists or even a creative team. I’m always willing to bounce ideas off of other creatives to create something unique.

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

I’m happy to still be creating but being an artist as a job is not easy. After graduating college, I worked at a non-creative job for years. I applied to various positions only to keep getting rejection after rejection. I began to doubt myself. It was demoralizing.

In these times, it helped me a lot to reflect on why I started drawing in the first place. Every artist’s path and view of “success” is different. It took me a while to learn but as long as you’re illustrating, you’re an illustrator. It’s alright to work a part-time job unrelated to art to sustain yourself. You don’t need to work freelance to be considered a successful illustrator. I’m still early in my art career but as long as you find value and fulfillment in the work you’re creating, stay with it.

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

It seems to be an uphill battle working in any creative industry today. The major problem is that artists are severely undervalued and underappreciated. Artist pay has generally remained the same, or worse, paid less. Even though we have turned our passion into a means of income, it doesn’t make it any less of a job. Work is work.

That being said, my experience with the art community is one of the best, and I am proud to be a part of it. We all know the struggle, and so I see many creative people helping one another. I owe where I am in my art career thanks to the help of my mentors and peers. So the best thing anyone can do for the community is to be an overall good person. Be genuine. Become the artist you could turn to when you first started out. Look to make meaningful connections instead of thinking, “what can this person do for me?”. Working as a freelance artist can be a lonely occupation. Connecting with other artists and creating a support group is essential to a long art career.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.christianblaza.com
• Instagram: @chrisblaza
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianrayblaza/
• Twitter: @christianblaza

Image Credits

personal photo by Iquan Worthington