We were lucky to catch up with Edon Terez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Edon thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

I would probably say my most meaningful project by far are my comics that I’m creating right now. I only have a rough draft out right now, and they’re nowhere near done or ready to show, but they all are so incredibly important to me. I love to tell creative stories that center marginalized people.

I’m writing a modern era queer dramedy about various political and social issues that affect the BIPOC/lgbtq+/disabled intersection, a dystopian fantasy about a gay black cis man and a trans Indian man being thrust into a US Civil War while fighting otherworldly threats, a comedic action story that takes place across the universe following a retired pansexual assassin who wants to find love, and a gay fantasy romance with a shapeshifting demon and a country elf who are forbidden from falling in love with each other… to name a few.

These are stories that I want to affect the world: I want to change the current view of marginalized people’s stories as ones of struggle and oppression, into stories that celebrate the joy that can be found in community and identity. I don’t want anyone to think they can consistently complain about other people’s representation, or say that the presence of a marginalized character takes away from the franchise or plot. I am a disabled, queer, black trans man. I am autistic. I have trauma. I struggle every single day to do seemingly simple tasks. I’m tired of seeing that same thing made out to be the essence of any kind of marginalized representation in the media.

We are so much more than our struggles. We are joy, and comfort, and light, and love. I want my stories to reach out to those who share my experiences or who have similar issues, and I want them to feel inspired to live out their lives to fullest. Disabled people are not “burdens”. Black people are not “victims”. Queer people are not “predators”. We are human beings, who deserve not only respect and rights, but all of the variation that comes with being ALIVE. And we deserve to be celebrated. So, these stories are what I want to leave as a part of my legacy on this earth.

All I need is the energy to write them and a team to help me draw, but I believe I’ll eventually succeed in sharing my love of humanity with the world through my comics.

Edon, 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?

First and foremost, I am an artist. But I am also an advocate and a minority – in several different ways – and I create illustrations, designs, and products for my fellow creatives. My main focus right now is on offering commissions for people who are looking for character designs and professional artwork for business and personal projects. Secondly, I have an online shop where I promote my own merchandise and illustrations. I attend events online and in-person (local central Florida venues) to sell my work and get my name out to future clients. I also offer a Discord community for other artists 18 and older to gather, share their content, get advice, and celebrate the arts – any medium is welcome!

I have had what my parents call “a talent” for art my entire life – in reality I just really liked scribbling on paper and eventually decided to make those scribbles actually depict something. I love to imagine different characters and their worlds. I’m self-taught, but am currently in school to learn game design. My dream job is to be both a successful business owner as well as a freelance character designer for video games. I enjoy creating characters that are marginalized, either BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, disabled, or some intersection of the three. I feel that we all should have the opportunity to see ourselves in media. If I do anything in my life, it’ll be provide positive representation for those who have little to none.

As a disabled person, it’s really hard to find work that I both love to do and that is actually physically possible for me to manage in the long term. Art is my compromise. I am extremely good at what I do, and always seek to get better and learn more. The instagram algorithms don’t usually help with that, but I still have hope and determination that I will survive in this world, and I will survive by doing what I love. So I refuse to give up. And I hope that my story inspires others to pursue their dreams, no matter how challenging.

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

Demand that generative AI be legally regulated and that the artwork that any AI bots utilize to produce images be traced to artists that are fairly compensated and give permission for their work to be used. I believe AI can be a wonderful tool for creatives to use, for studios to use, and for the art process and animation process to be streamlined, but it has been taken out of context and stolen from the people it was intended to help. Artists deserve to be able to safely rely on AI for their creative process, without the threat of losing their jobs and income. This will lead to better art and technology for everyone, instead of the mess that we’re in right now. Also, seek small artists out and save up money to buy their work and share their work with others if you really like them. Don’t just like their posts, spread the word!! Because the algorithm will not, and artists are suffering a lot right now from all of this automation. Make the world a better, more expressive place, piece by piece.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

In 2024, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, and nerve damage to my legs from an unknown cause. Every day felt like it was impossible. I didn’t eat, I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t walk. I felt exhausted just from laying in bed, dealing with the pain. It was hard just to go to the bathroom. I’m not going to lie to you and say that drawing got me through it. But I will say that watching anime, reading manga, looking at beautiful illustrations online, and joining art communities made each moment a little more bearable. And that’s how I spent my days until my strength returned, until the medication started working. And throughout that whole time, what went through my head the most is “I’m going to get better so I can get back to drawing.” “I’m going to get better so I can work on my art business again.” “I’m going to get better so I can go back to college.” Art lets me know that I am alive, whether i’m making it or simply appreciating it. And it is part of the reason I am still alive today, even though I have been through struggles that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy, and even though I am still challenged every day. Art is there for me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://terez-illustrations.square.site/
• Instagram: @terezillistrations
• Facebook: Edon Terez
• Youtube: @TerezIllustrations
• Other: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TerezIllustrations?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator
  Art for Dinner Discord (18+): https://discord.gg/xh5WbXRG

Image Credits

Edon Terez