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

Emily, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

A story of taking a risk, failing, and still being an artist.

In my experience, there is no way to navigate this life as an artist without constantly taking risks, whether in applying a single stroke of paint or leaving a job to pursue freelance full-time. For me, that big risk was the latter. At the start of 2019, I decided to leave my full-time office/design job and work freelance primarily. I had attended comic-cons as an artist since 2011, but this would be the first time I would be able to focus all my energies towards that, without juggling full-time employment! I was optimistic and full of reignited excitement at the prospect of being my own boss.
As you can imagine, the timing of this ‘risk’ was not ideal, and I lived blissfully for about 13 months before the entire world changed. I was incredibly lucky to have safety nets and a strong community to rely on, but stress is sneaky. There’s a near-constant hustle to freelance, finding grants, lining up opportunities, creating work, creating content, passive income, AND feeding yourself. All of that can be a lot. While I was simultaneously creating amazing new projects and art I was truly proud of, I was burning the candle at all points, and very successfully burning myself out.

Spring of 2024 had me questioning how I wanted to continue forward, and how I could reconcile the past few years of working without feeling like I had anything to show for it. What it ended up turning into was accepting a new full-time job in the late fall of 2024.

My brain can be a bit harsh, and there are times when everything from 2019 to 2024 can feel like failure. Which isn’t true. At all. There is positive forward movement in all of the ‘failing’ and value in the learning I gained from it.

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?

As the blurb for comic-con reads: “Swan is a graphic designer, illustrator, and digital content creator. A bit cartoony, and often silly.”

I love designing comics, stickers, and fanart illustrations, as well as creating art related media content. I started my artist alley journey in 2011, and added podcasting and streaming to my repertoire in 2019. Since it’s start in 2020, the art stream “Doodle Crew” that I created has recorded nearly 80 episodes, with a rotating guest list of over 20 artists.

Additionally, in the digital media space, I am a co-host of ‘Sketching Shakespeare’ and ‘Art Corner’ art streams, host of ‘In Addition’, and ‘Surprise Attack Book Club’ podcasts, and guest voice on ‘QuestMaster: Guild of Granddaughters’, ‘Late Starters: A Pokemon TTRPG’, ‘Animorphs Anonymous’, and ‘Dungeons and Dracon Beams TTRPG’ podcasts. There is certainly a plentiful supply of content to consume if you like listening to me speak or watching me draw.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I have so many ideas I want to bring to life with my art. In the tabletop roleplaying space, we are constantly imagining fantastic scenarios that I cannot stop thinking about until I have made art related to the story. The ‘selfish’ goal is to be in a place where I have the comfort and ability to make the exact art I love.

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.

There is no one right way to be an artist. Not only the broad range of disciplines in art, but also the way it is integral to everyday life. From signs, to packaging, to t-shirts, there is a need and a value in everything artists are creating. The importance of creative thinking extends beyond art as a career, and is vital to all parts of life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://aswannamedemily.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aswannamedemily/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aSwanNamedEmilyArtistry
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aswannamedemily/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@aSwanNamedEmily
• Other: https://bsky.app/profile/aswannamedemily.bsky.social
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