Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Evan Azher. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Evan, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?
I love what I do, but it’s not without its own unique set of challenges. I think the hardest part about making a living off of any creative act is trusting in your own ability to continually find new ideas and think outside the box. Having constant creative question marks floating on the horizon can create a bit of a feeling of uncertainty and stress. I think I have to remind myself to not be overly precious about it all, and just treat it like a normal 9-5 as much as possible.
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?
My name is Evan Azher. I am an artist/designer/screen printer based out of Eugene, OR. I currently work at a local screenprinting shop called Threadbare Print House where I run their design and pre-press department. I also have my own personal work as a painter and freelance designer.
Most of my freelance work recently has involved creating art for musicians around Oregon. Getting to help other creatives by cooking up a cool bit of album art or a weird piece of merch is one of the most rewarding things I get to do.
I love making cool stuff to look at, and I feel pretty lucky that I can pay the bills doing it.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
I think it’s important to create opportunities for Art to be both made and appreciated. I’m lucky to live in a smaller city that does a lot to connect local artists to local businesses through programs like city art walks and mural programs. I think the more that you can signal that the arts have value, the easier it is for young artists to imagine how they could have practical careers in creative fields.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
It took me a long time to realize it, but I think that you need to find other people in your community that are motivated by similar goals and surround yourself with them as much as possible. I think that having conversations with people who have gone through or are currently going through the same creative challenges will give you an enormous amount of clarity in your own creative mission.
Contact Info:
- Website: evanazher.design
- Instagram: @evan_azher