We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jingo M. De la Rosa. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jingo M. below.

Hi Jingo, thanks for joining us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

I’ve been working as a full-time artist for almost 10 years now, and it wasn’t an easy or short journey. I immigrated to the US from the Philippines right after college, which was already a huge adjustment on its own. I basically had to start from square one and navigate my way around a completely new culture while dipping my toes in the professional realm. In the next 8 years, I worked jobs that had nothing to do with art– from customer service jobs, to working in a desk all day. After putting together a lackluster portfolio, I eventually landed a job as a full-time illustrator for a large self-publishing company. It was the best full-time job I’ve ever had, and it taught me a lot of things I know now. However, I found that I valued schedule flexibility and creative freedom, which that job did not offer. After getting an offer to illustrate a picture book, I quit my full-time job and haven’t looked back.

People wouldn’t believe me, but I honestly wouldn’t change a thing. Those 8 years of working different day jobs weren’t the most glamorous, but it taught me to endure and it gave me tools that I now use in my creative career. I know that everyone’s stories are different, but I’ve learned that in the age of instant gratification, the long game is what I needed to build character. It prepared me for the career that I have now, and I’m even more grateful that I have the opportunity to work as an artist.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Over the years, I’ve learned to define my work using my 3 C’s: Commercial, Classroom, and Community. All three inform one another. “Commercial” is my commercial work as an illustrator: I work with different clients in all forms, from publishing, to licensing, and everything in between. I’ve worked with global brands as well as smaller local business in the Indianapolis area, where I live. “Classroom” is my work in art education: I’ve taught workshops for different organizations, and now I teach as an adjunct instructor for drawing and illustration for two art colleges in my area. “Community” is arguably the most important of the three and is the backbone of what I do. It’s easy for artists to isolate ourselves to work on our craft (nothing totally wrong with that), but it also leads to disconnection with others. I’ve made it an effort to be involved in different art initiatives that promote community among artists. I help organize different artist meetups in our area, including our city’s Urban Sketchers chapter, where we meet once a month and sketch urban landscapes together.

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

The easy answer to this is buy art, and hire artists. But in reality, the value of the artistic industry starts with its artists. I think artists need to know that a career in the arts isn’t just about making pretty things. Do we have a business plan, or do we just fumble around without any direction? Are we making a constant effort to evolve as artists, or are we content with just being stagnant? Do we actively pursue community and peer-to-peer feedback, or do we not welcome others’ input? These are just some of the things that us artists need to ask ourselves. The best way for us to have a creative ecosystem is to have artists who know how to operate like professionals and can support each other in community.

Have you ever had to pivot?

We all know what happened in 2020– the year of the pivot. I lost all of my jobs that year. All of my contracts were terminated, and I was let go from all of my teaching jobs. On top of that, my wife and I were planning our wedding. To say that I was under a lot of stress was probably an understatement. I felt lost, rejected, and uncertain about my professional future. After a week of moping, I had to snap out of it and do something, so I grabbed my sketchbook and started sketching around the quiet, quarantined city. I felt I needed a creative reawakening, so I just drew urban landscapes– something I did in my free time for fun. I then started to share these sketches on social media just for the heck of it, and people started asking if I sold them or if I did commissions. I honestly wasn’t planning on it, but because of my current situation, I started selling my sketches and accepted commission work. It eventually led to showing my work in gallery shows, which I never thought I would do. Sure, that year was hard, but it also marked a start to a new chapter in my art practice. It allowed me to evolve as an artist and as a person, and I’ll always be grateful for it.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.jingodlr.com
• Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/jingoillo
• Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jingoillo

Image Credits
First image (side view sketching): Photo credit to Leah Rife Second image (sketching in coffee shop): Photo credit to Kurtis Bowersock