We were lucky to catch up with Julianne Diblasi recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Julianne, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

I love the story The Alchemist. The idea that we live our lives building seemingly unrelated skills only to find out each little lesson becomes a kaleidoscope of perfect harmony, unlocking a larger, fateful goal in the end.

This is so relevant to how I’ve built my career and how everything came together in the work I’m doing now. My art career started with a degree in classically trained fine art, learning the basics of compositions, color theory, textures, and art history.

I then returned for degrees in multimedia skills, graphic design, desktop publishing, file sizes, resolutions, and fonts. I added additional degrees in 3D and animation, understanding the basics of wrapping textures, lighting, movie editing, and storytelling.

Choosing print and online advertising jobs, I learned layout, visual communication, placement psychology, and image editing through commercial graphics work.

And then I had my daughter. My brain started sucking up all of these beautiful children’s books, a full circle to the illustrations and stories of my childhood that inspired me to go into art in the first place; I also began writing for Story Monsters Ink Magazine at this time, interviewing children’s book authors and getting behind-the-scenes experience in that world.

It was inevitable (via fate, calling, or alchemy) that I began blending all of my skills into creating published works. Children’s stories with lush painted images and flowing text, activity books and downloads with fun and unusual layouts and original sketches., and journal and art books for travelers and writers.

My Educational Content:
The need for creative, fun, and educational content by artists is lacking dearly in our world. Teachers and parents have such boring presentation materials because of limited funding- right when kids are looking to be inspired! I always work to provide downloadable materials for educators, nature centers, zoos, etc, that straddle several “ages” by putting multiple content levels on the same page. Younger kids can do the coloring; older kids will do the coloring and word searches, and still older ones will complete the whole page, including using the QR code for more information or following through with the suggested craft or activity. But they aren’t forced to stay in their lane by having one learning style or supposed understanding limits, and the gamification aspect brings in all interests. The longer you can keep their eyes on the page doing a maze, the more likely they are to read the questions to the crossword, and so on.

My Activity Books:
Being a parent, I soon realized that the majority of activity books on the market are brainless and formulaic, skipping the opportunity to lead kids past their presumed reading or comprehension level. I strive to provide content with the understanding that an interested child will grow their knowledge without “age-appropriate” boundaries.

My Journals and Sketchbooks:
While journaling tends to trend, providing content that inspires and educates in the margins turns a plain notebook with a pretty cover into an experience of self-expression, understanding, and awareness. I add trivia, fun facts, conservation information, history, and more to each themed journal project. The result is an illustrated time capsule of a place or theme’s geography, wildlife, culture, and history in a tangible format ready for the viewer’s own insight.

These projects are driving me to make some fantastic content for both students and adults, and they have inspired me to begin an entrepreneurial give-back program where donations help support artists who are creating educational material by purchasing their projects and then providing them free for educators. There is more info about that here at www.CreativeBrainsGrowHere.com

Julianne, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I look at my work as my legacy. What do I want to put into the universe that I’ll be remembered for? How can I leave the world in a better place than how I found it? What need can I personally fill that no one else can?

Of course, that’s a lot of pressure, but I’m really good at holding myself accountable. I’ve been a creative person and entrepreneurially minded for as long as I can remember. I have always loved to draw, and I’ve been grateful to have artists, poets, and small business owners in my family circle, allowing me the space to make my own lanes and put value on seemingly unconventional paths.

Art was always my thing, it was solo, therapeutic, misunderstood, and always provided the steepest, most challenging career map to success. Originally I thought it was because I was a Capricorn always striving to prove myself that made me so focused on only one outcome – to be a Professional Creative – since I was probably a toddler.

Looking at it all with adult eyes, I see now that art and organization were the perfect tools to help me handle undiagnosed neurodivergent personality traits. While I wouldn’t have picked any other field, creative projects let me stay focused by working alone, let me work through overthinking with creative problem solving, and let me create products and services even when I had no clients, so I could continuously keep my brain fed and occupied.

The definition of “Creative Professional” has changed over the years and ultimately became an umbrella term for author, inventor, illustrator, artist, content creator, animator, video editor, etc.

After so many years of working in the arts, my skillset is vast, and I’m a go-to for pretty much any creative question under the sun. While I still work on commercial and nonprofit campaigns and branding, I mostly advise on anything from how to launch a new product, package design, social media ads, and rebranding. Because I have experience seeing the progressions of so many entities building their brands, I love to save people time and money by offering untraditional ways to shine, ideas to make content go further, and how to manage transitions in growth.

Anyone can go to a guy on Craigslist and ask for a $5 logo, but I’m the person who tells you what you will actually need for files, resolutions, printing, social media, etc. before you spend time and money going in the wrong direction. I’ve seen too many people fall in love with a pretty design at a cheap price tag, only to find out after they uploaded it to everything as their new look that they can’t recreate it for printing, and it won’t work long-term.

I’m both a creative AND a very practical realist, and that’s its own animal in the design and art world.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I think the biggest lesson I had to unlearn was the “starving artist” myth. Anyone who goes to a traditional art program in fine art can tell you that there is a romanticism attached to suffering for your art. It’s almost a badge of authenticity if you are hungry and live in a crummy neighborhood. The myth is perpetuated by people using the phrase “starving artist” or warning kids they won’t go anywhere if they wish to pursue a career in art.

It’s the personality type of the artists, NOT the field of art, that determines success. If you aren’t utterly resilient, open to change, ready for relentless criticism, ok with pushing boundaries or making your own career track, you will not succeed. But how is that different from business school or any other self-driven direction? Liking art and being willing to make a life out of it takes two completely different skill sets.

When I talk to students, the biggest thing I try to explain is that if you aren’t willing to create on a deadline, be an accountant, be a salesman, be a business owner, be a marketing firm, be a networker, and learn (and keep up with) technology, its probably not your thing.

Can you share your view on NFTs? (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)

Even as a creator of NFTs, I’m on the fence. There was a lot of fake hype and illegitimate inflation around them in the beginning, and it made a lot of money. Is it a long-term form of art? I’m still trying to figure that out.

I feel like they have incredible potential but need a more practical use in order to really become universally accepted. Will we incorporate them into digital galleries? Home tech? Will they become like purchasing ring tones where we are able to buy fancy digital art for home or our phone lock screens? It needs to become more accessible and serve a purpose.

I can see a hyped or trendy NFT on your phone background being as flashy as a designer bag or a digital print in an office being a status symbol. I just don’t think we are there quite yet.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://krakensky.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krakenskyart/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliannediblasi/
• Other: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/krakensky
  https://www.instagram.com/creativebrainsgrowhere/