We recently connected with Keni Thomas and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Keni, thanks for joining us 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.

My name is Keni Thomas (Thomcat23) and I’m always overly cautious. This fear of failure alway kept the creative success I wanted just out of reach. Hard situations and circumstance changed that. With a career in the design industry I found myself often taken advantage of, then I was blessed with being fired. Yes, blessed. The skill set that I’d built over years in the industry was finally going to be tested as. the decision was made to make my own studio. I wasn’t going to plug myself back into that Matrix. At first the sheer dread and uncertainty paralyzed me, until I realized all the connections and good will I’d built over the years. My freelance list became a client list and the personal art gave me a product to sell. Aslo, securing licensing deals gave me the slight foundation to build on. I can’t say that working for myself is perfect, but it’s mine. My ideas, my concepts, my mistakes, my faults and I’m proud to own them all. I encourage ALL artist to create and sell their work, work independent of a client and use every bit of voice you have. Be bold, overly cautious kept me aggravated and unfulfilled.

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

Thomcat23 is a creative studio in Philadelphia, PA (Cherry Street Pier). The concept of the studio has been around for the last 12 years as a freelance business. The studio specializes in prints, custom illustration and event graphics. Almost all the work is hand illustrated in the spirit and style of vintage comic books. In the recent past the studio has worked with the Brooklyn Bowl, Punchline Comedy Club and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Thomcat23 is always willing to take on the weird, offbeat, underground and non-profit work. (especially illustration driven)

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is creating. Making an image or a concept, seemingly out of thin air is so much fun. The ability to take outside stimuli and fashion it through experience and perception is a super power, in my humble opinion.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I wish that the public knew how much of an academic pursuit art is. Hours of research (ok some of which reading comics) and concept development is essential in great art. Hours of drawing studies, mock-ups, thumbnails and don’t forget finding inspiration are all part life.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thomcat23/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MpsFactoryArtAndDesign
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keni-thomas-a9467643/

Image Credits

All Illustrations by (Keni Thomas) Thomcat23