We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Latonya White. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Latonya below.

Latonya, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I can’t say growing up I had always wanted to be an artist, despite having drawn all my life. My choices bounced between being a dentist, or maybe even a veterinarian instead. It never really clicked to me that it was something I can pursue in life, or at least not in the way as I understand it now. I loved to tell stories, and I would love to create art. The product of that dream would be a crudely put together comic. Lined paper, folded over with staples. I would then think to myself, this isn’t something you would hang up in an art gallery though now is it? Well. No. But it finally clicked in middles school when I realized wait, people may not hang up comics in art galleries, but they do make them for a living.

I have to rewind for a bit because my desire to pursue art wasn’t nonexistent, but just dormant. I do have my 2nd grade teacher to thank for constantly challenging us in ways to think outside the box- such as making a 3 sided shape that isn’t a triangle, or simply even just write a story that would make him laugh. The answer wasn’t that a three sided triangle was simply impossible, but to explore the possibility of what could be. And of course, from there I continue to make stories with my art in hopes to for a laugh in any other emotion that allows us to explore the world.

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

When I was in college after a portfolio review, one of the professors giving the review pulled me aside to give me a recommendation of animation and game studios in Colorado. One of them was Serenity Forge, an indie game studio in Boulder that had caught my eye. At the time the website was showcasing The Kings Bird, and I enjoyed the simplistic charm in the games style. I had applied for the studio before they were hiring, and eventually they had got back to me. I didn’t get the job initially, but was encouraged to apply again when they were hiring again- From there I got the job. While building ones own skill sets is important, it is also important to love the industry you are in. As a creative, it can be easy to burn yourself out having to trudge along in a field you don’t enjoy.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I’m a digital artist and I always wish that I learned how important having good posture was to have growing up. I knew wrist problems were a common issue with artists, but I wasn’t aware how much my shoulder would hurt.

Having a proper office chair has saved me more than I can give it credit for. When I graduated from college I started to get pain in my shoulder. Up to this point I had been sitting in a wooden L shape desk chair that I would be sitting in for 4+ hours a day. I had gone to a physical therapist and it turns out because of my poor posture, I had gotten minor nerve damage in my shoulder. I am still dealing with this today but making steps to exercise, practice better posture, and improve my work environment has allowed me to continue making art.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The fulfillment of being able to express myself to others in a way I feel I can best connect with others. Growing up I never really found myself to be good at speaking to the point of feeling like a ghost, but art was always something that I felt has been able to speak for me and even connect me with others in some way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.latonyawhiteart.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lattedoodles/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/latonya-white-b30519a9
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/LatteDraws

Image Credits
The Kings Bird – Serenity Forge