We were lucky to catch up with Lauren Reaves recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Lauren thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I think I knew the second I started drawing on everything during my classes. No notebooks or printer paper were safe. By the time I hot 9th grade I was certain what ever field I entered It would be creative, and by senior year I settled on the Illustrative comic arts path.

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?

A close friend of mine is who let me know about Savannah College of Art and Design. Specifically the Sequential Art Major. I had always been drawing my own character and creating stories for years, so I knew this would be a perfect fit for me. Of course life always has other plans, and that is how I found my self tabling at Conventions and eventually opening an online shop. It started as a way for me to do something I felt was productive with my art and stories. So I made and sold comics with my eldest brother, that we uses to have to print and arrange at home. After some time I’d find myself coming home from my little retail job at JoAnns to make art and comics for the next event I got my brother and I into. I knew retail wouldn’t stop me from doing what I love.
In 2019 I moved back to NYC to care for my grandmother, and much like before I worked a job as a print designer, but was doing my own work on the side. During Covid I opened an Online shop for DeepSpaceDigital, the brand my brother and I had been developing for our joint works. I’ve since been slowing managing and growing DSD on the side while I save up money with my day job. As I know one day running DSD will be my full time job. It’s why I call myself a Visual Designer now. I create all the designs and visuals used for our, Artwork, Stickers, Keychains, Stationery, Apparel, and so much more. DSD plans to take NYC by the storm!

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Oh definitely. From the time I sold my first dinky self published comic book. I’ve been driven to “make it” off of my work. Even now as I’ve struggled with the fact that managing my store Is not going as fast as I’d like. I have to remind myself that just because I chose a slower path of growth, doesn’t mean I’m not succeeding. I could certainly throw caution to the wind and jump head first into running DeepSpaceDigital, but I think I would have ruined myself faster that way. Now If I ever get discouraged with my slow growth I first remember I have a full time day job. It makes sense you only have the weekend for DSD. And, look back the year before. You undoubtably have made notable growth since then. So now instead for trying to do everything at once, I set a main goal for the year and a few smaller ones I can make along the way. This years goal is to up my social media engagement,

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Actually completing a piece that you set out to make. There’s something about finishing a project, that I planned and created myself, versus finishing work given to my by someone else. When some one sees my art and I guest to say “Hey, I created that” its a boost of adrenaline.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://dsdigitalstudios.com
• Instagram: @dsdigitalstudios
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeepSpaceTeaHouse/
• Twitter: @DeepSpaceDigtl
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@deepspacedigitalstudios
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@deepspacedigital
  https://www.etsy.com/shop/DeepSpaceTeaHouse?