We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Monstéva (Éva). We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Monstéva below.
Alright, Monstéva thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
I first discovered how I wanted to purse art as a profession, is when I realised that I could use my imagination to my advantage – creating stories from ideas I get from a spur of the moment and developing it with my art. I first started out drawing as young as I can remember. Making random doodles anywhere I can whether it’s walls or scrap pieces of paper, it was one of my quirks! If anything, watching a family member draw amazing sketches of cartoon and video game characters as a kid is what caused a light-bulb moment within me – my credit goes out to them! But as I got older, I started getting into watching anime such as the cult classics like Naruto and Dragon Ball Z – thanks to my older sibling having the power of the TV remote after school! Although I’d say I’ve gotten into watching Japanese animation by force, in many ways it was (and still is!) a blessing in disguise.
Because of this, I then got into reading manga, and gained an interest in creating my own characters in this style. I started out by sketching and copying characters I’d see in the manga I’d read (Like Dragon Ball Z, Bleach, or even Fullmetal Alchemist) to better my observations skills in art! I’d always tell myself whether this hobby would go anywhere or not, I was still content with creating random sketches and doodles that I held close to myself. But I then realised that the more my skills slowly improved and got better overtime with the more I practised, and self-taught myself after many years, it clicked within me that sketching and drawing manga as a hobby can most definitely become a career, and to use these skills to my advantage.
I was interested and had my eyes on other subjects such as nursing, or even to go into STEM and to stay within either of those career professions. But I decided to follow my heart and to where my passion, and vocation in a way, took me, which was art, and fully invested into becoming a manga artist!
Monstéva, 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?
Firstly, thank you very much for allowing me on this platform! I’m Monstéva – or Éva for short (Monst-Eeh-Va). I’m a young aspiring manga artist and Illustrator who holds a large amount of passion and dedication towards creating manga art. I am also in my final year of studying Illustration and I am soon to become a graduate! I am due to post more content and art of my own personal projects, as well as more fanart drawings, but as that I am in my final year of my Illustration degree, it does take me away from posting amazing new content that I have planned onto my page! Having a career out of not only art but of manga is something I have always seeked out to do – using this to inspire others, connecting others through art, and conveying a message through such outlets and forms of creativity.
From watching anime from a young age, I then transitioned into reading manga for sometime and fell in love with it. From the use of colours, shading techniques, many different distinctive art styles, cinematic language, as well as the narratives is what absorbed me into it. This then turned into me creating manga art! Perfecting anatomy and the many other techniques of shading, and even story writing that is used within manga art.
As well as anime, Manga – in particular – has really created a spark in art for me. Not only because I grew up reading (and watching) exciting fighting scenes – and acting out said scenes with my older sibling – or even because of the difference of art styles between Western animation and Eastern animation styles. But because of it’s above and beyond storylines which captivates each viewer for different reasons.
It is shown that black people usually don’t really have the representation within the media, including animation and manga, making us to be one of the most underrepresented minority in media, and only having stories which are mainly showcased through trauma and many unfortunate experiences which Black people face.
Many of us yearn for escapism and fantasy stories of our own, characters which look like us and can relate to, as well as to have a space for us within other forms of medias.
As a young black woman, I decided to create the centre point of my art to mainly focus of Black people and characters. I’d want to be someone who will push the boundaries of creating Black manga stories. Not just for myself which I’ve always wanted to do, but for those who would also want to see it.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
On Instagram, I started posting sketches and fanart of anime characters to try and put myself out there officially. I then moved onto creating commissions posts and fanart of celebrities or other known content creators that I watch or interested in, to not only build up my art skills and techniques – for my art to be presented in a more developed approach, but to build up my portfolio in a professional way. Interacting and engaging with your audience is an essential tool as an artist on social media as it allows others to connect more with your art, as well as the artist! For the future, I will not only be posting more fanart or commission content, but of my own personal projects and illustrations to further build my brand within the manga world, but also it aids in a larger audience and presence, and connecting and interacting with other creatives – which I believe is also important as an artist building their brand on social media.
At first I was a bit nervous with putting my artwork out there for all of social media to see, but my best advice is to just go for it! It properly sounds generic, but once you push past and conquer your nerves and go for it, it is the most relieving feeling to experience. It is not only a great way to build up your confidence as an artist when receiving feedback from peers, but it is also quite rewarding in terms of the many possibilities and opportunities it can give you, especially if wanting to pursue an art career is your goal – or even for any career! It’s also one great way of putting yourself out there and promoting yourself – and that’s the first step in the right direction, so just go ahead and do it!
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
For me, I’d say there’s a couple rewarding parts of being an artist!
So from the few that I can think of, I’d say one of them is the interactions with other creators, and the many other people you meet and build with along your journey of being an artist. It not only allows you to help to diversify your work, but it can also help with creating relationships within the art world and learn from each other, growing as an artist overall.
And for those you’ve built or connected with from the beginning of your artistic journey, and have now reached a level of which you feel satisfied with within your journey, it is almost like you’ve built an aspect of your journey as a team – together.
Another rewarding part of being an artist is interacting with audience and supporters! Hearing and seeing what people thing about your art and creations, as well as any other feedback is already amazing enough online, but to interact with said supporters in person is a whole new experience (in a great way).
A few weeks ago, I was invited by the one and only Seamoss Trapper (@seamosstrapper on Instagram – go follow them up!) to “Bohemia Place Market” for a Black-owned market event. I was given the opportunity to showcase my art alongside them, and to speak to fellow supports about my art, what I do, and so forth. Seeing the excitement and interest in others about the art which I create gave me more motivation to keep on doing what I’m doing!
It gave me a feeling that I am most definitely on the right path – or doing something right in terms of the goals that I want to reach – for my art to connect with people, to hold its own value and meaning for each individual that I came across that one day. And for that, that is probably the most rewarding aspect of being an artist! Not to get too sentimental or anything!
Each feedback with each Illustration and project that I receive and create, allows me to believe within myself that I am one step closer to become a manga artist in terms of creating more Black stories/ comics, no matter how long it takes, and I’d say that it is already a blessing and a reward in itself.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://monstevaarts.bigcartel.com/
- Instagram: @monst_eva
- Other: @the.m.e.c – Brand on Instagram https://the-monsteva-collective.myshopify.com/ – Brand Website https://monstevaarts.bigcartel.com/ – Art Prints Website
- Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1474555181/monsteva-collective-phone-case-flexi
- Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/mecmonstevacollective
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@them.e.c/