We recently connected with Naomi Volain and have shared our conversation below.

Naomi, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

I wish I’d started my creative career earlier. Because I don’t have formal art training, I didn’t think I could be considered as an artist. If I’d started earlier, my art might be more polished. However, I’ve been writing science stuff with many styles and intentions throughout my work life. It didn’t occur to me to bring my words and pictures together until I started to notice non-fiction comics. At this point, in 2019, I started creating science-based comics.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m a cartoonist working to meet the challenge of making science personal way through the art of comics. People respond to visuals. I draw cartoons by showing my response to sciencey situations, spinning research into a colorful story, or illustrating my commentary on current science related events, such as global change. Yet engaging people with humor, sarcasm and a deeply personal view is what sets me apart as a science cartoonist. I bring substance and credibility to my work – I’ve won national and international teaching awards.

I’m a free-lancer, so I can create custom comics. My comics are dynamic. They can reflect what’s happening, and what matters to people. My real love is cartooning about plants. Recently, I drew a car comic for friends who bought an electric car. This was exciting and important in their making a positive difference for the environment. It mattered. My recent Instagram comics are about myself as a cancer patient, now in remission.

I was always inspired by art in my science career. My background in myriad science connected careers set me up to be a science cartoonist. I was a nutritionist, a medical advertising copywriter, a high school science teacher, worked at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab’s Education Office, as well as various gigs in informal education. I created Plants Go Global, an educational initiative to teach people about plants and the Earth. So, I have a lot of material and perspective to draw from, literally.

I drew pictures and cartoons to help my high school science students learn visually. I also had them do their own drawings in their own labs and assignments. My students inspired me. Later, I saw that comics could be really powerful as a nonfiction narrative. I read graphic novels tackling immigration, mental health, and solid waste. I took comics courses, from the California College of the Arts, the Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles and the Sequential Artist Workshop.

I’m proud that people do respond to my work. This has encouraged me to move forward. One of the ways my work was validated was when I presented at the US State Department’s American English Global Comics workshop for international teachers.

Alright – so here’s a fun one. What do you think about NFTs?

I think NFTs are an opportunity for artists to be compensated for their vision, their interpretation of the world, and their hard work. I’d love to see my work as an NFT…but it seems elusive to me as I work in pencil, ink and paper. Does this mean I own the art because the original is in my hands? Or if it’s converted digitally, it exists as another flavor of art? I see NFTs as a conversation and a possibility.

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

I had to learn that my art – my drawings – was valid. My experience led me to believe it was fine art that only counted as authentic. I’d always liked to draw, but I was intimidated by artist friends and high school classmates who became incredibly successful.

Like many people, I’d say things like “I can’t draw” and “I can’t do art”. I learned that everyone can do their own art. I believe that work becomes art if it elicits a response. There are many styles of art that are effective because people can respond or relate to it. This turning point actually gave me permission to try things, make mistakes, and put my work out there even if I wasn’t totally happy with it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://plantsgoglobal.com/comics
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plantsgoglobal/
• Other: Email – [email protected] and [email protected]