We were lucky to catch up with Nathan Rohlander recently and have shared our conversation below.

One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?

Self-confidence and Self-esteem go hand in hand. They have a symbiotic relationship. Development of the self requires focus and small incremental steps forward. Developing all aspects of life requires a sense of balance… spiritual, mental, physical, and finally professional… working on these attributes has helped me get to where I am.

I choose excellence in whatever I do! I desire to be the best and I fight hard for it.

For education. I went to one of the best design schools in the world, ArtCenter College of Design. With time and hard work, I built upon my skill level. With that came positive feedback and over time I felt more confident. Getting comfortable being uncomfortable helped me develop my self-esteem. Putting in my ten thousand hours helped build my confidence as a draftsman. I am a forever student.

Self-talk has played a valuable role with my confidence and self-esteem. Instead of saying “I have to do something” I tell myself “I get to do it”. This just helps with my general sense of well-being. Telling my-self “You draw well, you are like Michelangelo, you got this” Sounds hilarious in writing but it truly helps. With the tape in my head, I choose to build myself up instead of tear myself down. We need to believe in ourselves before anyone else will. Fake it until you make it, they say.

Physical fitness is helpful in building self-confidence and self-esteem. I push myself and my students to do something that scares them daily. Throughout history we have been predator and prey. Modern life is stagnant and that builds anxiety. I lift heavy weight five days a week, scary. I thrive on it. I do Jujitsu as well, two days a week. Grown men trying to smoother you or choke you sucks. It makes you stronger, more resilient, and confident. Tricking your brain into the idea that a scary situation is actually a dopamine release is where it is at. We can retrain our brain. Practicing these acts of discipline daily builds self-esteem. It develops an inner calm. Having pride in my body, the way I look and feel and confidence in the way I can protect myself and others brings an inner peace.

Spiritually, I pray daily. I center, whatever that means to you… It gives me strength, self-confidence, and self-esteem. In a nutshell be bold, be brave and put others first. Incremental steps forward help build the confidence to succeed.

Please tell our readers about what you do, what you feel is most exciting or special about it, as well as anything else you’d like folks to know about your brand/art/etc. If relevant, please also tell our readers about anything new (events, product/service launches, expansion, etc)

At the core I am an artist, a draftsman built from the history of disegno. Aspiring to contribute to the heritage and the influence of the Renaissance in Florence. I value structure and architectural qualities to my work, my figures. Design and manipulation of material are paramount and trump subject matter. Interpretations of the world building from within. Build from the core, center first and then embellishments are last. A mirror of my soul and my contemplation. Taking what is old digesting it and building something new. This is what I do.

I am an educator at ArtCenter College of Design, one of the best design schools in the world. In the Illustration Department I teach classes on figure drawing, anatomy, inventive drawing, and life painting. I teach my students how to draw and paint the human form. How to problem solve. From observation to interpretation, I train illustrators and artists. The majority of my students end up in the entertainment industry working for industry standards like Disney, DreamWorks, and Warner Brothers. And many become independent illustrators and designers. All while why they learn to think for themselves.

Design is similar life. What I enjoy most about teaching is helping others. Helping others see the world differently and showing them how to use their strengths to move forward. The process is the same. We must respect it.

My brand is my artwork. It is my expression, ideation, and image making. I have a singular image that has created a lot of opportunity in my life, “Junk Food” on Modern Family. My current lifestyle is afforded by images like this. These opportunities have enabled me to have children, build a life and to travel the world.

Now, I am working on reinventing myself and my artwork. I am going to make a mark in the world of disegno. I am going to teach at ArtCenter until the day that I die. Helping and working with the students brings me so much joy. They are the future. My work and my teaching will be my legacy. When we get outside of ourselves and give back, that is what this life is about.

What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?

My favorite quote is by George Bernard Shaw:

“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”

With this said I recommend a combination of both. Build upon your strengths and exploit them. They are what you have the greatest possibility of success with. With them you might be able to bend the world to your demands.

Strive for a sense of balance as well. Use other disciplines in your life to help build confidence and self-esteem. This will help you maximize your potential.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Work ethic, strive for excellence

 Take risks. Put yourself in uncomfortable situations.

Practice humility and kindness

 Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities, or knowledge you needed to be successful?

Fortunately, my mother and my father are the greatest influences in my life. Neither one works in the creative arts, but both are creative problem solvers. The skills they have taught me have made me the man that I am today.

My mother is brilliant and has two master’s degrees and broke the glass ceiling in education and administration. She achieved the highest position of a woman in the Orange Unified School District of CA at her time. She could be the first lady. Her main goal in life is to help children.

My father was a fighter pilot, stockbroker, and CEO’s coach. He is an author, and he is my best friend. I highly recommend reading his book the “The CEO Code”. He is passionate about people and helping others develop emotional intelligence and themselves. My father is a fantastic listener and wants to know and help everyone he meets.

Both my mother and father taught me how to socialize at an early age. How to understand others and how to pursue my dreams through effort and the value of work. They instilled within me the pursuit of excellence, compassion, and empathy for others. They taught me how to understand myself and how to push out of my comfort zones. How to be humble and to find value not in the self but value in helping others develop themselves.

This is where I find value in this walk, we call life.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.rohlander.com
• Instagram: nathan_rohlander
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanrohlanderartist/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nrohlander/