Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Raza Shahid. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Raza, appreciate you joining us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

I am a really emotional person. And I think since I was a kid my comfort zone was to daydream. Anything, really – from my desires to romance to film to just keep myself from falling asleep in class due to the boredom. I think I’m still like that. And I find the most freedom in being able to think in terms of dreams. I run a lot – the inability to breathe helps me imagine things. There’s a lot that I write and like to envision. Ideas I can’t yet find the time to develop or work on, even. But I really do believe creativity is oxygen for me. I can’t think of a different way to live. It is harder to deny your nature the older you get because it becomes pricier and more personally damning to do so.

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?

I am an illustrator – I mainly illustrate comic book characters from stories I’ve loved watching/reading about growing up. In my opinion, my work stands out due to its mood and the style I employ. The companies and creatives that have reached out to work with me always remark a certain grungy nature about my work. Personally, I am inspired a lot by my favourite films. At the moment, digital art is the connective tissue I have to another medium that I am obsessed with. This urge for storytelling finds its way into my work as well. There is a lot of unspoken, purely visual deviation in the adaptations I make of popular characters in my work that I don’t explain so the viewer can make interpretations that help the piece feel alive and storied.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I want to tell stories. I think the height of my ambition lies within filmmaking but there are so many ways to tell stories. I am driven to illustrate a book where I can share my writing. That is currently my goal.

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

I had to unlearn perfectionism. Personally, it doesn’t help me – it’s a distraction and it discourages me. It also depersonalises anything I make and makes creation feel mechanical instead of intuitive.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.behance.net/razashahid1
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rxzarx
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/rxzarx