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

Hi Ruby , thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I always knew I wanted to do something creative. I tried many different things before I truly felt like I found my path. I didn’t have any art classes in middle school. By the time I was in high school, I felt so far behind the others in my art class. Even though I wasn’t the strongest, my teachers always encouraged me. They saw something in me that I couldn’t see. The summer of my sophomore year, I attended a summer class at Savannah College of Art and Design. I had never been around so many people who loved art as much as I did. I should have been excited, instead I was scared. I couldn’t help but feel like everyone there was better than me. I felt like I didn’t deserve to be there. The professor of my summer class reassured me that I had time to grow. He seemed to see the same thing my art teachers saw in me. At the end of the summer class, I told my parents all my worries. Despite my anxiety, I knew SCAD was where I was supposed to be. I just needed help to get there. My parents helped me find an art tutor. I didn’t even know those existed! My tutor, Audrey, was a recent SCAD graduate with a degree in creating comics. Exactly what I wanted to do! She taught me all the drawing basics and even helped me create a few comics of my own. When the time came to apply to college, Audrey helped me put together my portfolio. Fast forward to today, I’m currently wrapping up my senior year at SCAD. I’m even taking classes with the professor I had that summer in high school. I wouldn’t be where I am today without Audrey and him. They believed in me from the very beginning. I’ve been on this path ever since.

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 am a skilled storyteller, creative thinker, and problem solver. At SCAD, I studied each part of the comic-making process. I am my best self when helping others be their best, and editing allows me to do just that.

As an editor, my job is to curate compelling stories and collaborate with creators through each step of the comic-making process. I also manage contracts, create schedules, and provide feedback to artists. What sets me apart from the rest is that I treat every project like it’s someone’s passion project. Because often, it is!

This past fall I published a passion project of my own. My first digital zine titled, Medley Zine! For those unfamiliar with this term, a zine is a self-published collection of stories and illustrations. I had the pleasure of working with a small group of talented artists for this project. Our Fall 2024 issue is available now at https://linktr.ee/medleyzine24

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

In October of 2023, I developed tendonitis in my drawing arm. I was nearing the end of the fall quarter of my junior year at SCAD. The pain was excruciating, but I had a long winter break so I just pushed through. Winter break came and went and I was still in so much pain. I tried going to a chiropractor and physical therapy, but nothing seemed to work. The pain spread through my entire arm from my shoulder to my fingertips. It was so bad it kept me up at night. I couldn’t sleep, I could barely work, I was absolutely miserable. One of my professors said I should think of some backup options as “you don’t want to age out of the industry before you even start”. Not the words you want to hear halfway through your degree.

Still, I pushed through and made it to the summer. I was able to take some time away from drawing to really give my body a break. I got a steroid shot to help manage the pain. For the first time in a while, I felt better. To give myself a break from drawing, I decided to try my hand at editing. I organized a small group of artists and published my first digital Zine. I absolutely loved it. It was the confidence boost I needed to keep creating. As summer faded into fall, it was time to get ready for my senior year. I was feeling very hopeful after the steroid shot, and for the first five weeks, I did well.

As midterms rolled around things took a turn for the worst. Somehow I was in worse pain than before. I couldn’t sleep again and I started to fall behind in my classes. My body physically couldn’t keep up with the workload. I once again pushed through to the end of the quarter. I couldn’t help but think of my old professor’s words. Have I aged out of the industry at 20? I did what I always do when I need advice, I called my mom. Together we booked an appointment with an orthopedist. At this point I had been dealing with the pain for over a year, I had seen so many doctors and therapists I couldn’t help but feel defeated. At this appointment, I was diagnosed with lateral and medial epicondylitis. Commonly known as tennis and golfers elbow. He prescribed a new medication and a new physical therapist. I was so tired of hurting I was willing to try anything to be free of the pain. The medication seemed to calm the aggravated tendons and I was able to draw again!

But there was still lingering pain from my shoulder to my fingertips. I was hit with yet another bombshell from my physical therapist as he explained it wasn’t just tennis and golfers elbow, but chronic nerve pain as well. The entire nerve pathway from my neck to my fingertips was aggravated due to my drawing posture. It felt like everything I worked for was slipping through my fingers. And so close to the end of my degree. Tired and defeated, I shared the news with my partner. He reminded me that it takes more than just art to make a comic. I thought back to my editing work over the summer. Remembering how good it felt to be a part of something creative that didn’t destroy my body. Could I turn this into a career? Entry editorial positions for a grassroots publishing company were open. I summoned all the courage I had left and submitted an application. As luck would have it, I got in! Fast forward to today and it has truly been the most fulfilling five months of my creative career. It took a lot to get here and I still deal with flare-ups, but I feel I have finally found what I was meant to do.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

As an editor, I am my best self when helping others be their best. My favorite stories to read and to tell are the ones where you can tell the people behind it loved making it. I get to help people bring their passion projects to life. What could be more rewarding than that!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://juniemoonie02.wixsite.com/junie-draws
• Instagram: JunieMoonie02
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruby-bailey-17251b225
• Other: Link to my Zine, Medley Zine: https://linktr.ee/medleyzine24