We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Seth Damoose. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Seth below.

Seth, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I think I always knew I would end up in a creative field. Growing up I was fascinated by storytelling in all forms. I was always connected to comic books, music, and movies. I was always telling stories to entertain whoever was around. I had a tight circle of creative friends growing up in a small mid-western town with a private art college. We all fed off of each others creativity and pushed each other to always entertain each other. I didn’t realize it at the time, but being surrounded by art scholars and students at a young age was extremely beneficial for me. It opened my eyes to the possibilities that art can provide early, and taught me to never close my eyes to the potential within. At 12 years old my best mate and I had both settled on the fact that we were going into the arts. Seeing as we were the best of friends, we didn’t want our art to be compared to each others. It was at that point that we decided that one of us would focus on music and the other on drawing. We’ve both ended up in the fields that we chose, and have remained close by encouraging and promoting each other and our crafts.

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.

When I wasn’t out with my friends creating movies and pretending to be in fantastic worlds, I would spend my time consuming as many comic books and movies as I could. I loved to create stories and characters. When I couldn’t act them out or write them down properly, I started to draw them. It was drawing the stories and characters then, that would appeal to me the most. I set out to constantly try and improve my work, every time I sat down to draw. I was drawing now with a purpose. I read as many “how to draw” books as I could and tried to incorporate as many of the techniques and styles that appealed to me into the work. My focus has always been to be able to tell the best story, without words. That’s the challenge and the goal. Getting into the comic book industry can seem difficult. There are only so many Spider-Man and Superman comics and they’re already being drawn by someone who had a similar dream. They’re clearly not going to give up their dream for me to have a chance. The best advice I ever received when it comes to making comics was; ‘If you want to make comics, MAKE COMICS”. If we wait around for permission to create art or tell our stories, it may never happen. Everyone has a story to tell and they all need to be told. I’ve been fortunate enough to have been published through several different publishers and work with numerous amazing creators. If I ever have to pick which work is my favorite, or which one I’m the most proud of, my answer will always be my next one.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Art is completely subjective, every thing is not for everyone. The most talented individual may not get the notoriety because it may not be the flavor of the minute. I’ve always focused on the story in my art. Whether it’s a single image, short story, or multiple issue saga. Style wasn’t really something that I consciously tried to develop. I had artists and styles that I enjoyed and was inspired by, but I knew right away that I wanted to be the best ME, not the next whomever. When I was showing my portfolio around at conventions and trying out for projects by pitching stories with collaborators, one of the sticking criticisms with my art was that it was “too cartoony”. I was passed on several times by editors because the idea was that my style (while well done and competent) was just not going to work for their aesthetic. This is a point that still comes up today. The idea that comic book art could be “too cartoony” used to bother me, but after a while I decided to embrace it. Artists shouldn’t have to feel like they need to change in order to fit into a certain mold. That goes completely against what art should be. Artists need to stay true to themselves and their craft. If we can do that, it will find its audience.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being artistic for me would be seeing someone’s reaction to my work. I make art to share it with as many people as I can. Making that connection is the final step in the artistic process. If someone loves it, great. If someone can’t stand it, great. I want to know why either way. Art should provoke emotions from those who consume it. It should speak to us, whether it makes us feel warm and fuzzy or uncomfortable. Being able to see or hear someone’s reaction to something I’ve made, means I’ve done what I set out to do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://dam.ink
• Instagram: sethdamoose
• Facebook: Dam.Ink Art of Seth Damoose
• Twitter: @damooseseth
• Other: @sethdamoose.bsky.social