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

Shadia, appreciate you joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I learned thanks to my teachers at SCAD, they taught me what I know today! I always recommend that outside of any education you take, always look for more! Online tutorials, courses outside your degree, etc. I could have drawn more, in order to speed up my learning process. It would also have helped to go beyond my comfort zone with my art and draw things I had never tried before. The most essential skills are persistence and patience with yourself. We get frustrated because we don’t see results immediately, but our style is not going to be the same a year, a month, or even a week from now if we keep on practicing.
A main obstacle that stood in the way was stubbornness. Not being open to editing my stories as they were “too precious,” and spending time working on the same stories forever instead of using new stories and ideas to branch out while I was developing my skills! We may have that one special story we really want to tell, but it is important to actually tell it while not letting it be the only one we ever tell!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I draw stories told in a sequential manner, in other words, comics! Most of the time I am presented with a script, whether original or from an existing series! I try to keep a style that is fun, full of energy and emotion. I think that’s what keeps people circling back to my work! I am most proud of the little nuances I bring to the characters when I draw them. A visual gag, a specific expression. Little details like that seem to always blow away anyone reading them!

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

The best thing you can do is always support your friends. It is easy to get resentful or jealous, feeling as if you deserved a certain gig more than they did. However, doing so is incredibly toxic, and you could end up burning bridges if you treat your peers as competition and actively try to sabotage them. Try to uplift your friends and they will do the same for you, and if they don’t, it won’t go unnoticed by those who matter.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

There are so many websites now dedicated to showing or helping with reference! Sometimes, even with the right books, we have issues visualizing certain ideas and concepts. Now this information is so easy to access! Same with tablets! It’s amazing how much more accessible art has become and I wish we all had that sooner!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.shadiaminart.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shadiaminart/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Shadiaminart