We were lucky to catch up with Shona Rose recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Shona thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with 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 started out being self taught. I grew up in Jamaica so my resources were limited. I honestly didn’t see it as a hindrance, because it allowed me to be even more creative than I thought I could be and developed my problem solving skills. I would find a way to create amazing stuff while only using a cheap box of pencil crayons and chalk. I was most thankful for having the internet and the artists who made tutorials online, I learned alot and I am still learning. I wished I had practiced painting more. I really was too scared to try it when I was in high school, but I wish I had taken the leap much sooner. I have so much fun painting both digitally and traditionally. As for obstacles it’s not easy to paint with a plastic brush, or a cheaply made bristle brush with the hairs falling out; still, I managed and I used other tools instead, like cotton balls or toothbrushes. I also didn’t have a tablet which doesn’t seem like a big deal but trying painting a masterpiece with a mouse… a total challenge!

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

My name is Shona but my Alter Ego is FayLeif. I am Jamaican born but I later immigrated to the states when I was seventeen. Art has been my passion since I was a child and I decided to become a concept artist after watching FInal Fantasy Seven Advent Children. However, Art has always been a way of self expression and I enjoyed sharing that with others. After graduating from the art institutes I’ve mainly been freelancing but I’ve worked as a graphic artist, and currently a concept artist and an art teacher.

I honestly was not expecting to be a teacher but I enjoyed teaching the kids and the occasional adults. Seeing them improve is very rewarding. It’s also very heartwarming when my students give me notes of appreciation and when they are able to open up and be comfortable while creating fun fantastic artwork.
I mainly create art prints of my work since the majority of my work is digitally rendered, such as portraits, fan art, business cards, avatars, logos, and illustrations. I’m still looking to expand on that.

One of the main things I’d like my clients to know is, I aim to give them the best possible product as my abilities allow and that I want to give them something that will make them smile or thoughtful, or fulfill a role that makes them proud and happy to have asked for my services. I will also be fair price wise, that is one of the most important things to me where costs are concerned. I want them to be happy not thinking its over the top expensive

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

After Graduating from college I was fortunate to get a job working with, lets just call them Company A. I was hired to be a UX/UI Designer and it was full time. I was over the moon, I diligently went to work, I made progress with the projects they gave me and I interacted well with my team. However, once my projects were complete, Company A felt no need to keep me working with them, so I was let go. it was a hard blow to my confidence as an artist and I questioned my abilities and wondered if I maybe made a mistake. I reflected on myself and did a lot of soul searching. Still, I carried on and then I was hired by Company B, and after the project was complete once again I was let go. Still I persevered, it was not easy, but I figured there would be other places and if not I would build my own business with my own clients. Which is exactly what I have set out to do. It’s hard being rejected after doing your best and giving your all, but giving up in my mind, would feel worse. If I had given up the first time my Art was rejected I would not be the artist I am today. It really takes blood, sweat and tears, but It requires patience and kindness to yourself too.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

Honestly, being supportive and patient with artists. I do not mean let them be lazy, no, motivate them, give em’ a smack on the buttocks to get moving (I mean this figuratively not literally). Because artists are perfectionists; we will obsess over the curve of a line or the stroke of a paintbrush because it’s not just right, we will put aside artwork we’ve started for days, even years because it’s just ‘not right’ we sometimes just look at the canvas and just hate it. Even though to you it would look fantastic. It’s very unnerving. We are also incredibly hard on ourselves to the extreme! And sometimes we forget that we are not complete and utter failures. This is compounded by not having sold work, or feeling like cheats when we do sell work. it’s a confusing process to artists and we have to remind ourselves, no you made something people as a whole enjoy so no you do not suck.

The third thing I can say that non-creatives do not understand and I think most business owners can relate to this, is that making a living wage off our art is not as easy as getting an interview and boom you work there for life and climb the corporate ladder. Art is not like this. You either make a lot of money or you make nothing at all. It’s a process and it takes time. It’s not like we are given a manual, so navigating through it all is a challenge in itself. It does not help when there’s a demand to do something or go make money, or telling artists they are worthless and not doing anything with themselves, it’s incredibly demoralizing and I know a few artists who gave up simply because they needed to make money and didn’t think it profitable. Or others wasting away at a job they hate because of the immediate demand for money or familial pressure.

A better approach is to try to understand where they are coming from, perhaps look into books, or workshops that you can attend with the artist so that you can help them plan for the future. I say this for parents with kids too. participating with what your kid enjoys or going to conventions and trying to understand what it is they do even if you do not fully goes a long way to motivate. Even finding out a fair way to price their art is a huge step because a lot of artists struggle with that.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.artstation.com/fay_leif https://www.artstation.com/fay_leif
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fayleif/ https://www.instagram.com/fayleif/
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/shona-rose
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdFtHPz8Vv3qOhMQuz0qOHg
• Other: GAB: https://gab.com/Art_by_FayLeif