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

Alright, Vorpae thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I first knew that I’d want to pursue illustration as career when I was thirteen years of age. The first career I wanted and still wish deep inside I had the mental to do was marine biologist, however.

Around eight years old, I had to move far away from home to a new country (Italy) and it was quite overwhelming. Strangers all over and I couldn’t understand a single word. Since everyone that surrounded me was either young (my age) or that of my parents’ ( and I was more in a small town side of a place) English wasn’t something everyone knew or had to. Neither did I- to be fair, but I adapted and learned quick.

The only thing that was difficult to deal with was more about the difference in looks (me) compared to them, the culture I kept from my home land and how I think made me too different to the kids there. I felt wrong, and as I grew up that feeling only bottled up, and the more kids started to attack me or bully me for it. It had been rough on me- I’d admit.

Art was a way I expressed myself without much language barrier to people; but never something I considered to be my main source of income. After going through some life threatening stuff and being too much of a people pleaser through my younger years, I thought to myself that- well, if I’m going to continue to live, I’d like to only do what I enjoy for work from then on out which happened to be art.

Vorpae, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’ve always loved art since I was young but I never considered on improving it to a more “professional” levels (takes a lot of time and effort I wasn’t sure I could provide) since I didn’t think it’d become my main source of income. I started becoming serious about Art as a career once I became fifteen, wanting to price myself higher and have myself (and potential customers).

I love drawing darker subjects! Blood, slight gore, cannibalism as another way to show love and other humans emotions— and much more. It’s definitely not for everyone, but I don’t blame them. People who enjoys my art and their subjects always seem to find me eventually and I’m happy with that fact.

I suppose this is where I’d say I am self taught, but with this day and the age of internet upon us— there’s so much potential and material you get to watch and learn. YouTube would be the first you can think about, then other artists offering ‘tutorials’ or show their art progress and how they come to be. I’d say I am a student of many, many artists who likely had never even seen my work passing around!

I’m a freelance digital artist so I’m not technically in a specific industry. I focus on honing my skills, showing my art and the love for it to the world and offer that for those who’d like to see their ideas come to light in how I interpret it.

I love being flexible and learning new things— there are things I always offer regardless of that month’s “offer”. I experiment with art styles, colors, work process and much more- so those would be that month’s highlight and promoted most. I adore character illustrations and designs— and I’m most known (at least, from my returning customers) for how I am able to portray their ideas perfectly, my speed and my communication.

My favourite kind of work to do would be tarot cards inspired or big painted pieces where I get to read/hear/know about my customer’s characters and stories, the world they reside in and what they’d like me to portray of that in the commission! Symbolism in the objects, flowers, poses and colors are things I put care in. But that also requires of my client to *believe* in my vision and understanding of their story. I prefer them to come to me for my work and not me to try and copy or do things that aren’t “me” — if that makes sense!

I am able to do full illustrations in under five hours, really! Something I am most proud of, too. Sadly, working so much for years now, as if each brush stroke could be my last – with the high speed and quick turnarounds, with too low pricing — I was on the edge of burnout and my wrist and health had given up. It took me a bit of picking parts of myself back up, listening to feedbacks from other senior artists for me to find joy and learn to take needed breaks.

I’ve been told I still struggle with that last part though!

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

Most adults around me had always considered Art as a career to be Lazy and need little to no effort to make money out off or something that would render you homeless and starving. Either way, it is not considered a ‘real job’ for many, when they had to ‘work hard’ and ‘sweat’ for their hard earned pennies. At least in their eyes.

That was the reason I worked too hard most time when it comes to art. Of course, as I said before, I didn’t plan to have it as my main source of income- but when I did, I “had something to prove”. That: art **is** Work , it is strenuous and takes a lot of work to hone the skills, to be persistent and continue until you finish a piece.

With that – I worked myself to the bone: making around 2-3 fully illustrated art a day at around 50USD of price. The turnaround time was around one or two days- so it was be juggling with: my physical and mental health, school work and studies, and family. It quickly became detrimental, when I realized in a way I’ve also agreed to those adults’ points in a way— about art not Worthing much.

I’ve always struggled with taking breaks and caring for myself due to all that. I get too absorbed into my crafts despite my best efforts. I often need my friends to drag me away to do other activities so I’m not always stuck to my canvas.

I’m forever grateful to them for taking care of me. I’m treating myself to a bit more kindness and let my hand draw more personal pieces now — I adore telling other’s stories… But I crave telling mine as well, so that’s what I’ve been doing, and it had helped me improve a lot!

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

Many non-creatives seems to always have opinions that are often contradicting, finding ways to put others down somehow. Any form of art, despite them being constantly surrounded by it without realising or appreciating them, seem to be useless or “easy” in their eyes. Same people though, would yell ‘impossible!’ when you ask them to do what you do, but more than sure enough to say ‘why price it that high? I can do it too’.

I had to unlearn all that I’ve ‘taught’ myself with the values of negative non-creatives that had been pushed onto me. Finally learned to take my time, value myself more, first and foremost, as well as my art. Because in the end, no matter how hard I work or prove myself, if someone isn’t willing to see things from your point of view, they never will.

That, though, isn’t just something that’s done and gone. Imposter syndrome and the negative words in your head will always come back to haunt artists whether they like it or not, the insecurities will always be there. It’s the way one learns to deal with them, to not listen or talk yourself out of it in that very moment. You’re not a failure for being unable to be fully proud of yourself and crafts 24/7. Take your time and be kinder to yourself and others.

Contact Info:

• Twitter: https://x.com/vorpaelyzis?t=VQ7Om-M_8JtAw2W0G46S5Q&s=09
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@vorpaelyzis?si=MbuutlE8yFpDRKnj
• Other: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/vorpaelyzis.bsky.social

  Carrd (substitute for website since it’s currently in the making):
  https://vorpaelyzis.carrd.co/