1

Fireworks
@thousandskies

Do you plan your art in advance or are you a spontaneous creator?

‪I do both. I usually label my spontaneous art as doodles while the majority of my work is planned. I get excited when I sketch, then I will not touch the designs for a few days. When I revisit them, I want to see whether I’m still as excited as I was before. That is my acid test.

2

Shade
@madiharpart

Do you plan your art in advance or are you a spontaneous creator?

I’m a spontaneous creator! Over-planning an idea sometimes leads to frustration if it doesn’t look the way I had envisioned. I like to create things when I don’t have to create for anything specific, just for me. Then I can use that with new elements, to fit a project or assignment that comes up.

3

Moth
@the_plant_child

How much of your own life is reflected in your art?

In some small way, I think just about every aspect of my life is reflected in my art. Making art is such a big part of who I am. So sometimes, I think it just happens subliminally!

4

Rays
@vitkaninn

Which iconic artist in the past or present inspires you the most?

My all-time favourite artist would be Ivan Bilibin. His iconic style of lineart, colours, and level of detail has fascinated me ever since I was a kid, looking at his illustrations of Slavic fairy tales. It was his work that inspired me to start drawing myself, and his work remains a big influence up to this day.

5

Blade
@albabbgg

What advice do you wish you had when you first started making art?

I would love it if someone could have shown me that all of us start from the same point, and that it's okay and normal to be a bad artist or to not understand complex things because they're difficult and you need time to learn them. That it's normal to be frustrated, and all artists, even the best ones, feel that way sometimes. I would have also loved it if someone told me that it's more important to understand what you're drawing instead of drawing a lot of hours without understanding what you're doing. So I really hope this will help you if you're starting and didn't know this!

6

Drama
@ellieandmarker

Is there a particular place that you go to for creative inspiration?

Well, I have two directions in art - people and architecture. For architecture, I’d go to the shabbiest old parts of a city, not really the touristic ones. I always find those to have more history, to be more alive. I did a lot of sketches of my window view and neighborhood too during the lockdown. As for people, I’d choose a cafe or any crowded place where I can sit and sketch without being noticed. These quick simple sketches include interesting poses or interactions that I can use later in my own compositions.

7

Jazz
@tokomo

How do you feel art has changed or improved your life?

Drawing has always been my natural part of being. With that being said, art has given me creativity to enjoy life no matter what hardships I face, and it also assured me that I can live my life as long as there's pen and paper.

8

Spirit
@ludmilacerafoce

Name one art tool that reflects you the best. Why?

The tool of art that reflects me the best is the pencil. Pencil is instinctive, quick and precise. No need to prepare a set of work during long minutes, just take a pencil and you can just draw what's on your mind instantly! To me, it's one of the best ways of artistic expression, and there are so many ways to use it. With a pencil, you can make both a simple doodle or a complex illustration.

9

Clockwork
@gatovtina

Do you plan your art in advance or are you a spontaneous creator?

I am definitely a person who plans everything, my day to day, my meals and yes, my artworks too. I feel more in control when I have planned the topic, the poses of the characters and various sketches. It gives me more confidence when starting my work and choosing my references beforehand also helps me a lot. Although I feel that planning the process helps me to be more productive, I sometimes do improvisation excercises or doodle for fun and to relax my mind without thinking about how it will turn out.

10

Flamboyant
@fridakadavre

Do you plan your art in advance or are you a spontaneous creator?

I definitely consider myself more of a spontaneous creator. Most of the time, when I'm about to draw, I prefer to let my subconscious run wild. This way, I feel like I end up finding creatures and characters that represent a purer and clearer idea of the worlds that live inside my head.

11

Crow
@thingsby_diana

What advice do you wish you had when you first started making art?

Always do projects you love - it’s essential for growing as an artist! Whether it's to improve your skills by challenging yourself with something you’ve never drawn before or to give the energy you need to get through low inspiration days, having a treasure trove of things you’re excited to do will help you orient yourself towards the goals you want to achieve.

12

Cozy
@__bluebean

How do you feel art has changed or improved your life?

Art made me and it surely changed me. Art doesn't need me, but I need art. For others, it may not be a necessity in life, but it exists in every corner of my daily life. I won’t hide my madness or even my fear when it comes to creativity. It's my gateway in elevating life to an artistic realm. There is no specific standards to measure, and sometimes it is unseen, but this is precisely the soul of art. For me, art is what people leave behind after being in this world. I hope to be not just an artist, but art too.

13

Elixir
@justanotherada

Name one art tool that reflects you the best. Why?

I’m definitely an acrylic paint lover, I like any medium that I can build up and change the elements if I want to! In January of 2019 I tried acrylic paint markers for the first time and they completely changed the way I work. I don’t have nearly as much fun with any other mediums as I do with paint pens, and having fun with the creating is process the most important thing!

14

Nostalgia
@l0ll3_

How much of your own life is reflected in your art?

I'd say totally! My life and my art are perfectly connected. I usually include in my art, my current interests and passions. If at a given period of my life, I come across something that strikes me deeply, that thing would automatically be reflected into my art and my work. Creativity, on the other hand, deeply impacts my own life, influencing it in every aspect, from the way I dress to my home decor. I guess one could say that my life and my art are two fires that feed off each other, each one inspires and influences the other. Keeping the "art machine" alive!

15

Orange
@msshanh

What is the biggest artistic challenge you've managed to overcome?

For me, the biggest artistic challenge was to make the decision to start drawing again, after being on hiatus for several years. I had given up on making a name for myself in the industry, and my career had taken a different path too. Now it's been two years since I started drawing again and I couldn't be happier with the decision, I guess it proves that it's never too late to do the things that you like and make you happy.

16

Silhouette
@heidiroo_art

What is the biggest artistic challenge you've managed to overcome?

The biggest challenge was actually believing in myself to chase art as a career. I didn’t pursue a bachelor’s degree in art and instead majored in literature because I didn’t believe that I could actually do anything with illustration. After trying out a few jobs, I finally took the leap. I figured, if I don’t try now, then when? It was the bravest thing I had ever done. It felt irresponsible and capricious, but overall it also felt like a new adventure and I was in much need for that. That moment has taught me to remain open to change and to accept the unpredictable. Follow your gut and your magic!

17

Infinity
@cam.estela

How much of your own life is reflected in your art?

So much. Most of my inspiration and the origin of my art comes from the emotions and stories I've lived through in real life. There's no better place to find inspiration than our own inner worlds, that is of course, affected by our experiences and bonds with others. There's so much to talk about, such as our loved ones, desires, fears and frustrations. I do not tend to be the one to tell my little daily life stories in a literal way, but they do, without a doubt, inspire most of my art. It's good to be vulnerable and connect with others that way.

18

Opulence
@lilstarnerd

Which iconic artist in the past or present inspires you the most?

My biggest inspiration as of late has been John Everett Millais. His Pre-Raphaelite work is stunning. The atmosphere he creates in his pieces is other-worldly. The elements in the pieces seem so realistic and emotional, yet magical and ethereal at the same time. I would love to be able to capture moments and emotions similarly.

19

Umbrella
@lichingheng

What's one saying you've been carrying throughout your art career?

I was in my late 30s when I first gave a serious thought about being an artist. I didn’t have an art education nor any art-related experiences. But I remember reading this quote by Henry Matisse, “Creativity takes courage”. It resonated deeply with me. Starting from zero. Learning again, doing something differently, and sharing deeply personal art, all of these take courage. To all the dreamers out there, don’t let fear or doubt stop you from achieving your dreams! Courage!

20

Mania
@hazelong

Is there a particular place that you go to for creative inspiration?

I like to explore my inner mind when I need to find inspiration or motivation. Sometimes there’s only darkness and chaos within, other times it's filled with light and love. Depending on my inner psyche, I channel the energy into my artwork and create a world where others can relate to.

21

Sleepwalking
@fionac.b

Do you think creativity is innate or learned?

I think it's both - everyone has creativity in them, but it’s hard to access unless you learn your own unique way of channeling it. Every artist has different processes - I find that I need to spend a lot of time drawing for fun in my sketchbook to generate ideas.

22

Iridescent
@ella.doodles

Do you think creativity is innate or learned?

I think it's a mixture. Everyone has their own little share of creative drive. That sweet spot of ideas is drawn out when you nurture it. Creativity comes more naturally as you learn, and it’s wonderful because it’s never too late to begin exploring that intuition.

23

Streetlight
@fish.dayuu

What's one saying you've been carrying throughout your art career?

"Become a deeply disciplined half-ass" - This is a quote from Elizabeth Gilbert's book Big Magic. It's a reminder to myself that practice and making more art is more important than chasing for perfection.

24

Velvet
@kalliopilyviaki

What's one saying you've been carrying throughout your art career?

One saying that has really stuck with me and has truly pushed me in a positive way towards finding new ways to support myself and my journey of doing what I love is "I can see more because I am standing on the shoulders of giants". Not sure who said it first, but many artists associate this with 'old master' paintings where we can search in a second, study for hours and acquire years worth of knowledge. It's true, but for me, my giant has always been my mom. The things she had to go through in order to give me education, support, art supplies. Including everything she was deprived of in order to give me a head start and her shoulders to stand on. That's my biggest inspiration in trying to be the best artist and version of myself!

25

Phantom
@finelinernerd

Do you think creativity is innate or learned?

Can creativity be learned? Of course! Creativity and skill inform and chase each other like a loop. The more we hone our skills, the better we become at communicating our ideas, and therefore the crazier and more creative our concepts can become because we understand better how to execute them. I passionately believe that with enough dedication, anyone can become creative and skilled in visual arts.

26

Perfume
@mocculere

Do you think creativity is innate or learned?

I think creativity's innate. It might be given to us but we have to nurture it. When talking about art, I think creativity and skill come hand in hand. If creativity is innate, skill is learned. Through learning the skill, you open many paths for the creativity to be expressed.

27

Locket
@koolaur

What is the biggest artistic challenge you've managed to overcome?

I had a lot of struggles when I just started diving into the illustration world. The number of possibilities was overwhelming and it wasn't clear for me yet what way I should go. My biggest hurdle to overcome was (and still is) that I compare myself to others and it only frustrates me. Comparing is a really bad habit because there are always people who do better than you, no matter how far you get. So I think it's important to put more focus on exploring yourself and trying to be better than you were yesterday. Develop your own style and mind but don’t get me wrong, it’s totally okay to use references. If you see an amazing artwork, try to analyze what you like and dislike about it. Asking such questions makes the research way more productive, and helps you build a clear understanding of what your preferences are.

28

Neon
@onlyparkland

What is the biggest artistic challenge you've managed to overcome?

To stop comparing my art with other artists' works negatively. I used to feel demotivated when I look at the artworks of artists that are more skilled than I am. Questioning why am I not improving or why can't I draw as well as them. This demotivation usually leads to a decline in productivity or even giving up. I realized that this makes me forget why I draw and who I draw for. I should be enjoying the process and be happy with the result. If I am not, it means there is still room for improvement. However, this isn't to say we should not compare at all with other artists. I've learnt to compare and be inspired instead. There's so much to learn from other artists. It also helps to have a habit of keeping sketchbooks for this, because I am able to see how much I have improved when I flip through my older books.

29

Parfait
@kirabunni

How do you feel art has changed or improved your life?

I started drawing when I was very young, so it's hard to think what my life would be without. I often have almost little to no attention span for other things like homework or watching TV, but when it comes to drawing, I always have enough patience to sit for hours. I think my life without art will be bland, and I wouldn’t have anything to do to or look forward to, so I’m very glad to be able to illustrate. I think art gave me a goal in life, and without that, I probably wouldn’t be sure about anything I do. It’s just really fun to be able to draw the things you love as a career!

30

Masquerade
@_pangurban_

Is there a particular place that you go to for creative inspiration?

The first place that I like to go looking for inspiration is in books. I like to grab a cup of coffee and one or many books about artists that inspire me. Reading about their journeys and looking at their works of art is usually a great way to get me super thrilled to get creating.

31

Aurora
@lepus__

Is there a particular place that you go to for creative inspiration?

It really depends on what I'm trying to paint at that very specific moment. Whether I have a solid idea or simply wanting to experiment, the sources for inspiration could vary from real life objects, events or other artists' work, to landscapes and nature. If I were to be honest, the sources for creative inspiration is unlimited. As for actual places of inspiration in real life, I'm afraid I don't really move a lot. I mainly focus on what others capture through their eyes, work and photographs as sources of inspiration.